Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Headlines Daily Digest
Headlines will return on Thursday, June 20
Don't Miss:
Do Companies Care About the Affordable Connectivity Program?
Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms
Broadband Funding
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Data & Mapping
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Net Neutrality
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Wireless/Spectrum
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Ownership
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Platforms/Social Media/AI
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Elections & Media
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Stories From Abroad
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The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Kentucky and Maine’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Kentucky and Maine to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.
- Kentucky: Over $1 billion
- Maine: Over $271 million
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Your written testimony noted various affiliations. Which companies that receive ACP have you or your employers received funding from since the program’s inception?
Let me also note that the question—perhaps unintentionally—carries the subtle suggestion that the only enterprises that care about the ACP are the ones who have received funding from the program since the program’s inception. While it is true that telecommunications providers support continuing the program, so do many organizations outside of telecommunications. For example—and in support of what I wrote in the several questions related to healthcare, the American Hospital Association wrote a letter to the several Senators in support of extending the ACP program. While they are not directly compensated through the ACP program, it wrote that ACP “can support patients’ access to certain services like telehealth visits, hospital at home, patient portals and electronic patient records, virtual scheduling, and remote patient monitoring — which are not possible without reliable internet.” It further noted that the ACP is “also critical in continuing efforts to reduce disparities and advance health equity by giving patients in rural and underserved areas the necessary resources to utilize various forms of telehealth, as well as other digital health services.” Similarly, the United States Chamber of Commerce (along with many local Chambers of Commerce) endorsed the ACP extension, writing that the “program’s focus on internet affordability serves as a critical tool to help connect all Americans, empower full participation in the 21st Century economy and broaden access to critical services such as education, healthcare and banking." In short, no one should be under the impression that the only companies who benefit from the ACP are telecommunications providers.
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Though the challenge process for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is intended to create more accurate broadband maps, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) warns that the opposite may happen. If, during the challenge process, a local broadband provider promises they can provide speeds and services in a particular community—but are overstating their abilities or simply making false claims—the resulting broadband coverage maps will be less accurate. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) requires states to determine areas eligible for BEAD funding via a three-stage process: challenges to existing National Broadband Map data, rebuttal, and determination. ILSR is urging community representatives—including local government leaders, nonprofit organizations, and Tribal entities—to get involved in the rebuttal stage to verify that the claims made by broadband providers in the challenge stage are realistic.
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The Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules will go into effect July 22, unless the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals places a stay on the rules. Several different groups have filed lawsuits, claiming that the FCC broke the law when it decided to reclassify broadband providers under Title II of the Communications Act. Because the groups filed their lawsuits in seven different circuit courts, a lottery was held to select the court where the cases could be consolidated, and the Sixth Circuit was selected in the lottery. The petitioners in the now-combined lawsuit are asking the Sixth Circuit to delay (or stay) the effective date of net neutrality until the lawsuit is resolved. At the same time, the FCC has asked to move the lawsuit to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.
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Once more, legislation addressing some of the nation’s biggest spectrum issues is scheduled for a markup, but it’s not winning any accolades from the U.S. wireless industry’s biggest trade group. The Spectrum and National Security Act – introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) in April 2024 – was most recently set to be marked up on June 12. That was postponed and rescheduled for Tuesday, June 18. The delay came after the heads of the Commerce Department, Department of Defense (DoD) and Joint Chiefs of Staff asked for edits to address language around dynamic spectrum sharing and spectrum studies, among other things. Their coming together signaled to some the end of a long-time inter-agency dispute. Included in Cantwell’s bill is a directive for the FCC to complete an auction of new licenses for the 12.7-13.25 GHz band. However, the bill doesn’t offer any specific midband spectrum for the FCC to auction – most notably, the lower 3 GHz band is excluded, according to Umair Javed, SVP/Spectrum at CTIA. Besides restoring the FCC’s auction authority for five years, the bill seeks to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and provide $3 billion for the rip and replace program. But it’s mostly about spectrum reform, said New Street Research analyst Blair Levin.
