1. Monthly archive
  2. June 2023

June 2023

Broadband Service Requires FCC Oversight, Nominee Tells Senate

Federal Communications Commission nominee Anna Gomez left little doubt that if confirmed, she would vote in favor of classifying broadband as a Title II telecommunications service—a move that would enable the agency to prohibit carriers from blocking or throttling web traffic. Gomez told lawmakers that internet access was too essential to remain unregulated. “Title II gives the strongest oversight to the FCC over the service,” she added. Broadband is currently considered a Title I information service—and is largely unregulated. Title II classification, by contrast, would allow the FCC to im

The Affordable Connectivity Program Needs More Funding to Continue Closing the Digital Divide

High-speed internet service at home is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity.

White House looks to Minnesota as a model for infrastructure

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Should Grant-funded Networks be Open-Access?

There was an interesting political effort in the Washington State Legislature recently to expand the use of open-access networks. There was language included in Substitute House Bill 1147 that would require that any network funded from Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grants must become open-access and available to other broadband providers.  Open-access has been a topic in Washington for many years.

Will Your State Gain or Lose State BEAD Funds Based on FCC Map Update?

Twenty-seven states are expected to see larger allocations in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program based on the updated Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map in comparison with earlier estimates based on older data, according to a new analysis conducted by researchers at Cartesian for provider association ACA Connects. The other 23 states will see less funding, according to the updated estimates.

FCC Nominee Anna Gomez Backs ‘Robust’ Title II-Based Open Internet Authority

Anna Gomez, President Joe Biden's nominee for the open Democratic seat on the Federal Communications Commission, told the Senate Commerce Committee that she supports reclassifying internet access as a Title II telecommunications service. Since Gomez’s bureaucratic background left little room for Republicans to attack her in the same way as Gigi Sohn, she’s got a seemingly better chance of getting confirmed. Currently, the FCC classifies internet access as an information service under Title I of the Communications Act, and not subject to common-carrier/open access regulations.

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