press release

On the Net Neutrality National Day of Action, Senate and House Democrats introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s partisan decision on network neutrality. Sens Ed Markey (D-MA), House Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Doyle (D-PA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced introduction of House and Senate resolutions to fully restore the 2015 Open Internet Order. The Senate CRA resolution of disapproval stands at 50 supporters.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking initiating a comprehensive review of the national television audience reach cap, including the so-called UHF discount used by broadcasters to determine compliance with the cap. The national cap limits entities from owning or controlling television stations that, together, reach more than 39 percent of the television households in the country. The Commission’s last review of this rule occurred when the video marketplace looked very different and most Americans had fewer options for watching video programming.

In a Declartory Ruling and two Orders, the Federal Communications Commission reversed its 2015 Open Internet rules.

Declaratory Ruling

The Federal Communications Commission voted to modernize its broadcast ownership rules and to help promote ownership diversity in the broadcast industry. The Order on Reconsideration:

The Federal Communications Commission took steps to transform its Lifeline program. A Fourth Report and Order, Order on Reconsideration, and Memorandum Opinion and Order changes FCC rules to:

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr wrapped up his weeklong trip through the Great Plains with stops in Brookings and Sioux Falls (SD). With Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Gov Dennis Daugaard (R-SD), Commissioner Carr attended a ribbon-cutting for the opening of a tower climber training facility. Commissioner Carr learned firsthand about the skill required to climb towers for a living when Sioux Falls Tower & Communications led the Commissioner up a 60-foot cell tower.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on the subjects listed below on Thursday, June 7, 2018: 

Congress recognized the deficiencies of the current broadband data collection process when it directed National Telecommunications and Information Administration to update the national broadband availability map. Congress asked us to acquire third-party datasets to augment the information that is already available, in order to more accurately identify regions with insufficient capacity.

Sens Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Steve Daines (R- MT) have introduced the bipartisan Reprioritizing Unserved Rural Areas and Locations for Broadband (RURAL Broadband) Act of 2018, which will prioritize federal funds that are used to provide broadband access to areas that are unserved with no access, before they are used to upgrade areas with existing service. Their bill is a significant step toward prioritizing unserved rural areas in Vermont and other states.

The Federal Communications Commission announced the successful completion of the transition to the new Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA), Telcordia Technologies, doing business as iconectiv. The LNPA operates the system that allows consumers to keep their telephone numbers when they switch communications service providers, thereby promoting consumer choice and competition among those companies. It also provides critical services to our nation’s law enforcement and public safety communities.