1. Monthly archive
  2. January 2020

January 2020

Chairman Pai's Response to Rep. DeFazio Regarding C-Band

On Nov 22, 2019, Rep Peter DeFazio (D-OR) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai about his growing concern with the FCC's "pattern of subordinating transportation safety to corporate broadband interests." He objected tot he FCC's proposal to repurpose portions of the 3.7-4.2 GHz spectrum band (C-band) for 5G purposes. He also objected to the FCC proposal to give away more than half the reserved 5.9 GHz connected vehicle spectrum to unlicensed Wi-Fi. 

US Media Polarization and the 2020 Election: A Nation Divided

A new Pew Research Center report finds that Republicans and Democrats place their trust in two nearly inverse news media environments. Overall, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents view many heavily relied on sources across a range of platforms as untrustworthy. At the same time, Democrats and independents who lean Democratic see most of those sources as credible and rely on them to a far greater degree. Evidence suggests that partisan polarization in the use and trust of media sources has widened in the past five years.

Pentagon Blocks Clampdown on Huawei Sales

The Commerce Department’s efforts to tighten the noose on Huawei is facing a formidable obstacle: the Pentagon. Apparently, Commerce Dept officials have withdrawn proposed regulations making it harder for US companies to sell to Huawei from their overseas facilities following objections from the Defense Department as well as the Treasury Department.

Advocates for Digital Inclusion Address Different Facets of Bridging the Digital Divide

The digital divide is a real division in the country, affects more than just rural areas and keeps Americans from crucial access to 21st Century skills, a diverse panel of digital inclusion experts said at Next Century Cities' Bipartisan Tech Policy Conference. The digital divide affects more than just rural areas, said National Digital Inclusion Alliance Executive Director Angela Siefer. Benton Institute for Broadband and Society Senior Fellow Jonathan Sallet compared the conventional focus on internet access and subscriptions to the needed prioritization on technology and people.

House Commerce Leaders Request GAO Review of Federal Spectrum Management

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) sent a letter to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) urging the government watchdog to conduct an updated review of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) federal spectrum management processes. They asked GAO to consider as part of its review how federal spectrum users interact with NTIA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), how the NTIA and FCC interact with each other, and the recent federal spectrum management process breakdowns.

January 20-24, 2020
Weekly Digest

What's Going on With the FCC's Lifeline Program?

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Friday, January 24, 2020

Libraries bridging the digital divide

Public technology is one of a library’s most important services, according to Peterborough (NH) Town Library director Corinne Chronopoulos. “If I had to pick five things that we offered, that would be number one,” she said. The region’s libraries serve a vital role in an area that has inconsistent access to internet at home. Chronopoulos knows that the library is the sole source of internet for many of her patrons.

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