Agenda

What's on the agenda for policymakers.

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.

Sponsor 

Subcommittee on Communications and Technology

House Commerce Committee

Date 
Thu, 11/14/2019 - 17:30

Legislation

H.R. 4229, the "Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (Broadband DATA) Act"



Sponsor 

House Committee on Small Business

Date 
Thu, 11/14/2019 - 19:00

Over the last decade, digital platforms have transformed American commerce through the rapid development of innovative business solutions that have helped small businesses reach and serve new customers. However, the boundless influence of Big Tech has raised concerns about how these platforms impact small firms that have come to rely on their business models.



US Government Is Tripping Over Itself in Race to Dominate 5G Technology

As America races to deploy next-generation wireless technology, several arms of the government are at odds over how to allocate space on the radio-frequency spectrum for 5G. The Federal Communications Commission, which sets policy for spectrum licenses, has openly fought with the Commerce Department, which houses agencies that use spectrum for weather satellites that are crucial to predicting hurricanes. The departments of Transportation, Energy and Education have also objected to various plans to open up airwaves for faster networks.

Fight Over 5G Airwaves Rev Up

Speculation is at a fever pitch surrounding Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s pending decision on how to sell the 5G-friendly airwaves in the so-called C-band, with many suspecting the FCC may take up an item on the matter at its Dec. 12 meeting.

Ergen on DISH Wireless Plans

Dish Networks Chairman Charlie Ergen pointed out that DISH’s new 5G network will be a greenfield network and should not be evaluated in the same way as an incumbent’s network. He said DISH’s network would cost less than other carriers’ networks because DISH plans to use next-generation technology, which relies much more on software than on expensive, proprietary hardware. “The cost structure goes down,” he said. “The vast majority of capex for the incumbents is not for 5G, it’s to maintain the legacy.

International Committee Calls for Pause on False Political Ads Online

An international "grand committee" of lawmakers called for a pause on online micro-targeted political ads with false or misleading information until the area is regulated. The committee, formed to investigate disinformation, gathered in Dublin to hear evidence from Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other experts about online harms, hate speech and electoral interference. The meeting was attended by lawmakers from Australia, Finland, Estonia, Georgia, Singapore, the UK and United States.

 

Sprint’s Lifeline issue hurts wireless service revenue

Sprint reported losing nearly 300,000 phone subscribers in the latest quarter alongside profit losses and revenue declines, and felt a negative impact from its issues with the government’s Lifeline program.