Just weeks after giving up her bid to be an FCC commissioner, Gigi Sohn said today that she will head up the American Association for Public Broadband. Sohn told reporters at the Broadband Communities conference and via teleconference that she…
Policy
New Colorado Law Eliminates a Restriction That Could Have Hindered Broadband Funding Opportunities
Colorado governor Jared Polis signed a bill this week that is expected to put the state in a better position to obtain upcoming broadband funding. Senate Bill 23-183 removes what the Governor’s Office of Information Technology calls the biggest barrier…
Broadband Map Bill Would Add a Reallocation Process to BEAD Funding Program
The text of a Senate bill that aims to improve the accuracy of federal broadband maps was made public yesterday. The bill, known as the Accurate Map for Broadband Investment Act of 2023, calls for a reallocation process for the…
Electric Cooperative Broadband Restrictions: NRECA Execs Offer an Update
State laws can make a big difference in whether it’s feasible for electric cooperatives to build broadband networks and offer broadband services. While some states restrict an electric cooperative’s ability to do that, others encourage it. Two executives from the…
Bill Would Tell FCC to Reform USF Contribution Base but Wouldn’t Say How
Federal legislators are taking another shot at reforming the Universal Service Fund (USF) program. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act introduced in the House and the Senate would direct the FCC to initiate a rulemaking process to reform the contribution system…
Sohn No Longer Wants to be FCC Commissioner
Gigi Sohn, who was nominated by President Biden to serve as FCC commissioner over 16 months ago, has asked the president to withdraw her nomination. In a statement, Sohn said that when she accepted the nomination, she “could not have…
RTIME: Bloomfield Urges NTCA Members to “Take Back” the Rural Broadband Narrative
“We need to be making hay while the sun is shining,” said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, addressing members and other rural broadband stakeholders at NTCA’s RTIME conference in San Diego today, in a reference to all…
FCC Proposes Rules to Help Domestic Violence Survivors Access Safe and Affordable Connectivity
WASHINGTON, February 16, 2023—Today the FCC proposed rules to implement key provisions in the Safe Connections Act to support survivors of domestic abuse and other related crimes seeking to maintain critical connections with friends, family, and support networks. These proposed…
FCC Acts to Encourage Greater Participation by Tribal Applicants in E-Rate Program
WASHINGTON, February 16, 2023—The Federal Communications Commission today adopted a proposal seeking comment on steps to encourage greater participation by eligible Tribal applicants in the E-Rate program, which provides high-speed internet to schools and libraries. Established in 1996, the E-Rate…
FCC Seeks to Push Wireless Emergency Alerts in More Languages
The FCC has sent letters to the nine largest providers of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) requesting information on how to enable the messages to be sent in languages beyond English and Spanish. WEA messages provide emergency information via “text-like messages”…
Carrier Groups Applaud Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act
Two telecom industry groups reacted positively to this week’s reintroduction of the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act in the House of Representatives and Senate. If passed and signed into law, the legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Service code to…
Digital Equity: FCC Wants to Hear Stories About Getting Internet Connectivity
The FCC’s Task Force to Prevent Digital Discrimination is inviting consumers to “share their stories and experiences in obtaining broadband internet access.” The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which was passed late in 2021, mandated that the FCC adopt rules to eliminate…
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