1. Monthly archive
  2. January 2021

January 2021

President Biden faces pressure from tech advocates to nominate final FCC commissioner

A coalition of more than 30 advocacy groups are calling on President Joe Biden and congressional leadership to fill the final vacancy at the Federal Communications Commission immediately. While President Biden recently named Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel the acting chairwoman of the FCC, the agency was left with a vacancy when former Chairman Ajit Pai stepped down on Inauguration Day. 32 advocacy organizations argued in a letter to the Biden administration and members of the Senate that there needed to be a "speedy nomination and confirmation of a fifth commissioner" to the FCC so it can

Rosenworcel Promotes Telehealth During Visit to Whitman-Walker Health

Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel visited Whitman-Walker Health in Washington (DC) to highlight the importance of connectivity in healthcare and learn more about how the facility is using telehealth to serve patients during the pandemic. Chairwoman Rosenworcel was joined by her colleague FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr for a tour of the facility, including its pharmacy and mental/behavioral health division, and met with Naseema Shafi, Whitman-Walker Health CEO; Dr.

Facebook seeks a new head of US public policy

Facebook is looking externally for a new US policy chief as it moves Kevin Martin, a Republican and former Federal Communications Commission chairman who now holds the job, to lead the firm's global economic policy team. Facebook is moving on from the Trump era in which Republicans held most of the power in Washington and Facebook was particularly eager among tech companies to forge warm relations with GOP policymakers.

Mediacom warns “excessive” uploaders, says network can’t handle heavy usage

Mediacom is telling heavy uploaders to reduce their data usage—even when those users are well below their monthly data caps. Mediacom's fastest Internet plan offers gigabit download speeds and 50Mbps upload speeds with a monthly data cap of 6TB.

Jockeying to Shape Biden's Broadband Vision Heats Up

As President Joe Biden fills out his top administration posts and his digital agenda, advocates are rushing forward with ideas for just how his team and the Federal Communications Commission should proceed, touting structural reforms and emphasizing equity concerns.

Acting FCC Chair: The digital divide is very real and very big

As Jessica Rosenworcel transitions into the role of acting chair of the Federal Communications Commission, rural broadband leaders are expecting her to maintain her criticism of the agency's broadband coverage maps and keep a focus on identifying gaps in high-speed internet service. Mike Romano of the NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association expects improving rural broadband access will be an area where the FCC can move ahead. “One of the things Chairwoman Rosenworcel has been interested in from the start is making sure every American, rural or urban ...

Hawaii officials push broadband as key to post-pandemic economy

Critical to building a “Hawaii 2.0.” economy, as Gov. David Ige (D-HI) termed it in his annual State of the State address, is building out a broadband infrastructure that was not, in officials’ estimation, prepared to support the needs of widespread remote work, telehealth, and virtual learning. “A critical part of re-programming our economy is also the creation of a healthy statewide broadband network,” Gov Ige said.

© 1994-2024 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.