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  2. October 2023

October 2023

FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel's Remarks at 41st Annual Everett C. Parker Lecture

The Parker Lecture matters because Everett Parker matters. He stood for justice and stood up to the FCC when it approved the license of a Jackson, Mississippi television station that was suppressing Black voices. He petitioned the agency to change course and he had something I think is common to all changemakers—tenacity. Because he took that case all the way to the Supreme Court. And he prevailed in a milestone decision that opened the door for an African American to lead WLBT and for more minority voices to be broadcast over the airwaves.

FCC to Vote on Rules to Prevent and Eliminate Digital Discrimination

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Rosenworcel is proposing final rules to prevent discrimination in access to broadband services based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, and national origin. The rules will be voted on by the full Commission at its November 15 Open Commission Meeting. If adopted, they would establish a balanced framework to facilitate equal access to broadband internet service by preventing digital discrimination. Under these rules, the FCC could protect consumers by:

FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Unveils 'Safe Connections' for Domestic Violence Survivors

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced at the National Conference on Domestic Violence that she will be sharing with her colleagues an Order that would help domestic violence survivors access safe and affordable connectivity. The proposed rules would implement key provisions in the Safe Connections Act of 2022 to support survivors of domestic abuse and other related crimes seeking to maintain critical connections with friends, family, and support networks. If adopted at the FCC's November 15, 2023 open meeting, the Order would:

Mediacom expands fiber network to two more rural Iowa cities

Mediacom is making progress in bridging the digital divide across rural Iowa, as it just wrapped up two fiber expansion projects in the towns of Rutland and Williams (IA). Residents can now sign up for broadband plans with up to 2-gigabit download speeds as well as low-cost phone plans. Including these two projects, Mediacom has built fiber in 12 communities in collaboration with the Empower Iowa Rural Broadband Grant Program. The public-private partnership has allowed the operator to bring fiber to over 1,600 rural Iowa locations.

Verizon now has approximately 10.3 million broadband subscribers

Verizon released its third-quarter earnings and subscriber numbers for 2023. The company ended the quarter with approximately 10.3 million broadband subscribers, an increase of nearly 21 percent year over year. Total broadband net additions were 434,000, representing the fourth consecutive quarter that Verizon reported more than 400,000 broadband net additions. Total broadband net additions included 384,000 fixed wireless net additions, an increase of 42,000 fixed wireless net additions from third-quarter 2022. Verizon now has nearly 2.7 million subscribers on its fixed wireless service.

States Sue Meta Alleging Harm to Young People on Instagram, Facebook

A coalition of 41 states and Washington (DC) are filing lawsuits alleging that Meta Platforms has intentionally built its products with addictive features that harm young users of its Facebook and Instagram services. The lawsuits, in federal and state courts, say Meta misled the public about the dangers of its platforms for young people. The states also allege that Meta knowingly has marketed its products to users under the age of 13, who are barred from the platform by both Meta’s policies and federal law.

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