January 2020

Britain will not ban equipment made by the Chinese technology giant Huawei from being used in its new high-speed 5G wireless network, the starkest sign that an American campaign against the telecommunications company is faltering. But by limiting Huawei gear to less-critical parts of the new network, Britain also gave the Trump administration a partial victory that would allow it to claim that its message about the Chinese company had gotten through.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement about President Donald Trump signing the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act (PIRATE) Act into law:

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin taking applications for the second round of $550 million in ReConnect Program loan and grant funding on Jan 31. These funds will enable the federal government to continue to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second download and 1 megabit per second upload.

Many schools and libraries rely on the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate program to ensure that they can receive affordable, high-speed broadband to connect today’s students with next-generation learning opportunities.