press release

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn asked their fellow FCC commissioners to consider an item that will both ensure that the rates for inmate calling services (ICS) are just, reasonable, and fair for local and long-distance calls, and that the nation’s jails and prisons are compensated for reasonable costs of inmate calling services. The proposed item takes a careful look at the costs that facilities incur by providing ICS and covers these ICS-related costs through modest increases in the inmate calling rate caps previously set by the FCC. The FCC will vote on the item at its August 4 Open Meeting. The Order modifies the proposed rate caps to account for costs facilities incur in offering ICS, particularly the higher costs smaller institutions may face. These changes are as follows:

13 cents/minute for debit/prepaid calls, in state or federal prisons (up from 11 cents/minute stayed Oct. 2015 rate)
19 cents/minute for debit/prepaid calls in jails with 1,000 or more inmates (up from 14 cents/minute stayed Oct. 2015 rate)
21 cents/minute for debit/prepaid calls in jails with 350-999 inmates (up from 16 cents/minute stayed Oct. 2015 rate)
31 cents/minute for debit/prepaid calls in jails of up to 349 inmates (up from 22 cents/minute stayed Oct. 2015 rate)

Landline phone network technology is changing rapidly; the Federal Communications Commission further updated its rules to help ensure that consumers, industry and the economy reap the benefits of this ongoing, innovative transformation. The action will eliminate outdated, unnecessary regulations and establish clear criteria that can expedite the review process required when providers update service from legacy to modern voice technologies. The new framework will give carriers the clarity they need to transition quickly to innovative services and at the same time ensure continued protections for consumers, competition, public safety and universal service, all important values that must endure even as technology changes. The test expedites transitions in which:
Network performance, reliability and coverage is substantially unchanged for customers
Access to 911, cybersecurity and access for people with disabilities meets current rules and standards
Compatibility with a defined list of legacy services still popular with consumers and small businesses, including home security systems, medical monitoring devices, credit card readers and fax machines, subject to sunset in 2025, is assured.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules for wireless broadband operations in frequencies above 24 GHz, making the United States the first country in the world to make this spectrum available for next generation wireless services. Building on the successful, flexible approach to spectrum policy that enabled the explosion of 4G (LTE), these rules set a strong foundation for the rapid advancement to next-generation 5G networks and technologies in the United States. This high-frequency spectrum will support innovative new uses enabled by fiber-fast wireless speeds and extremely low latency.

While 5G technologies are still under development, today’s action by the FCC to put rules in place will provide vital clarity for business investment in this area. These new rules open up nearly 11 GHz of high-frequency spectrum for flexible, mobile and fixed use wireless broadband – 3.85 GHz of licensed spectrum and 7 GHz of unlicensed spectrum. The rules adopted today creates a new Upper Microwave Flexible Use service in the 28 GHz (27.5-28.35 GHz), 37 GHz (37-38.6 GHz), and 39 GHz (38.6-40 GHz) bands, and a new unlicensed band at 64- 71 GHz. The FCC also adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which seeks comment on several issues. The FNPRM seeks to apply the flexible use service and technical rules to another 18 GHz of spectrum encompassing 8 additional high-frequency bands, and seeks comment on a variety of other issues, including refinements to the performance requirements and mobile spectrum holdings policies, and the sharing framework adopted for the 37-37.6 GHz band.

Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler urging the FCC to take action to ensure that the United States maintains its global leadership in mobile broadband distribution and innovation. The committee leaders applaud Chairman Wheeler and the FCC for taking action in the Spectrum Frontiers proceeding and urge the commission to “adopt Spectrum Frontier service rules that will enable rapid investment and innovation in these [higher frequency] bands.”

Reps Upton and Pallone noted, “In the US these bands will pave the way for investment and innovation in both licensed and unlicensed offerings, providing consumers with much faster and more responsive broadband, and delivering connectivity to many more devices including in the developing Internet of Things market.” The bipartisan committee leaders also urged the FCC to take steps to improve the siting process in order for 5G to be a success, writing, “5G will involve more densified wireless networks, with smaller antennas that have a more limited physical presence and lesser impact. ... The FCC, therefore, should promptly complete its nationwide programmatic agreement proceeding to eliminate unnecessary review processes for collecting small wireless antennas.”

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will fund 81 Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) projects in 32 states. These projects will help connect rural communities with medical and educational experts in other parts of the country, increasing access to health care, substance misuse treatment and advanced educational opportunities. USDA is awarding $23.4 million in grants to support 45 distance learning and 36 telemedicine projects. Some of the awards will help communities provide services to address opioid misuse, a problem that is especially prevalent in rural areas. Secretary Vilsack is leading an interagency effort to address the rural opioid crisis. On June 30, Vilsack hosted a town hall meeting in Abingdon, Va., to address how the crisis is affecting rural America and parts of Appalachia, and while there he announced funding for five DLT projects in rural Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia to respond to the issue.

