Press Release

The Federal Communications Commission announced a settlement with CenturyLink to resolve an investigation into the company’s placement of unauthorized third-party charges and fees onto consumers’ bills. This practice, known as cramming, is unjust and unreasonable under the Communications Act. During its investigation, the Enforcement Bureau reviewed complaints from CenturyLink customers. Consumers stated that they discovered unauthorized third-party charges on their CenturyLink bills and, in some cases, had difficulty getting timely refunds.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg's policies to uplift rural America includes an ambitious and holistic Internet for All initiative to ensure all communities have affordable access to this necessary technology to create businesses, access health care, and expand opportunities for students to learn and thrive.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement the official launch of a new Fraud Division within the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau: "Combatting fraud aggressively, especially fraud related to misuse of the Universal Service Fund, lies at the core of this agency’s responsibility to the American people to make sure that every dollar of taxpayer funding we oversee is used efficiently to close the digital divide. This new Fraud Division will play a key role in leading our efforts to get rid of waste, fraud, and abuse in the Universal Service Fund."

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai wrote to various Members of Congress about the impact of an FCC order on the statutory cap on franchise fees has on funding for public, educational, or governmental (PEG) channels. Some Members of Congress wrote in support of the new FCC changes, others expressed concern. Chairman Pai replied to both, offering an explanation to the FCC's action.

It’s time to recognize that inequal access to broadband translates into inequality of opportunity. People in rural areas that lack broadband face higher unemployment rates, see fewer job and economic opportunities and place children from these communities behind their suburban and peers in school. Of course, this is not just a rural issue – broadband deserts exist within very urban areas as well, where costs can be unaffordable and availability non-existent.

Rural America deserves a partner in the White House. Here’s my plan to put rural Americans back in the driver’s seat:

We need to lift rural communities up as places of opportunity, both for this generation and future ones. That work begins by deploying investment and innovation to secure the health of all rural residents. Mayor Pete's rural health policies will:

I will make sure every home in America has a fiber broadband connection at a price families can afford. That means publicly-owned and operated networks — and no giant Internet service providers running away with taxpayer dollars. My plan will:

Following his July 23 announcement establishing the Arkansas State Broadband Office, Gov Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) announced “Arkansas Rural Connect,” a new $25 million grant program within the Arkansas State Broadband Office. The goal is to provide high-speed broadband to rural communities throughout Arkansas by 2022, as outlined in the State Broadband Plan released in May. The Arkansas Rural Connect (ARC) program will provide grants to qualifying communities of at least 500 people to deploy high-speed broadband to its residents.

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) sent a letter to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expressing their concerns regarding the export of language mirroring Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in trade agreements. “As you may know, the effects of Section 230 and the appropriate role of such a liability shield have become the subject of much debate in recent years.