Lauren Frayer

Silicon Valley giant Oracle has asked Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to rethink the FCC's broadband privacy framework, saying former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's characterization of Internet service providers as gatekeepers was off the mark and to "repudiate" what it said was the Wheeler FCC's policies "favoring one technology sub-sector over all others." That came in a letter to Chairman Pai asking the FCC not only to rethink the broadband privacy rules but to reclassify internet access as an information service to "eliminate unnecessary burdens on, and competitive imbalances for, ISPs while still preserving the free and open Internet."

The commission is currently collecting comments on a petition by ISPs, advertisers and others to rethink the broadband privacy rules, passed by a politically divided FCC last October with Pai and fellow Republican Michael O’Rielly dissenting. The company praised Chairman Pai for the FCC's vote to stay implementation of the data privacy portion of the broadband privacy rules as well.

Apparently, 21st Century Fox, the media conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch, is weighing options to help thwart a potential takeover of Tribune Media by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Fox is deliberating over possible choices after having been approached by several parties, which are interested in acquiring Tribune directly or as part of a consortium, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. One of the parties that has talked with Fox is activist investor Starboard Value LP, which owned a 4.4 percent stake in Tribune as of March 15.

While Sinclair recently approached Tribune about a possible merger, the companies aren’t close to a deal, other people familiar with the matter said. Nexstar Media Group is also weighing a bid, although it hasn’t hired a financial adviser yet, the people said. Nexstar has a history of laying in wait for a potential deal, striking an agreement to acquire Media General in 2015 only after Media General had announced plans to merge with Meredith Corp. While some of the parties eyeing Tribune are interested in teaming up with Fox for a bid, Fox doesn’t want to acquire the broadcaster, the people said. Murdoch’s company may ultimately decide not to intervene at all, apparently. A combination of Tribune and Sinclair, two of the country’s biggest TV station owners, would give Sinclair control of 28 percent of the Fox-affiliated channels that Murdoch’s company doesn’t own directly, the people said. That would give Sinclair a stronger negotiating hand in future talks with Fox about how to split fees from cable providers, the people said.

The nation’s largest cable operators again took the lion’s share of broadband subscriber adds in 2016, according to a new analysis from Leichtman Research Group. The top cable companies added 3.3 million broadband subscribers in 2016, the most net adds in any year since 2007, while the top telecommunication companies lost about 600,000 high-speed Internet customers in 2016, widened from a loss of 185,000 in 2015, LRG said. Cable’s dominance continues to deepen, as the top cable companies netted 122% of broadband adds in 2016, versus 106% in 2015, and 89% in 2014. From a broader view, the top 14 cable and telecommunication providers in the US, representing 95% of the market, added 2.7 million net additional high-speed Internet subs in 2016, down from 3.1 million net adds in 2015, LRG said.

Public radio and television broadcasters are girding for battle after the Trump administration proposed a drastic cutback that they have long dreaded: the defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The potential elimination of about $445 million in annual funding, which helps local TV and radio stations subscribe to NPR and Public Broadcasting Service programming, could be devastating for affiliates in smaller markets that already operate on a shoestring budget. Patricia Harrison, the corporation’s president, warned in a statement on Thursday that the Trump budget proposal, if enacted, could cause “the collapse of the public media system itself.”

But the power players in public broadcasting — big-city staples like WNYC in New York City — would be well-equipped to weather any cuts. Major stations typically receive only a sliver of their annual budget from the federal government, thanks to listener contributions and corporate underwriters. Podcasts and other digital offshoots have also become significant sources of revenue. Rural affiliates, however, rely more heavily on congressional largess, which can make up as much as 35 percent of their budgets. Mark Vogelzang, president of Maine Public, called the Trump proposal “the most serious threat to our federal funding” since he started in public broadcasting 37 years ago.

House Commerce Committee Democrats have introduced a quintet of tech-related, particularly broadband-related, bills that would, among other things, help displaced workers get broadband for re-training, address the "homework gap," better target broadband subsidies, and boost tribal access. The 21st Century Worker Opportunity Act by Rep Debbie Dingell (D-MI) would give workers "displaced by automation" a credit toward broadband service for job retraining and distance learning; The Innovation Corps Act of 2017 by Rep Doris Matsui (D-CA) would provide grants for that retraining and forgive a portion of debt of recent grads who would help with that retraining; The Wi-Fi Capable Mobile Devices Act by Rep Peter Welch (D-VT) would allow low-income students to use a parent's Lifeline connection for homework by accessing it through a Wi-Fi connection using unlicensed spectrum; The Rural Wireless Act by Rep Dave Loebsack (D-IA) would require the Federal Communications Commission to use "more reliable" data when determining where to spend on increased deployment; and The Tribal Digital Access Act by Rep Raul Ruiz (D-CA) would add "Indian Country" to the definition of areas eligible for Universal Service Fund Lifeline support. It remains to be seen how far the bills get in a Congress controlled by Republicans with their own ideas about how to deploy broadband and spend federal subsidy dollars.