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Janette L. Dates to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Dr. Dates is the Dean Emerita of the Howard University School of Communications, a position she has held since 2012.Dr. Dates served as Dean of the Howard University School of Communications from 1996 to 2012, Acting Dean from 1993 to 1996, and Associate Dean from 1987 to 1992, having first joined the University as an Assistant Professor in 1981.She was a Freedom Forum Media Studies Center Fellow at Columbia University from 1992 to 1993, an Associate Professor at Coppin State College from 1985 to 1987, and an Assistant Professor at Morgan State University from 1977 to 1980. Dr. Dates was Anchor and Co-Producer for the series The Negro in U.S. History from 1973 to 1974, and Producer, Writer, and Anchor on the weekly television program North Star from 1972 to 1973.She served as a member of the Baltimore Mayor’s Cable Communication Commission from 1990 to 1994. Dr. Dates was first appointed to the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2013.Dr. Dates received a B.S. from Coppin State College, an M.Ed. from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Connecting our nation’s schools, libraries, health clinics and other community anchor institutions (CAIs) to next generation high-speed broadband is an important national priority. In an effort to provide federal, state and local leaders with policy options to ensure that all anchor institutions have high-speed connections to the Internet, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition is releasing “Connecting Anchor Institutions: A Broadband Action Plan.” The report is published by the Benton Foundation. SHLB is the leading advocate for open, affordable, high-capacity broadband for our nation’s community anchor institutions and their communities. The recently launched Grow2GiG+ Initiative is a campaign designed to help bring gigabit speed-and-beyond networks to all anchor institutions in America by 2020.

“Anchor institutions are the lifeblood of our communities, and access to high-speed Internet at our nation’s anchor institutions is the first rung on the ladder to success,” said John Windhausen, Jr., Executive Director of SHLB. “The SHLB Action Plan gives policymakers a road map for designing a broadband strategy that promotes education, health care and community enrichment.”

"The Benton Foundation is publishing the Action Plan because our top priority for 2016 and beyond is affordable broadband access and adoption for all Americans," said Adrianne B. Furniss, the foundation's executive director. "I can think of no better partner than the SHLB Coalition and its diverse members. Community anchor institutions, as is so well-articulated in the report, are on the front lines ensuring that the benefits of the Internet are widely available to everyone, promoting equity for all."

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is inviting school districts to share how they are improving digital equity—and providing out-of-school high-speed broadband connectivity to students in their communities. Digital equity is considered a top 21st century educational challenge.

Only 3 percent of teachers in high-poverty schools reveal that their students have the digital tools necessary to complete homework assignments, compared to 52 percent of teachers in more affluent schools. “For students to leave school grounds once the bell rings and not have high-quality connectivity puts them at a learning disadvantage. They are unable to harness the benefits of personalized learning and reach their potential in today’s digitally-based environment,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “The good news is many schools are making big gains to accelerate the connection for students outside of school. We want to showcase those positive efforts and provide pathways for additional communities to follow.” To participate, school districts must complete a short, five-minute survey that asks, How are you collaborating with your community to provide broadband access outside of school for students? Schools that complete the survey will be showcased by CoSN and considered for recognition at a special national event in Washington, DC.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced the appointment of Holly Saurer as legal advisor, and the transition of Diane Cornell to a role in the FCC’s International Bureau. Starting July 13, Saurer will work primarily on international and consumer affairs issues.

Saurer served in various positions in the Media Bureau, including as associate bureau chief, senior legal advisor to the bureau chief and attorney-advisor with the bureau’s Policy Division. She has also served as an acting advisor for FCC Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn. Prior to joining the Commission, Saurer worked at the Washington DC offices of Drinker Biddle & Reath and Miller & Van Eaton. Cornell will join the International Bureau where she will continue to advance the Commission’s international priorities, and will serve as special advisor to the Chairman. She has served as a key legal and policy advisor to the Chairman since he joined the Commission, with vital contributions made to process reform, international communications policy and consumer affairs.

Cornell has previously served as a legal advisor to three Commissioners; held leadership positions in the Wireless, International and Common Carrier Bureaus; and served as president of the Federal Communications Bar Association.

We’ve always believed that small businesses can do big things with superfast Internet. In 2014, we launched our Early Access program to bring faster speeds to businesses in our Fiber cities. Since then, we’ve been inspired by what these businesses have been able to do. From a media company that now conducts virtual jam sessions to a coffee house that livestreams their community events, we’ve seen many unlock new possibilities with a speedy, reliable connection. At the same time, we know that businesses come in different shapes and sizes. They have varying needs and would like the flexibility to choose a plan that best fits their needs.

That’s why we’re transitioning from the Early Access program and introducing three new plans. Small businesses in all of our Fiber cities will now be able to pick from speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 1000 Mbps. We’ve also increased the number of static IP addresses available to a business—up to 13. And we continue to be committed to providing fast, reliable service tailored to the needs of small businesses.