What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
The primary agenda of the Task Force’s first meeting will be to introduce members of the Task Force, describe the focus of each working group, review the 2018 Farm Bill and existing FCC and U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and policies relevant to the Task Force’s duties, and begin discussing strategies to advance broadband deployment on agricultural land and promote precision agriculture.
This agenda may be modified at the discretion of the Task Force Chair and the Designated Federal Officer
Members, First Meeting of Precision Agriculture Task Force Announced
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, in consultation with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, has appointed members to serve on the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States. Chairman Pai has designated Teddy Bekele, Land O’Lakes Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, to serve as Chair of the Task Force, and Catherine Moyer, Pioneer Communications Chief Executive Officer and General Manager. to serve as Vice Chair.
A Full Spectrum Future
Smart Policy for America's Airwaves
Speakers
8:30 – 9:00: Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:15: Welcome Remarks and Introduction
- Lawrence J. Spiwak – President, The Phoenix Center
9:15 – 10:15: STELAR –To Re-authorize or To Let Expire? That is the Question...
Panelists:
Memorandum from Chairman Pallone to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
Witnesses
The Honorable Ajit Pai
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
The Honorable Michael O'Rielly
Commissioner
Federal Communications Commission
The Honorable Brendan Carr
Commissioner
Federal Communications Commission
We have seen an increase in white supremacists who are organizing online to target communities of color. This presents a unique problem for social media sites, policymakers, and internet users. Join the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law at an all-day convening as policy experts and community organizations explore the nuanced intersections between online hate and privacy.
Big Tech Gets Small Business Committee Vetting
The House Small Business Committee took its turn at running Big Tech through another Hill gauntlet at a hearing titled "A Fair Playing Field? Investigating Big Tech’s Impact on Small Business." Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) started the hearing by praising Amazon and Google for agreeing to send witnesses, and pointing to the two empty chairs for no-shows Facebook and Apple.
House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Advances 9 Bills
The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology advanced nine bills in a markup session Nov 14. Eight of the bills moved with little controversey:
New Mexico still lagging despite broadband investments
More than $300 million has been funneled to New Mexico in recent years to boost broadband access for schools, hospitals and other institutions, but many rural areas remain unserved, a report says. Legislative analysts outlined their findings in the report for state lawmakers, saying New Mexico lags when it comes to high-speed internet and efforts to address access are disjointed and scattered across multiple agencies. Boosting broadband has been a longstanding challenge for New Mexico.
House Continues Deep Dive into Digital Antitrust and Big Tech
The House Antitrust Subcommittee heard from two major players in the government's review of Big Tech and whether the antitrust laws have kept up with their exponential growth, but not before the legislators had staked out their own positions. Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI) pulled no punches, saying that the extreme concentration of online platforms may have some benefits, but they were clearly using their power to set market terms that enrich themselves and make it impossible to compete. He also commented on Google and Fitbit.