What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
Utah Broadband Center Seeks Public Input on Plans To Expand High-Speed Internet Access Throughout Utah
The Utah Broadband Center (UBC), part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, asks for public feedback on the drafts of the Utah Digital Connectivity Plan and Digital Equity Plan. Comments can be submitted online through July 6, 2023. The Utah Digital Connectivity Plan and Digital Equity Plan highlight Utah’s vision, goals, objectives, and strategies to help get all Utahns connected to affordable high-speed broadband internet and access to the tools and resources needed to succeed in the digital world.
Public Library Association awards $1.27 million to more than 200 Public Libraries for digital literacy and ACP workshops
Powered by a contribution from AT&T, the Public Library Association (PLA) has selected more than 200 public libraries across 45 states to host digital literacy and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) workshops.
FTC Takes Action Against Amazon for Enrolling Consumers in Amazon Prime Without Consent and Sabotaging Their Attempts to Cancel
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against Amazon for its years-long effort to enroll consumers into its Prime program without their consent while knowingly making it difficult for consumers to cancel their subscriptions to Prime. In a complaint, the FTC charges that Amazon has knowingly duped millions of consumers into unknowingly enrolling in Amazon Prime.
The Remaining RDOF Funds
The Federal Communications Commission originally budgeted $20.4 billion dollars for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) subsidy program to be spent over ten years. The original RDOF reverse auction offered $16 billion in subsidies. But in a story that is now well known, some entities bid RDOF markets down to ridiculously low subsidy levels, and only $9.4 billion was claimed in the auction. $2.8 billion of this funding ended up in default, including some of the bidders who had driven the prices so low. That means that only $6.4 billion of the original $20.4 billion has been allocated.
NTIA Receives More Than 1,400 Comments on AI Accountability Policy
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) received roughly 1,447 written comments in response to its Artificial Intelligence Accountability Policy Request for Comment (RFC), which was issued in April, 2023, and is part of President Biden’s commitment to seizing the opportunities AI presents while managing its risks. The comments are available to the public at Regulations.gov: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NTIA-2023-0005/comments. These comments will help inform
Agenda
- Advancing Understanding of Non-Federal Spectrum Usage: The FCC will consider a Notice of Inquiry that would initiate a technical inquiry into how to obtain more sophisticated knowledge of real-time non-Federal spectrum usage—and how the FCC could take advantage of modern capabilities for doing so in a cost-effective, accurate, scalable, and actionable manner.
Agenda
- Enhancing Support for Connectivity in Tribal Communities – The FCC will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which would adopt rules to enhance Tribal communities’ access to the E-Rate program by streamlining certain program rules, making Tribal college and university libraries eligible for E-Rate support, and reducing administrative burdens in the program. The FCC will also seek comment on ways to further improve and simplify program rules for all E-Rate applicants. (CC Docket Nos.02-6, 96-45, 97-21)
Updated info here https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-395077A1.pdf and the event webpage: https://www.fcc.gov/fcc-nsf-ai-workshop
An in-person workshop for Tribal governments, Tribal employees, and Tribal members designed to provide information that will help Tribal Nations identify and evaluate opportunities to develop more robust broadband infrastructure and services in Tribal communities. The workshop is also designed to provide information about FCC policies and programs to address the lack of adequate communications services on Tribal lands nationwide.
Indiana aims to keep local communities informed about BEAD
All states are tackling broadband accessibility in some way, but each is taking its own approach.