The House Commerce Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, chaired by Rep Bob Latta (R-OH), held a hearing to examine the ways that communities across the country are tapping into new technology and collaborating with private sector companies to deliver new initiatives that will improve safety, increase efficiency and create opportunity. The opportunities provided to citizens living within smart communities are endless. As Chairman Latta pointed out, “There are opportunities to improve education, traffic and health. We can drastically increase mobility and access to jobs. From safety to sanitation to the environment, communities that wisely invest in technologies can make a real difference in American’s lives.”

Full committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OH) expressed some of the challenges that local governments face when adopting and promoting new technologies. “These ideas may face difficulties with both funding and adoption. There are also important data sharing, cybersecurity, and privacy issues that need to be addressed when government entities are engaging with private companies to provide transportation, energy, or other community services.”

[Commentary] Over the past two months, millions of people have taken to the streets to challenge our nation’s authoritarian new president. From the women’s marches that took place across the country and around the world to the mass protests against the Muslim ban and immigration raids, people are resisting the neo-fascist agenda President Trump is unleashing on our nation. A primary reason why millions have been able to mobilize so quickly is because they have the ability to use the open internet to communicate to the masses and organize a resistance. That’s why protecting the Net Neutrality rules that keep the internet open is more critical than ever.

As authoritarianism rises, digital free speech can ensure our opposition to authoritarianism also rises. But unfettered access to an open internet, and our ability to flex our digital muscles to advocate for the health and well being of our communities, could soon come to an end. In January, Trump appointed Ajit Pai as the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. In so doing he found someone who shares his disdain for popular democracy, privacy rights, the truth and the poor. And it appears his disdain also extends to the press. But the same communities Pai is targeting are fighting back to demand affordable internet access and to protect the Net Neutrality rules that ensure we can continue to organize and speak for ourselves online. As Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors once wrote: "It is because of Net Neutrality rules that the internet is the only communication channel left where Black voices can speak and be heard, produce and consume, on our own terms." This is why we must resist — and to ensure that the resistance will be digitized.

[Joseph Torres is the senior external affairs director for Free Press. Malkia Cyril is the executive director of the Center for Media Justice and the co-founder of the Media Action Grassroots Network.]

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement on his visit to the Cleveland Clinic and the continued work of the Connect2HealthFCC Task Force: “Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with the visionary leaders at the Cleveland Clinic. I was impressed by the innovative work they are doing in telehealth, particularly in the area of lifesaving tele-stroke services. With technology-based solutions like this, health care providers can deliver high-quality care to patients anywhere. Expanding the reach of medical expertise with connectivity illustrates the potential of broadband to improve people's lives, particularly in rural and underserved areas. That's something I personally appreciate, as the son of two doctors who have practiced for almost four decades in a small town in Kansas. This visit also highlighted the important role of the FCC in bridging the broadband-enabled health gap. That is yet another aspect of the digital divide, which I'm committed to closing. Accordingly, I'm pleased to announce that the Commission’s Connect2HealthFCC Task Force will continue to focus on this important issue. My colleague, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, has shown passion and leadership on these issues in the past, and she will continue to lead this effort. I look forward to working closely with her on this initiative, which aims to address an increasingly important aspect of digital empowerment."

Over the past three years, the Connect2HealthFCC Task Force has been on the cutting edge of examining the intersection of broadband, advanced technology and health. This is why I am so thrilled that Chairman Pai has affirmed his commitment to its continuation. The task force has and will continue to ensure that the Commission is equipped with the data and information it needs to understand the rapidly evolving landscape for broadband-enabled healthcare. Armed with this knowledge, we can narrow the digital and opportunities divide to ensure much needed health and wellness solutions reach all Americans.”

Recently in Dallas (TX), a six-month-old baby boy named Brandon Alex died after the child's babysitter was unable to reach 911 from a T-Mobile phone. At the very same time, the Dallas 911 call center was overwhelmed by "a spike in calls" due to what has become known as "the ongoing T-Mobile ghost call issue," a Dallas city government announcement said. Police are reportedly investigating whether the 911 problem led to the death. Just days before Alex's death, a local man named Brian Cross died after it took 20 minutes for his husband, David Taffet, to reach 911. "Taffet called 911 and was disconnected. He called back and was put on hold," The Dallas Morning News reported. Paramedics arrived quickly after Taffet finally reached a 911 dispatcher, and Cross was taken to a hospital, but died within an hour.