Letter

In response to Sen. John Thune's (R-SD) oversight letter on issues concerning federal broadband programs, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association writes:

The Virginia Office of Broadband submitted a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission, pointing to a significant number of locations in Virginia that are currently incorrectly reported on the most recent FCC broadband coverage map. In partnership with Virginia Tech, the Virginia Office of Broadband found that there are approximately 358,000 locations in Virginia that are reported on the new map as being served when, in fact, they currently lack access to broadband.

In the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission to establish the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to reimburse providers of advanced communications services for costs incurred to remove, replace, and dispose of communications equipment and services in their networks that pose a national security risk. As part of the FCC’s obligations under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau submits this report on: (1) the implementation of the Reimburs

On November 22, seven Republican US senators led by Sen Steve Daines (R-MT) wrote to National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) head Alan Davidson about the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: "Unfortunately, in your recent BEAD Notice of Opportunity Funding (NOFO), NTIA excluded broadband service using entirely unlicensed spectrum from its definition of reliable broadband, a stark contrast to Congress’s tech-neutral intent and previous determinations reached by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)." On December 20, Administrator Davidson r

Twenty-six US senators—led by Sens Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Thune (R-SD)—sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel highlighting important next steps in ensuring that the National Broadband Map provides a reliable depiction of broadband availability across the country. The senators are calling on the FCC to:

Color Of Change, Free Press Action and MediaJustice urged the Senate to confirm Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) during the final days of the 117th Congress. "We are deeply concerned that antisemitic, homophobic, and racist smears against Sohn have contributed to the inaction of the Senate on her confirmation.

Sen Markey and Rep Meng urged Congressional leadership to include $1 billion in the disaster supplemental division of the year-end omnibus for the Federal Communications Commission's Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), which supports devices and broadband services for students and educators to connect to the internet at home. This funding would be sufficient for the FCC to fund every valid application it received in the most recent application window.

In a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, 110 organizations representing broadband, housing, education, healthcare, libraries, and state and local governments called for urgent action to ensure unserved households in multifamily residential housing (MDUs) and community anchor institutions (CAIs) are correctly designated in the recently released FCC National Broadband Map. The groups raised serious concerns about the accuracy of the current FCC National Broadband Map and the subsequent challenge process.

To ensure taxpayer dollars are used in the most efficient manner possible, Congress required the Commerce Department's Inspector General (IG) to review the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grants and make recommendations to address any waste, fraud or abuse.

US Senator John Thune (R-SD) will launch a nationwide oversight effort that will review numerous broadband programs spanning several federal agencies. The primary goal of Thune’s effort is to hold these agencies accountable and ensure that previously authorized broadband funding is being used in the most efficient way possible to protect taxpayer dollars. Sen Thune seeks input on the current broadband regulatory structure from a diverse group of stakeholders, including broadband associations, public interest groups, and free market think tanks.