press release

Since its launch, TechHire communities across the country have piloted fast-track training programs designed to give people skills that are in high demand by employers. So far over 4,000 people have been trained and connected to work opportunities with local employers, earning average salaries of well over median income. US Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith announced how private organizations will seize on this progress with new steps to meet the scale of the opportunity:

• Expansion of TechHire to over 70 Cities, States, and Rural Areas.
• Growth of theTechHire Action Network.
• TechUP's Include.io 27-City Roadshow 2017.

Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund launched a campaign to set aside proceeds from the auction of public TV station licenses to strengthen local journalism and community-information projects. According to new Free Press research, at least 54 public television stations around the country are taking part of the ongoing Federal Communications Commission broadcast incentive auction. Spectrum held by public TV stations alone is expected to bring in as much as $6 billion in the auction, with state governments, local school boards, university trustees and other station owners each likely raking in tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars for taking their stations off the air or moving down the dial to free up bandwidth to meet the growing demand mobile data.

The initial phase of the campaign — which is being launched at NewsVoices.org — will focus on New Jersey and urge lawmakers there to devote a portion of the proceeds from auctioning state-owned public TV licenses to support innovative journalism and community-driven projects across the state. Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund will be pushing to create a $250 million permanent public fund to support local information needs for decades to come. Ideas for use of proceeds include support for community-focused digital news sites, blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, public data access apps and other civic engagement tools.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 15, 2016:

1. Transition from TTY to Real-Time Text Technology: The FCC will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to help achieve the transition from TTY technology to a reliable and interoperable means of providing real-time text communication over wireless Internet protocol-enabled networks and services. (CG Docket No. 16-145, GN Docket No. 15-178).
2. Improving the Nation’s Public Alert and Warning Systems: The FCC will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to enhance the Emergency Alert System (EAS) as a tool for community emergency preparedness. The Report and Order improves alerting organization at the state and local levels, builds stronger community-based alerting exercise programs, and protects the EAS against accidental misuse and malicious intrusion. The Further Notice seeks comment on proposals to leverage technological advances to improve alerting and additional measures to preserve EAS security. (PS Docket No. 15-94)

The following items that are currently on circulation may be considered, unless voted on circulation prior to the December Open Meeting:

• Update to Parts 2 and 25 Concerning Non-geostationary, Fixed-Satellite Service Systems and Related Matters, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• In the Matter of Amendment of Part 0 of the Commission’s Rules Regarding Public Information, the Inspection of Records, and Implementing the Freedom of Information Act
• Maritime Communications/Land Mobile, LLC, Order on Reconsideration and Memorandum Opinion and Order
• Improving the Resiliency of the Nation's Mobile Wireless Communications Networks, Order
• Preferred Long Distance, Inc., Memorandum Opinion and Order

House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Edith Ramirez requesting a pause on any controversial new regulations.

“We are writing to express our thoughts about the pending [Federal Trade Commission (FTC)] agenda in light of the recent election and upcoming transition. While the leadership of the [FTC] will soon change, congressional oversight of the Commission will continue. Therefore, any action taken by [FTC] before a new chairman is designated will receive particular scrutiny. While we expect and encourage the [FTC] to continue its routine merger reviews and consumer protection enforcement in support of competition and on behalf of American consumers, we strongly encourage the [FTC] to avoid directing its attention and resources in the coming months on complex, partisan, or otherwise controversial items that the new Congress and new Administration will have an interest in reviewing.”

International Telecommunication Union's flagship annual Measuring the Information Society Report​ reports that the world is getting more and more connected and reveals that there are still huge investment opportunities for the private sector to connect the unconnected.

The Republic of Korea tops the Information and Communications Technologies Development Index (IDI) rankings in 2016 for the second consecutive year. The top 10 countries of the IDI 2016 also include two other economies in the Asia-Pacific region, and seven European countries. Three island countries in the Caribbean – St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and Grenada – featured among the most dynamic countries with strong improvements in their IDI value and rank.

