January 2024

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Files Petition for Review

"We are extremely pleased that the FCC has adopted new and powerful rules prohibiting digital discrimination.  We have nonetheless challenged two small, but important provisions of the rules today in the U.S.

Study: Loss of Affordable Connectivity Program would be 'barely material' for Comcast

New Street Research took a deeper dive into the risks faced by wireline broadband operators if the government fails to refund the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and it were to be shut down this spring. The study confirms that Charter Communications faces the greatest risk—by far.

Tech rivals hound Apple over EU App Store plans

There's one thing uniting big and small tech companies operating in Europe: they can't stand Apple's approach to complying with the European Union's new Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA designates six big tech companies as online gatekeepers—Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft—and obligates them to open their platforms to competition. Apple's DMA compliance plan allows developers to set up alternative app stores and avoid Apple's in-app payment system.

Alaska Communications to Invest $40 Million in Broadband

Alaska Communications said it plans to follow a 2023 investment of $65 million with $40 million in 2024 in an effort to bring broadband to residents and businesses in the state. While some other broadband providers use fiber broadband for any new deployments, Alaska Communications uses a mixture of fiber-fed copper, fixed wireless and fiber broadband—an approach driven by the state’s unique terrain and population density. During the past two years, the company has deployed fiber to about 10,000 homes in Fairbanks and Anchorage and to a multi-dwelling unit in downtown Juneau.

Americans’ Social Media Use

Social media platforms faced a range of controversies in recent years, including concerns over misinformation and data privacy. Even so, US adults use a wide range of sites and apps, especially YouTube and Facebook. And TikTok – which some Congress members previously called to ban – saw growth in its user base. According to a Pew Research Center survey of 5,733 U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023:

Sponsor: 

Semafor

Date: 
Thu, 02/29/2024 - 08:00 to 10:30

Semafor's senior editors and the most forward-thinking leaders in policy, engineering, and technology will survey the state of privacy in the U.S. and abroad. What does digital privacy look like in a future supercharged by artificial intelligence? How should policies evolve and what consequences might they have for businesses and individuals?