Infrastructure
New Advocacy Group Addresses Infrastructure Safety
Damages to underground infrastructure are estimated to cost $30 million annually.
Public Safety
Ensuring that emergency communications are enabled with broadband is the next frontier in public safety.
Biden-Harris Administration
TikTok Under Threat of U.S. Ban Following Biden's Bill Signing
The new law specifically prohibits U.S. entities from maintaining a website or application operated by TikTok's owner ByteDance.
Joe Biden
House Passes Bill Forcing TikTok Divestiture in Funding Package
The TikTok ban was incorporated in the comprehensive foreign aid package that was approved on Saturday.
988 Lifeline
Amid Calls for Accountability, FCC Proposes Georouting Initiative for 988 Lifeline
Days before the FCC proposed location-based routing for 988 calls, the program's unused funds were flagged for audit.
Energy and Commerce
House Subcommittee Advances Bills Countering Chinese Threats to Communications
The bills focus on thwarting potential efforts by China to exploit security vulnerabilities in networks.
Robocall
FCC Addresses Accessibility Gaps in Emergency Alerts in February Meeting
The agency also introduced regulations to simplify consumers revoking consent for robocalls.
SpaceX
Lack of People Opting Into Emergency Alerts Poses Problems for Natural Disaster Scenarios
Disaster protocol experts remarked on lessons learned from fire outbreaks in Boulder County, Colorado.
Funding
Bigger Investment Needed for Next Generation 9-1-1 Services, Experts Say
Former head of NTIA said it could cost $12 billion.
FCC
FCC February Meeting Targets 911 Fee Diversion and Replacing Foreign Telecommunications Equipment
February 17, 2021 – The Federal Communications Commission adopted two proposals in Wednesday’s meeting: Seeking comments on rule changes for 911 fee diversion, and also the secure and trusted network reimbursement program. The first proposal seeks comment on a 911 fee diversion rule that would defin
Public Safety
FCC’s Jessica Rosenworcel Tells Public Safety She Wants to Halt the T-Band Auction and Fund 911 Upgrades
December 2, 2020 – Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission – and who appears to be considered for elevation to chairman of the agency under President-elect Joe Biden – advocated that the T-Band auction be stopped by Congress and that the status of 911 responders be
Election 2024
Confirming 2020 Election Results Could Prove Challenging, Say Brookings Panelists
July 29, 2020 — According to governance experts, the upcoming November election will operate on a significantly different timeline than traditional U.S. elections. The majority of Americans, 60 to 65 percent, are expected to vote by absentee ballots in the 2020 election, said Elaine Kamarck, foundin
Public Safety
Even When it Comes to Advancing High-Capacity Broadband, Local Community Resources Are Essential to Meeting Civic Needs
May 15, 2020 — Community support is vital for local business longevity amid the coronavirus, said panelists in a US Ignite forum Thursday. Panelists discussed the measures that their communities and organizations took to support small businesses and the common good during the coronavirus pandemic. U
Christopher Mitchell
The FCC Could Do More Now About the Digital Divide, Say Panelists at Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event
April 2, 2020 – “It’s really unfortunate that it has taken a national emergency, a worldwide pandemic, for people to realize how many people don’t have access to broadband internet,” said Georgetown Law Distinguished Fellow Gigi Sohn on a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Tuesday. When she testi
Digital Inclusion
Coronavirus Roundup: Fighting Against the Homework Gap, No Fixed Data Caps in U.K., Gigabit Libraries on Role in Pandemic
March 31, 2020 – Private-public partnerships are coming to the rescue in the fight against the digital divide and homework gap, writes Kim Hart and Margaret Harding McGill for Axios. Internet Service Providers, non-profits, and companies across the United States are donating devices, providing broad
FCC
Coronavirus Roundup: Senate Passes CARES Act with $200 Million for Telehealth, National Emergency Library, CoSN Webinar
The Senate on Wednesday night officially passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act—including funding for telehealth. The CARES Act allocates $200 million to the Federal Communications Commission to bolster telehealth and telemedicine. “The CARES Act would support this
FCC
Coronavirus Roundup: Amy Klobuchar Presses Critical Connections, CRS Outlines Broadband Challenges, INCOMPAS Filing
March 25, 2020 – Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., along with several other colleagues, announced the Keeping Critical Connections Act to help rural America connect to broadband during the coronavirus crisis. “The Keeping Critical Connections Act would help small broadband providers continue offering fre
