FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel

The Federal Communications Commission's next open meeting will focus on guarding against tricks—from possible attacks on undersea communications infrastructure to unwanted robocalls. Here’s everything we have lined up for our November agenda. 

The Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act directed the Federal Communications Commission to incorporate maternal health data into its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform. The agency took this task seriously and on June 20, 2023, first introduced this information on the platform, including public data about maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, as well as facts about race and ethnicity, maternal age, rurality, areas with maternity care deserts, and areas with shortages of mental health care providers.

The United States has the highest level of maternal mortality of any industrialized country.  And deaths from pregnancy-related causes strike women of color and those who live in rural communities especially hard.  This is a crisis.  It requires everyone to identify how they can help because so many studies show that most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.... We used authority under the Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act to update the agency’s Mapping Broadband Health in America platform to include maternal health data.

On September 9, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel spoke at the Consortium of State School Boards Association about the Learn Without Limits initiative. "Six weeks ago, the FCC voted to modernize the E-Rate program to support Wi-Fi hotspots for loan in libraries—and school libraries—nationwide," she said. "For the student without a connection at home or with housing that is inconsistent, having a teacher loan out a hotspot helps make sure they have a stable way to access to the internet. And keeping that kid connected is about more than one child.

On July 18, 2024, Members of the House of Representatives wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to call her attention to Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a recent Supreme Court decision that precludes courts from deferring to agency interpretations when the statutes are ambiguous. [See a similar letter from the Senate's Post-Chevron Working Group.] In its decision, the Court explicitly overruled Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v.

On April 24, members of Congress wrote to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to "urge the FCC to carefully consider and account for the impact of investments funded by the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to maximize the reach and efficiency of the 5G Fund." On July 2, Chairwoman Rosenworcel responded, agreeing that it is critical to maximize the efficiency and impact of federal broadband programs.

On July 3, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel spoke at the National Association of the Deaf Conference in Chicago (IL) about the ways "digital technologies can improve the lives of people with disabilities," and about some of the work the FCC has done to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. "Two weeks from now, the FCC will vote on a new proposal to improve video programming accessibility for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.

On May 20, Rep Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) wrote to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to express concerns regarding the Chairwoman's proposal to prohibit bulk-billing arrangements in multi-dwelling units. On June 10, Chairwoman Rosenworcel responded, explaining that the proposed rulemaking has the potential to "empower consumer choice and boost competition." "As you note in your letter, the last time the Commission revisited this issue was in 2010, when it found that these arrangements can predominately offer benefits to consumers.

It’s a familiar scene in communities across the nation: teenagers lingering outside fast-food restaurants and inside malls with laptops on their knees, surfing for free public Wi-Fi to be able to do their homework. Some 17 million students across the nation don’t have internet service at home, hampering their ability to study and complete assignments and prepare themselves for college and the workforce.

Here’s what to expect for the Federal Communications Commission's jam-packed July Open Meeting agenda.