One of the most sweeping surveillance states in the world, China has all but closed its borders since the start of the pandemic, accelerating a political turn inward as nationalism is on the rise and foreign ties are treated with suspicion.
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Crosby Kemper, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly promote public awareness of federal funding opportunities for broadband. Through this MOU, the FCC and IMLS will focus on communities where broadband access is particularly challenging, such as rural areas and Tribal lands. The joint effort will include commitments to:
Sens Ron Wyden (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep Sara Jacobs (D-CA) wrote to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan requesting the agency investigate Apple and Google for engaging in unfair and deceptive practices by enabling the collection and sale of hundreds of millions of mobile phone users’ personal data. "The FTC should investigate Apple and Google’s role in transforming online advertising into an intense system of surveillance that incentivizes and facilitates the unrestrained collection and constant sale of Americans’ personal data," says the letter.
The unique thing about United Fiber is that they now have about 24,000 fiber subscribers and its parent company, United Electric, has 7500 members (10,000 meters). They are the only electric cooperative with more fiber subscribers than electric members in the country. Furthermore, they are a small cooperative with one of the lowest customer densities (2.5 meters per mile) in the State of Missouri. Darren Farnan, General Manager at United Fiber, will share how they have now built out the bulk of their membership (finishing in the next 12 months) in over 40 communities in Northwest Missouri.
AT&T’s early move to counteract inflation and raise prices was the right thing to do, according to AT&T Communications COO Jeff McElfresh. McElfresh said it’s always hard to raise prices, but AT&T’s price increase was for a segment of customers on the oldest rate plans that didn’t have access to 5G or the latest and greatest features and benefits. “We didn’t do a broad stroke across the entire customer base,” he said.
The House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill on June 23, 2022. The bill provides over $4.2 billion for rural development programs and invests over $560 million for the expansion of broadband service, including $450 million for the ReConnect Program. The full bill summary can be found here.
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