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At its annual meeting, the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) announced a number of new developments, including a new branding campaign, mission statement and updates on its efforts to expand adoption of the ATSC 3.0 (aka NextGen TV) internationally as well as the campaign to sunset 1.0. But it was perhaps a comment from Federal Communications Commissioner Brendon Carr in a discussion with ATSC President Madeleine Noland that garnered the most attention. In a Q&A with Noland, Carr compared the transition from the current ATSC 1.0 standard to 3.0 to the evolution of the mobile wireless industry and, with many broadcasters eager to shut down 1.0 to provide more bandwidth for 3.0, what could happen after the 1.0 sunset. Like wireless, the transition to 3.0 is taking a lightly-regulated, market-based approach, which Carr agreed with. “The transition that we see in technologies from a wireless approach is one that we should take here,” Carr said, referring to 3.0. “We largely trust the mobile wireless industry to handle those upgrades in technology… you're getting the playbook here." He added, "We have to get to a point of a level regulatory playing field and increased investment. In broadcasting, we have to allow this flash cut to 3.0 by a date certain and forthrightly and we also need to really consider competition in D.C. around potentially an ‘incentive auction 2.0’ as well.”
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Verizon is among several entities that told the Federal Communications Commission to hold off on any plan to grant FirstNet – and by extension AT&T – a nationwide license to the 4.9 GHz band. In case you aren't up to speed, here's the recap: The Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) supports a proposal to assign the 4.9 GHz band to FirstNet, which runs on AT&T’s network. The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) opposes that plan and argues that the 4.9 GHz band should remain in the control of local authorities. For example, cities like New York and Boston use the 4.9 GHz band for transportation and emergency communications. Verizon executives recently met with FCC personnel to express support for CERCI’s positions in the 4.9 GHz proceeding, including its call for retaining local public safety control of the band and its opposition to the PSSA’s proposal to assign the 4.9 GHz band to FirstNet, either directly through a nationwide license or indirectly through a sharing agreement. If the agency does embrace PSSA’s proposal, then it needs to consider a “lawful way” to assign the spectrum through a competitive process, such as an auction or bidding process, rather than “gifting the spectrum” to one commercial provider.
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Network consolidation and centralization of networks is putting our broadband and voice networks in increased jeopardy. It’s easy to understand why carriers are in favor of the savings that come from consolidation, but it’s vital that we recognize and acknowledge the increased risk that comes as a consequence of choosing efficiency over other factors. One area of particular concern is 911 network consolidation. Carriers have very quietly rearranged the 911 network configuration in the country in a way that puts 911 callers in jeopardy. Historically, 911 was the ultimate local network arrangement. Each city or county had at least one 911 call center. Over time, 911 call centers were consolidated regionally. It’s now fairly routine when a customer calls 911 that the call is routed to a 911 tandem that is many states away before ultimately being routed back to the appropriate local 911 center. In the network world, greater distance means greater risk. A network outage in a distant city can stop or block a local call to 911. There is no doubt that the current 911 configuration is more efficient. But I suspect the government folks in charge of 911 centers and public safety have little idea about the great distances covered by a routine 911 call. There would be a big improvement in 911 safety if the 911 tandems and databases were closer to customers, like the historical 911 networks.
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One of the most important lessons I learned in medical school was that in an emergency, you don’t have the luxury to wait for perfect information. You assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly. The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency—and social media has emerged as an important contributor. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours. Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies. It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our children’s well-being is at stake.
[Dr. Vivek Murthy is the US Surgeon General.]
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Donald Trump recently gave his most extensive public comments to date on artificial intelligence. “It is a superpower, and you want to be right at the beginning of it, but it is very disconcerting." Trump also mentions receiving $12 million for his campaign from unnamed Bay Area “super-geniuses,” a subtle marker of his emergence as the standard-bearer of the right-leaning, crypto-loving wing of Silicon Valley. Given how often Trump flip-flops, it’s worth focusing on what’s most consistent about his relationship with Silicon Valley: His status as a walking embodiment of the “move fast and break things” venture-capitalist ethos. This philosophy is alive and well today, and goes a long way toward explaining Trump’s appeal to a contingent in Silicon Valley whose entire existence is defined by a dissatisfaction with the status quo.
Today's Events
Canceled: Executive Session (Senate Commerce Committee)- Broadband Bootcamp 2.0 (Appalachian Regional Commission)
- Announcing CBRS 2.0 (New America)
- Listening Session with Formerly Incarcerated People (FCC)
- Connecting Missouri: Show Me Digital Equity! (Marconi Society)
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and Zoe Walker (zwalker AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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