What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
Sen. Cruz Designated Chairman of Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
The Senate Republican Conference ratified Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Joining the committee are three new Republican members for the 119th Congress: Senators John Curtis (R-UT), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT). Remaining on the committee are Senators John Thune (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Todd Young (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).
The Republicans Driving Broadband Policy in the 119th Congress
On January 3, 2025, the 119th Congress was sworn in. Republicans now hold majorities in both the House and the Senate. With the incoming Trump administration, Congressional Republicans have a lengthy list of priorities.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel Propose Rules to Kickstart Auction to Fully Fund Removal of Insecure Chinese Equipment from U.S. Networks
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called for the agency to quickly adopt rules that will allow the FCC to proceed with a spectrum auction to fully fund the removal, replacement, and disposal of insecure Chinese-made Huawei and ZTE equipment and services from U.S. networks without further delay. The recently passed National Defense Authorization Act provides essential funding for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement (or “Rip and Replace”) Program by giving the FCC authority to auction AWS-3 spectrum licenses in its inventory.
Odds that Congress takes on network neutrality rules 'are zero'
Two Democratic members of the Federal Communications Commission believe Congress should step up and codify network neutrality rules as federal law after the Sixth Circuit shot down the FCC's latest version of the rules. Such a move would finally stop the pendulum swings of the on-again/off-again FCC rules on network neutrality.
Under the leadership of Lina Khan, the outgoing Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency took on a more active antitrust and consumer protection role, which was largely successful and sometimes controversial.
On January 8, join Governance Studies at Brookings for a fireside chat with FTC Chair Lina Khan and Brookings Visiting Fellow Bill Baer. Khan and Baer will discuss the FTC’s accomplishments, challenges, and its future under new leadership.
Our online world runs on a hidden lifeline: submarine cables crisscrossing the ocean floor, carrying 99% of global internet traffic. As the backbone of broadband, these cables face rising threats amid U.S.-China competition to dominate the industry, sparking urgent concerns over their security and resilience.
A new administration and Congress signal the possibility of a new direction for tech policy. If that proves to be the case, then history may record 2024 as the high-water mark for the “techlash” phenomenon of recent years.
New Leadership for House Commerce Committee in the 119th Congress
As the 119th Congress convenes, the House's legislative and oversight agenda for all things broadband will likely start and live with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Here we look at changes in leadership in this key committee and how the priorities of these new leaders may impact broadband policy. Republicans tapped Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2) to chair the Commerce Committee. On December 20, Chairman Guthrie named Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-09) to be Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology for the 119th Congress.
Chairman-Elect Guthrie Announces House Committee on Energy and Commerce Senior Staff
Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Chairman-Elect of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, announced the Committee’s Senior Staff members for the 119th Congress:
Final BEAD Alternative Broadband Technology Policy Notice
The principal purpose of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is to deploy broadband service to all unserved and underserved locations. To achieve this goal, Eligible Entities (states) may fund a variety of technologies that satisfy the BEAD Program’s minimum technical requirements. The BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) establishes a clear hierarchy of technologies that states must apply when awarding subgrants for Unserved and Underserved Service Projects: (1) Priority Broadband Projects (end-to-end fiber); (2) other Reliable Broadband Service (RBS) projects;