What Bipartisanship Can Teach Us About the Future of Broadband

It barely seems like 10 days since we concluded "Broadband in the Trump Administration," a one-day conference gathering top legislators – Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio – and with leading voices in Republican (and Democratic) administrations.

The videos from the event have been available to Broadband Breakfast Club Members. (Regarding that, read below for a special holiday offer.)

Broadband in the Trump Administration

Don’t miss the chance to learn about BEAD, spectrum, Universal Service Fund reform, and the future of the internet.

Broadband BreakfastBroadband Breakfast

For those who are not yet Breakfast Club Members, the program, and stories about the event, are and will remain available on the program page:

Highlight of the event

For me, the most dramatic came at the very beginning, during Blackburn's keynote. At 1:20 in the video, Blackburn – looking up from the podium and recognizing the presence of Klobuchar, who was to follow her at the dais, said:

I know you are going to hear from Sen. Klobuchar. We could probably do this together. Between the two of us, we could solve a lot of the world's problems. Just ask us, on any given day (spontaneous applause from the crowd), especially when it comes to technology and AI and intellectual property, I think we are a pretty good team.

Blackburn went on to deliver a vigorous Republican message, in which she said that observers could expect the Republican Congress to use the Congressional Review Act in its effort to roll back regulations. “We will take a look at what have been misguided telecommunications policies” and policies that “did not deliver.”

GOP Congress to Employ CRA: Blackburn

FCC rules that went into effect before Aug. 1 are likely insulated from the act.

Broadband BreakfastJake Neenan

Klobuchar, following, insisted that the nation and its telecommunications policies were in for a rough patch because of the Supreme Court's Loper Bright ruling spelling the death-knell for the Chevron Doctrine:

“I personally was not a fan of getting rid of Chevron,” Klobuchar said. “I’m sure that may open up some possibilities for people, but it also could be a real mess because a lot of how we move forward with our economy is that we have consistent rules in place.”

Post-Chevron Could be ‘a Real Mess’: Klobuchar

The Supreme Court ended the practice of deferring to agency interpretations of ambiguous law this summer.

Broadband BreakfastJake Neenan

Less important than the particular words spoken by either Blackburn or Klobuchar, however, was this message: The nation will endure the upcoming peaceful transition of power.

Senators of differing political parties, with seemingly dramatically different values and approaches, know that they are able to find common ground. Particularly when they, together, work with a spirit of common purpose – and a common objective like getting better high-speed internet for all Americans.

If you haven't seen the videos, don't hesitate to return to the video page, or to the articles below about each of the panels and speeches:

NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson:

Davidson to Step Down from NTIA on Jan. 20

It’s not clear who will succeed him at NTIA under the Trump administration.

Broadband BreakfastJake Neenan

Panel 1 on BEAD:

State Leaders Push Back on BEAD Sustainability Concerns

State broadband officials advocated for a flexible, tech-neutral approach to serving the hardest-to-reach locations.

Broadband BreakfastJericho Casper

Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio:

Latta Hoping for Auction Authority in Reconciliation

Video of Latta’s speech also available on Broadband Breakfast.

Broadband BreakfastJake Neenan

Panel 2 on Spectrum Policy:

Spectrum Strategy Director: Stick to the Plan

The White House in March laid out plans to study nearly 2,800 megahertz of government spectrum.

Broadband BreakfastJake Neenan

Fireside Chat with Hilda Legg, former RUS Chief:

Former RUS Leader Keeps Backing a Fiber-First Approach

‘To make America great again, you need ubiquitous, high-speed broadband.’

Broadband BreakfastJericho Casper

Panel 3 on Affordable Conectivity:

Future Broadband Affordability Programs Might Have a Trust Problem: Experts

The ACP wind down left some participants wary, an outreach organization said.

Broadband BreakfastJake Neenan

Panel 4 on FCC Authority:

FCC’s Authority on Digital Discrimination Intact: Legal Experts

Legal experts also debated FCC’s authority on net neutrality and Section 230 enforcement.

Broadband BreakfastJericho Casper

Introducing the 12 Days of Broadband

Less than a week after the conference concluded, Broadband Breakfast re-launched what has become an annual tradition of ours: The 12 Days of Broadband, a series of feature articles about the top stories regarding high-speed internet for 2024.

12 Days of Broadband

An annual series of the year’s top 12 stories in broadband.

Broadband BreakfastBroadband Breakfast

After a preview of the stories during Broadband Breakfast Live Online on Dec. 18, we've revealed the 12 stories that Broadband Breakfast Club Member will be able to reach each Monday to Friday until January 2, 2025:

The 12 Days of Broadband

• On the First Day of broadband (Dec. 18), my true love sent to me:
  An extra-planetary-life-promoting tech billionaire set on electing a president.

Broadband Breakfast Person of the Year: Elon Musk

In our view, without Musk’s support, Trump would not have won the presidency.

Broadband BreakfastBroadband Breakfast

• On the Second Day of Broadband (Dec. 19), my true love sent to me: 23 million served by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The Year States Stepped Up for Broadband Affordability

States, cities, and private providers led the charge as federal broadband affordability efforts falter.

Broadband BreakfastJericho Casper

• On the Third Day of Broadband (Dec. 20), my true love sent to me:
  3rd year without the Federal Communications Commission having spectrum auction authority.

Going Into Year 3 Without FCC Spectrum Auction Authority

Hope for a single auction, but not blanket authority, materialized at the end of the year.

Broadband BreakfastJake Neenan

• On the Fourth Day of Broadband (Dec. 23), my true love sent to me:
  $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funds already allocated.
• On the Fifth Day of Broadband (Dec. 24), my true love sent to me:
  5,500 active satellites currently in Low-Earth Orbit.
• On the Sixth Day of Broadband (Dec. 25), my true love sent to me:
  6 years of service at the FCC by Commissioner and Chairman-designate Brendan Carr.
• On the Seventh Day of Broadband (Dec. 26), my true love sent to me:
  70 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually consumed by 2,700 data centers in the U.S.
• On the Eighth Day of Broadband (Dec. 27), my true love sent to me:
  $8 billion dollars in annual Universal Service Funds.
• On the Ninth Day of Broadband (Dec. 30), my true love sent to me:
  $90 billion in global telecom Merger & Acquisition deals value in 2024.
• On the Tenth Day of Broadband (Dec. 31), my true love sent to me:
  100 broadband-related rulemakings at the FCC relying on Chevron Deference.
• On the Eleventh Day of Broadband (Jan. 1), my true love sent to me:
  Nearly 11 years to complete the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, complete with defaulted locations.
• On the Twelfth Day of Broadband (Jan 2), my true love sent to me:
  12 Senators and Representatives signing the Andreessen-Horowitz “Little Tech” agenda.

If you're not yet a Member, enjoy our 12 Days of Broadband Offer!

This one-time purchase grants access to the 12 Days of Broadband, and to full videos from "Broadband in the Trump Administration." Also gives you unlimited access to all benefits of the Broadband Breakfast Club for one month.

Wishing you Happy Holiday in 2024!

Drew Clark
Broadband Breakfast
drew@breakfast.media