June 2020

Millions of Americans Depend on Libraries for Internet. Now They’re Closed.

Since COVID-19 forced the Cherokee (IA) Public Library to close in mid-March, the computer lab is empty. But the library is still many residents’ most reliable source of connectivity to the digital world. Kids sit scattered in the library’s parking lot with phones or video game devices, catching some of the Wi-Fi outside that’s now left on 24/7. And Tyler Hahn, the library's director, spends his days trying to help some older patrons get online by shouting instructions to them through the library’s windows.

5G Deployment: FCC Needs Comprehensive Strategic Planning to Guide Its Efforts

As the latest generation of mobile communications, 5G networks are expected to provide faster connections to support consumer, industry, and public sector services. While private sector carriers deploy 5G networks, the Federal Communications Commission has a role in managing deployment challenges, such as how to allocate low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum for 5G use. The US Government Accountability Office was asked to review 5G deployment challenges.

Remarks Of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai To The U.S.-India Business Council Webinar On Creating Alignment In The 5G Ecosystem

I commend the US-India Business Council (USIBC) for launching this Webinar series on 5G. I’ve been asked to begin with an update on the Federal Communications Commission’s efforts to promote the development and deployment of 5G. This is something we’ve spent quite some time on, to say the least. We call our strategy the 5G FAST plan, and it has three key components: freeing up spectrum, promoting wireless infrastructure, and modernizing regulations to encourage fiber deployment.