Alexandra Levine
$10 Billion for Broadband
A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers, including Sens Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), is allocating $10 billion for broadband connectivity as part of its $908 billion emergency relief plan.
House Republicans Make Their Pitch for Top Commerce Committee Spot
Republican lawmakers vying for the prized ranking member role on the House Commerce Committee will make their case to the Republican Steering Committee, with a decision expected Dec 2.
Rural Carriers Nervously Await Funding to Ditch Huawei
With only a handful of days to go in 2020’s legislative session, rural telecom carriers are hoping Congress delivers the estimated $1.5 billion needed to remove the gear from China’s Huawei and ZTE still present in the networks of at least a few dozen of them. The Federal Communications Commission has already cut off access to telecom subsidies for small carriers using such equipment, which is deemed a threat to US national security. One likely potential source of this cash: Capitol Hill’s forthcoming package to fund the government beyond Dec. 11.
Where the youngest new faces coming to Congress stand on tech
Eleven new lawmakers under the age of 45 were elected to the 117th Congress, joining other under-45s leading on tech issues, including Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). Here’s what to know about some of the newcomers’ views on and ties to tech:
Trump's FCC Nominee? Sen Blackburn Votes Yes
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) “looks forward to voting for Nathan Simington,” President Trump’s nominee for the Federal Communications Commission, said her chief of staff Charles Flint, dispelling any concerns on where she stands. Sen Blackburn is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which still needs to vote to advance Simington’s nomination this year before he can be confirmed on the floor.
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Biden in Broadband Land
Broadband expansion is at the top of Biden’s telecom to-do list.
FCC Commissioner O'Rielly's Swan Song
Federal Communications Commissioner Mike O’Rielly declared on Twitter that the speech he’ll be making virtually at CTIA 5G summit will be his “last speech at @FCC, covering various aspects of spectrum policy.” While it’s long been known that the GOP commissioner will have to step down by year’s end, his exact departure date remains unclear. What is now apparent: he’ll be dialing down the volume in the final days of his term.
Cable, Business Groups Back Comcast in Antitrust Fight
The US Chamber of Commerce, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, and others asked the Supreme Court to hear an appeal by Comcast on when courts can force a monopoly to do business with its rivals.
Senate GOP Feeling the Squeeze Over FCC Nominee
A fast-rising pressure campaign is emerging to push the Senate to speedily confirm — by December’s end — Commerce Department adviser Nathan Simington to fill the Federal Communications Commission seat now held by Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. (O’Rielly will have to depart by year’s end.) That timeline is lightning-fast for the Senate, considering President Donald Trump only nominated Simington about a month ago.
President Trump to Boost 5G Workforce Training
The Department of Labor explicitly named 5G wireless network building as a goal when recently designating the Wireless Infrastructure Association as an industry intermediary to help train wireless workers — something that the association has long clamored for amid plans to spend millions of dollars on the effort.