The American Library Association (ALA) released three briefs highlighting how libraries can advance specific policy priorities of the incoming Trump Administration in the areas of entrepreneurship, services to veterans and broadband adoption and use. Each paper features numerous snapshots of programs around the country illustrating libraries’ contributions to vibrant communities, as well as “takeaway” points for decision-makers:

One Small Business at a Time: Building Entrepreneurial Opportunity in America’s Communities
Snapshot: A Maryland ice cream entrepreneur used library resources to write an award-winning business plan that led to $50,000 in seed money and the launch of her shop.
Takeaway: Leverage libraries in new policy initiatives to grow entrepreneurship and small businesses.

Libraries Help and Honor Our Veterans: Employment, Education and Community Connection
Snapshot: A California veteran said the referral he received at the library led to him receiving medical benefits and back pay he was unaware he earned.
Takeaway: Libraries represent a proactive, cost-effective solution for extending outreach and services to veterans and their families.

America’s Libraries: Powering Broadband Access, Adoption and Use
Snapshot: Families in public housing with school-aged children receive digital literacy training and access to online homework resources and other digital services at libraries.
Takeaway: Libraries bring a wealth of resources and expertise to partnerships like ConnectHome with the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development

The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau and the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission announced a formal agreement, committing the two agencies to work together to combat unlawful robocalls. The Memorandum of Understanding represents the FCC’s commitment to working cooperatively with international regulators to combat robocalls and caller ID spoofing. Under the agreement, the two agencies agree to cooperate on enforcement matters related to unlawful robocalls and caller ID spoofing. These agencies have also committed to exchange information about investigations and complaints, share knowledge and expertise, provide information about legal theories and economic analysis, keep each other abreast of significant legal developments, and provide other appropriate assistance.

A Federal Trade Commission staff report provides an in-depth assessment of evolving business models that rely on Internet and app-based “sharing economy” platforms used by millions of Americans. The report summarizes a June 2015 FTC public workshop and highlights a number of competitive benefits and potential consumer protection challenges posed by disruptive business models in markets such as for-hire-transportation and short-term lodging.

The report, The “Sharing” Economy: Issues Facing Platforms, Participants, and Regulators, details how buyers and sellers are increasingly using internet-connected devices – smartphones and tablets – to access a matchmaking platform that allows them to search for new services, secure a price point, and complete a transaction. It discusses several “trust mechanisms,” such as reputation rating systems or money-back guarantees, which help build trust between buyers and sellers, as well as providing confidence that a transaction will proceed as agreed online. The report summarizes concerns expressed by state and local regulators and stakeholders that sharing economy platforms enable new entrants to evade regulations designed to protect consumers and promote public safety. In exploring the tension between the potential competitive benefits that sharing economy business models may provide and the potential consumer harms that they may pose, the report draws on the FTC’s expertise as both a competition and a consumer protection agency.

Building on the Obama Administration’s efforts to modernize the way the Federal Government works with cities, counties, and communities — rural, tribal, urban, and sub-urban – President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order establishing a Community Solutions Council. The Council will provide a lasting structure for Federal agencies to strengthen partnerships with communities and improve coordination across the Federal Government in order to more efficiently deliver assistance and maximize impact. This progress is further fueled by efforts such as:

Harnessing Data and Technology to Improve Outcomes for Communities: The Federal government is working to foster collaborations between communities and the tech sector, non-profits and citizens to help communities develop new ways to use both Federal and local data to address challenges with greater precision and innovation. As a result, new digital tools are helping citizens find affordable housing near jobs and transportation, matching unemployed Americans with jobs that meet their skills, enabling local leaders to use data to better target investments, and more.

The House Communications Subcommittee, Chaired by Rep Greg Walden (R-OR) and the Trade Subcommittee held a hearing examining the recent series of Internet of Things (IoT) connected device-based distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

In Oct, hackers leveraged a DDoS attack against global Internet routing company Dyn that resulted in thousands of consumers being unable to connect with Netflix, Twitter, CNN, and other well-known websites. It’s estimated that 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020 and as this number grows, so too do the risks. Members continued the committee’s long track record of examining emerging cybersecurity threats and their impact on consumers and the economy while looking at what can be done to mitigate future attacks and risks.

“The knee-jerk reaction might be to regulate the Internet of Things, and while I am not taking that off the table, the question is whether we need a more holistic solution,” said Chairman Walden. “The United States can’t regulate the world," he warned.