US Senate
Sen Blumenthal Calls on FTC to Investigate Twitter Whistleblower Claims (US Senate)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Wed, 08/24/2022 - 13:31Republican Senators Push NTIA to Implement Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as Congress Intended
Sixteen Republican senators sent a letter Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, calling on the department to follow congressional intent in implementing the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program that was created through the bipartisan infrastructure law. The Senators are seeking changes to the following areas:
Senators Urge FCC to Stay and Reconsider Order Granting Ligado Spectrum Applications (US Senate)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Thu, 08/18/2022 - 17:05Sens Cantwell and Capito Propose Broadband Buildout Along America’s Electricity Grid
Sens Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the Grant to Rapidly Invest and Deploy (GRID) Broadband Act, a pioneering proposal that would provide a robust new federal cost-share to spur investment in a nationwide middle mile backbone along the nation’s existing electricity grid.
Sen Hassan Introduces Bill to Help New Hampshire Small Businesses Strengthen Cyber Defenses (US Senate)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Fri, 08/05/2022 - 13:21Senate and House Members Introduce PLAN for Broadband Act
Sens Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) along with Reps Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Proper Leadership to Align Networks (PLAN) for Broadband Act (S.4767). The legislation requires the President to develop a national strategy to close the digital divide and a plan to implement that strategy. This legislation is based on a Government Accountability Office report that found that federal broadband efforts are fragmented and o
Lawmakers Urge FCC To Advance Broadband And Spectrum Access For Native Communities
A bicameral group of lawmakers sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urging the FCC to consider more ways to advance Native communities’ access to and ownership of spectrum over their lands. It was recently estimated that nearly a third of Tribal lands in the United States lacked internet access. Over 1.5 million people living on Tribal lands lack access to broadband services. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this disparity, limiting access to telemedicine, virtual and remote learning, and public safety programs, among other services.
Sen Peters Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Federal Data Centers from Catastrophic Weather Events, Cyber Attacks (US Senate)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 11:08Bicameral Legislation to Reinstate Net Neutrality, Reverse Damaging Trump-Era Deregulation
Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) andRon Wyden (D-OR) along with Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA-06) introduced the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act, legislation that would accurately classify broadband internet access as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act, giving the Federal Communications Commission the appropriate authority to reinstate net neutrality protections. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the present need to promote an accessible and just broadband future, with students having spent upwards of two years studying online, entrep