1. Monthly archive
  2. May 2019

May 2019

Rep Clyburn Forms Rural Broadband Task Force

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) has launched the House Task Force on Rural Broadband to try and help close the rural digital divide and eliminate "digital deserts." “High-speed internet is an essential service in America today—yet too many of our fellow citizens in rural communities are being left behind," said Rep Clyburn. "I have heard numerous stories of families traveling many miles to places where their children can access the internet to do their homework. It’s unacceptable in 2019 that many rural communities have limited to no access to the internet.

Senate Commerce Committee Leaders Urge Chairman Pai to Speed Deployment of Spectrum for 5G

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging the FCC to redouble its efforts to make mid-band spectrum available for 5G. The Sens wrote, "Currently, the United States lags far behind our competitors in the availability of mid-band spectrum for 5G. While Citizens Band Radio Service will make 70 MHz of licensed spectrum available under a novel licensing scheme, much more is needed.

Chairman Pai Convenes SHAKEN/STIR Robocall Summit

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced another significant step in ensuring implementation of more reliable caller ID information to combat malicious spoofed robocalls. Chairman Pai expects major phone companies to implement SHAKEN/STIR caller ID authentication standards in 2019, and he will host a summit on July 11, 2019 to examine industry’s progress toward meeting this deadline. The summit will also identify any challenges to deployment of the SHAKEN/STIR framework and discuss how best to overcome them. 

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