February 2017

[Commentary] In December, the world’s first commercial broadcast using a new video transmission standard—one that enables dramatically better picture quality and new services—took place in South Korea. This standard, which some call ATSC 3.0 and others call Next Gen TV, is the first one to marry the advantages of broadcasting and the internet. Feb 1, I shared with my fellow Federal Communications Commission commissioners a proposal to allow broadcasters to use the Next Gen TV standard on a voluntary basis.

My view is simple: As in any industry, the FCC should promote innovation in the broadcasting business, not stand in the way of progress. I look forward to receiving feedback on our proposal from broadcasters, consumers, and other stakeholders. And I hope that we can issue a final authorization of the standard later in 2017. We expect and want the United States to lead the world in technological innovation. Moving forward with Next Gen TV would enable us to do just that. With this standard, the FCC could help American broadcasters benefit American consumers in a way befitting the marvels of the digital age. Stay tuned!

[Ajit Pai is the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission]

[Commentary] It may come as a surprise to city leaders that one of the biggest barriers to bringing high-speed fiber internet to your community and ensuring your residents can tap the power of next-generation internet is as simple as the utility pole this fiber hangs from. But it’s true. What’s more, utility poles often become a battleground between longtime companies and newer network providers, and access (or lack thereof) to those poles can determine whether a new provider is able to easily and cost effectively deploy broadband in an area. Unfortunately, right now the process is often long, difficult, and expensive in too many places, making the barrier to entry incredibly high.

That is why Next Century Cities, a non-profit membership organization that supports cities and leaders as they seek to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, reliable, and fast internet, created a comprehensive Pole Attachment Guide. This guide offers an in depth guide to pole authority by state and additional resources to support local leaders.

[Katie Watson is a Policy and Program Manager at Next Century Cities]

Count House Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Doyle (D-PA) among those not eager to use Congressional Review Act authority to invalidate the Federal Communications Commission's broadband privacy framework, but he suggested he was willing to work on an approach to balance the privacy requirements on Internet service providers and edge providers.

Ranking Member Doyle made that clear at the subcommittee's first hearing—on reauthorizing the National Telecommunications & Information Administration—of the new Congress and first presided over by new Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Among the witnesses was CTIA president Meredith Attwell Baker, whose group joined with NCTA: The Internet & Television Association, American Cable Association, USTelecom and others to suggest Congress use that power to undo a framework they point out does not apply to edge-provider data collectors like Google and Facebook.

Kellyanne Conway said that violent protests at the University of California, Berkeley, are the latest example of unrest partially fueled by the media. UC Berkeley initiated a campuswide lockdown Feb 1 after demonstrations broke out against a scheduled speech there by Breitbart senior editor Milo Yiannopoulos. “What’s going on out there is what’s going on all across the country,” said Conway. “You have protesters who feel very emboldened,” added Conway, who served as Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign manager. "They’ve got media cameras following them; they give interviews. I don’t even know if they know what they’re protesting. Really, what is it, the free speech? Having someone on your campus who has a dissenting point of view or wants to present an alternative point of view?”