December 2023

Ofcom issued new guidance to broadband providers to ensure consumers are given clear information about their service when signing up to a new deal. Full-fibre networks are currently being deployed at pace, meaning customers are increasingly able to choose from a range of different network technologies for their broadband service. However, the term ‘fibre’ is being applied inconsistently by the telecommunications industry and is often used to describe different types of networks, leading to confusion among customers.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed that 100 percent of wireless handsets—namely mobile phones and smartphones—offered for sale in the United States be fully compatible with hearing aids. The FCC is committed to ensuring that all Americans, including those with hearing loss, are able to access communications services on an equal basis.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules making multiple improvements to the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program, which helps rural health care providers afford the broadband connectivity needed for telehealth and telemedicine services. This action will improve program administration and increase participation by allowing health care providers that expect to become eligible in the near future to request funding sooner, aligning program deadlines, simplifying rules for calculating urban rates, streamlining administrative processes, and freeing up unused funding for other purposes.