John Eggerton

Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel's screen froze just as FCC Chairman was asking for her vote during the commission's Sept 30 meeting. When Commissioner Rosenworcel rejoined the virtual meeting, she suggested the freeze was because of the demand on her home's broadband service. "We have problems in the house with multiple kids going to online school and a spouse who is working as well," she said. Commissioner Rosenworcel has been a big proponent of boosting the FCC's definition of high-speed service given that increased COVID-19-related demand on home broadband.

Saying the COVID-19 pandemic can't be allowed to create an "irreversible" learning gap for students without access to the internet, Cox is teaming up with Common Sense Media to try and do something about it. Cox is pledging $60 million over the next year to help close the digital learning divide. Cox will also extend its offer to new Connect2Compete customers. If they sign up by year's end, they will get two months free, followed by $9.95 per month internet. Cox's outdoor WiFi hotspots will also remain open to all comers.

In a joint filing Sept. 2 to the Federal Communications Commission, six diversity groups said "no" to the question of whether the FCC should accede to the Trump Administration's desire to regulate social media content to prevent what the President has called censorship of conservative speech. The groups said they were not against finding a way to weed out racial and gender discrimination voter suppression and other internet inequities — which they suggest should be Congress' job — but that Sec. 230 should not be unilaterally reinterpreted to suit the President's internet agenda.

NCTA-The Internet & Television Association is telling the Federal Communications Commission that it should include all makes and models of broadband in gauging competition in the communications marketplace, in comments on the FCC's framework for its next review of that marketplace. NCTA took aim at comments from Google and INCOMPAS that the FCC should only consider service with symmetrical upstream and downstream speeds or only service of at least 1 gig downstream as providing competitive service.

Law firm Cooley LLP has broken out the ways that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Sec 230 petition, if acted on by the Federal Communications Commission, would impose “sweeping changes.” For one, its requirement that websites disclose their moderation policies would subject edge provider content to the FCC’s authority for the first time.

Carolyn Roddy, a senior advisor at the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, and Hill staffer Crystal Tully, are two names that have surfaced as potential nominees to replace Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly. Roddy was a member of Trump's FCC transition team following the 2016 election and was Metro Atlanta Regional Deputy Coordinator of the campaign. She was briefly an FCC lawyer in 2017.

The Federal Communications Commission has denied petitions by public safety and utility organizations to stay its decision to open up the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi use pending judicial review.

A federal appeals court has upheld most of the Federal Communications Commission's orders speeding the deployment of cell service buildouts by easing regulations on those 5G deployments, including pole attachments and various local reviews of buildouts. Specifically upheld were the Small Cell Order, the Moratoria Order, and the One Touch Make-Ready Order, all parts of the FCC's Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure order. 

Over 100 organizations and individuals, led by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, have signed on to a letter warning about the downside of remote learning in the age of COVID-19 and beyond. As some school districts pull back on reopening in person due to spikes in the virus, privacy and other groups are warning parents and schools to "look past simplistic solutions peddled to increase EdTech profits, and find ways to limit students’ time on digital devices." Their concern is the push for remote learning will translate to EdTech companies capturing more children's data, crowd teac

As former Vice President Joe Biden (D-DE) continues to rise in the polls, DC handicappers are seriously pondering who might be tapped for Federal Communications Commission chair in a Biden administration. Candidate Biden has already signaled his FCC will be restoring network neutrality rules against blocking, throttling and paid prioritization, but since it is an independent agency, he will need to pick an FCC chief who “independently” shares that philosophy. Biden has already signaled his vice president will be a woman. Odds are good his FCC chair could be as well.