Public Notice

The Federal Communications Commission authorized nearly $111.6 million in funding over the next decade to expand broadband to 37,148 unserved rural homes and businesses in 12 states representing the first wave of support from the Connect America Fund Phase II auction. Providers will begin receiving funding in May 2019. In total, the auction allocated $1.488 billion in support to expand broadband to more than 700,000 unserved rural homes and small businesses over the next 10 years.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau designated four petitioners -- Bloosurf, Hankins Information Technology, Northern Arapaho Tribal Industries (Wind River Internet), and Tombigbee Communications, Inc -- as eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) in eligible high-cost areas within the specified states. Designation is conditioned upon and limited to petitioners’ authorization to receive Connect America support awarded through the Connect America Fund Phase II auction (Auction 903) and effective only upon such authorization. One of these petitioners, Wind R

The Federal Communications Commission took steps that could result in over 1 million rural homes getting faster broadband service.

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order directing the creation of programs to grow and strengthen the US cybersecurity workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The Executive Order will promote cybersecurity work within the Government, including through a new President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition. The Administration will develop a rotational program where Federal employees can expand their cybersecurity expertise through temporary reassignments to other agencies.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau authorizes 186 rate-of-return companies that elected 242 revised offers to receive additional Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) support in exchange for extending broadband service to additional locations. A report shows the revised authorization amount and deployment obligations for each carrier that elected a revised offer. These carriers are among the rate-of-return carriers nationwide that previously had been authorized to receive A-CAM support. The revised authorizations provide support to the electing comp

The US Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service announced its general policy and application procedures for funding under the eConnectivity Pilot Program in late 2018. The Reconnect Program will provide loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. This Notice announces the opening date for the ReConnect Program application windows. The Rural Utilities Service will begin accepting applications through https:// reconnect.usda.gov for all three ReConnect Program funding categories on April 23, 2019.

The Federal Communications Commission announces the rechartering of the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), which will provide advice and recommendations to the FCC to improve the security, reliability, and interoperability of the nation’s communications systems. By this Public Notice, we seek nominations for membership on and a Chairperson for this Committee. The FCC has established the CSRIC for a period of two (2) years, with an expected first meeting in June of 2019.

The 2019 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill Conference Report encouraged the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) to reorganize its technology and science function by creating a new office within GAO and to report to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittees on plans for doing so. In January 2019, GAO created the Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics (STAA) team to build on its decades-long track record of providing Congress with science and technology (S&T) analysis.

The Administration strongly opposes House passage of the Save the Internet Act (HR 1644). Since the [Restoring Internet Freedom] rule was adopted in 2018, consumers have benefited from a greater than 35 percent increase in average, fixed broadband download speeds, and the United States rose to sixth, from thirteenth, in the world for those speeds. In 2018, fiber was also made available to more new homes than in any previous year, and capital investment by the Nation’s top six Internet service providers increased by $2.3 billion.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on an amended petition filed by TracFone Wireless. TracFone seeks to expand its designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier to certain Tribal lands in Alabama, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia.

WC Docket No. 09-197

Comment Date: April 22, 2019 | Reply Comment Date: April 29, 2019