Senate Commerce Committee
Sens Wicker and Thune Urge FCC to Move Quickly in RDOF Application Review
Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Broadband Subcommittee Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) sent a letter to Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to request a status update on the Federal Communications Commission's long-form application review process for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I auction. The auction awarded $9.2 billion over ten years to over 300 bidders to deploy high-speed broadband to over 5.2 million unserved homes and businesses in 49 states.
Sen Wicker Asks NTIA to Reassess Data Collection Processes
Ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee Roger Wicker (R-MS) sent a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) asking the agency to reassess its data collection processes and sources, and to use only the most up-to-date and accurate data as it updates its map.
Senate Commerce Committee Advances Broadband Bills
The Senate Commerce Committee approved a number of bills and nominations in executive session including two of particular interest:
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Senate Commerce Committee Approves Secretary of Commerce Nomination
The Senate Commerce Committee approved the presidential nomination of Gina Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island, to be Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce. The vote was 21-3. Gove Raimondo has said she will work with Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration to stand up an Office of Connectivity and Growth “to amplify the work of NTIA’s BroadbandUSA” activities. And not only is she a no on nationalizing 5G but she is “unaware of any present intention” to build such a government network.
Broadband and Connectivity Provisions in the House Passed Omnibus Package
The House of Representatives’ end of the year omnibus includes:
More than $7 billion in broadband funding as part of COVID-19 relief to:
Senate Commerce GOP OKs Trump FCC Nominee Over Democrats' Opposition
The Senate Commerce Committee approved the nomination of Nathan Simington, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission. The vote was 14-12 along party lines. The nomination now goes before the full Senate. Senate Democrats said that Simington is not qualified to be an FCC commissioner and that he misrepresented his work in the Trump administration during the committee's confirmation process.
Questions for the Record to Nathan Simington, Nominee for the Federal Communications Commission (Senate Commerce Committee)
Submitted by benton on Wed, 12/02/2020 - 09:14Senate Commerce Committee Passes Communications Bills
The Senate Commerce Committee approved:
Local Journalism: America’s Most Trusted News Sources Threatened
Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released a report showing the impact of the transformation of news online and the accompanying loss of revenue. The report shows one factor of the revenue loss is the unfair and abusive practices by tech platforms. The impact of these practices indicates the need for Congress to provide the Federal Trade Commission new authority to protect the local news industry. The report closely examines the unfair and abusive practices by major tech platforms that have contributed to the drastic revenue declines.