‘Urgent’ Social Media Advisory, Tribal Broadband Awards, Permitting Reform Progress, BroadbandNow Podcast
The Surgeon General called on Congress to take action against the harms social media poses to youth.
Em McPhie
May 25, 2023 — United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Tuesday issued an advisory warning that social media carries a “profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents,” naming it an “urgent public health issue.”
The advisory called on Congress to develop age-appropriate safety standards for technology platforms, require a higher standard of data privacy for children and pursue policies that limit children’s access to social media.
Lawmakers are currently considering several pieces of legislation focused on children’s digital safety, with some opponents arguing that the harms of social media have not yet been proven. The advisory responded to these concerns by comparing the regulation of social media platforms to the rigorous third-party testing and “safety-first approach” taken with toy manufacturers, as well as in several other sectors with widespread adoption among children.
“Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment,” Murthy said. “And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis — one that we must urgently address.”
In connection with the advisory, the White House on Tuesday announced the formation of an interagency task force focused on children’s online safety, warning that the current “unprecedented youth mental health crisis” could be exacerbated by advances in artificial intelligence.
NTIA authorizes more tribal broadband funding
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration on Wednesday announced nine new Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grants of $500,000 each, bringing the program’s total to $1.77 billion in support of 166 Tribal entities across the country.
The grants are meant to “help lower barriers to Internet access today and plan for the future high-speed Internet infrastructure projects of tomorrow,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson.
One of the grants was awarded to the Native Village of Chenega, which is located on a remote Alaskan island and currently has no internet service that meets the Federal Communications Commission’s standard of at least 25 Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads. The newly funded project aims to bring broadband to Chenega by utilizing existing infrastructure and providing fiber to anchor institutions, as well as encouraging adoption by subsidizing service and equipment costs.
Another grant was awarded to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon for the purpose of constructing a fixed wireless network to connect 200 currently unserved households to speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20Mbps upload.
“Quality rural broadband is essential to quality of life, and that infrastructure priority must include Tribal communities,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., in a press release celebrating the award.
Other projects range from providing publicly accessible internet at community anchor institutions to supporting the initial planning phases of a major broadband infrastructure initiative.
The NTIA will launch an additional round of TBCP funding “in the next few months,” according to the agency.
House lawmakers move forward with broadband permitting reform
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday advanced several bills aimed at streamlining broadband permitting and expediting deployment.
Under current regulations, “providers need to go through burdensome permitting processes at the federal, state and local level — and the time to receive approval on a permit can range from several months to several years,” said Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. “Our legislation would cut the red tape and ensure that this money can reach rural, unserved Americans quickly.”
The committee — which also advanced a bill reauthorizing the FCC’s spectrum auction jurisdiction for three years — unanimously passed legislation that would standardize permitting fees and expedite reviews. However, the committee’s Democratic minority objected to the American Broadband Deployment Act, which includes directives that would relax environmental and historical preservation reviews.
“Unfortunately, Republicans insisted on a package of giveaways that trample on state and local rights and consumer and environmental protections,” said Ranking Member Frank Pallone, D-N.J.
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., one of the bill’s sponsors, argued that it would be “an important step in unleashing innovation and turbocharging public and private investment.”
BroadbandNow Podcast discusses BEAD and middle mile programs
The success of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Act will rely on thorough data collection and adherence to high technological standards, said Broadband Breakfast Editor and Publisher Drew Clark on an episode of the BroadbandNow Podcast released Thursday.
In addition, state broadband offices will play a “crucial role” in filling in any gaps that may be left by the FCC map, Clark said.
While Clark expressed cautious optimism about the BEAD program, he raised concerns about the costs that will cut into the awards, including those incurred as a result of domestic procurement and letter of credit requirements.
The episode also discussed Broadband Breakfast’s recent report on the Middle Mile Program, which will allocate $1 billion to the construction of critical middle mile infrastructure — “much less than is needed,” Clark said.
