Fulfilling Oklahoma's Digital Promise
Friday, November 10, 2023
November 2023
Weekly Digest
Weekly Digest
FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Responds to Lawmakers Regarding Recent GAO Report
On April 25, 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report entitled “Broadband Speed: FCC Should Improve its Communication of Advanced Telecommunications Capability Assessments.” The report examines the extent to which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has communicated how it reviews its minimum fixed-broadband speed benchmark, and how it determines whether to update the benchmark, and the extent to which the minimum speed requirements of selected federal and state broadband programs differ from the FCC’s benchmark, and stakeholders’ views on any implications
Now Open! Cities Ready for Infrastructure Partners (National League of Cities)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Thu, 11/09/2023 - 16:18The new Meta whistleblower adds to an uneven year for online safety laws (Vox)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Thu, 11/09/2023 - 16:16
FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Responds to Members of Congress Regarding FCC Safeguarding and Securing the Open Internet Proceeding
On October 17, 2023, Republican Members of the House Commerce Committee wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel expressing their disappointment and opposition to the FCC opening a proceeding to reclassify fixed and mobile broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. On October 31, Chairwoman Rosenworcel replied saying "Everyone, everywhere in this country needs access to broadband to have a fair shot at 21st century success...
More Than 21 Million Reasons Congress Needs to Act
As the past few years have made clear, access to high-speed broadband is critical to daily life. While the biggest broadband provisions of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) focused on building physical broadband networks, legislators clearly understood all the infrastructure in the world would be meaningless if those struggling financially couldn’t afford connectivity.
Broadband Infrastructure Playbook 3.0
Playbook 3.0 combines four deep-dive modules that aim to help state broadband offices as they make decisions on key aspects of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and complete their initial proposals for NTIA review before a December 27 deadline. The Broadband Infrastructure Playbook 3.0 includes the following modules that offer solutions to some of the most challenging BEAD proposal requirements:
Rep Hinson Introduces the Defend Our Networks Act
Due to their close ties to the Chinese government, Huawei and ZTE equipment presents significant risks to U.S. national security and domestic communications networks. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already prohibited the purchase of Huawei and ZTE products and banned the use of FCC funds to expand or maintain networks containing any Huawei or ZTE equipment, and ordered telecommunications carriers to tear out equipment made by Huawei and ZTE. However, this equipment is still embedded throughout U.S. networks.
Vexus Fiber is building 12,000 passings per month in LA, NM, TX
Regional operator Vexus Fiber is expanding its network across Louisiana, New Mexico, and its home state of Texas, and it’s planning to roll out multi-gig service by the start of 2024. CEO Jim Gleason said Vexus is constructing fiber on a pace of around 12,000 new homes passed per month, spanning roughly a dozen markets in Texas, three in Louisiana, and three in New Mexico.