What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
FCC Proposes to Issue List of Price Cap Wire Centers With Nearby Fiber
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau proposes to publicly release the list of Common Language Location Identification (CLLI) codes for price cap incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC) wire centers that have alternative fiber within a half-mile (nearby alternative fiber). This list of CLLI codes is based on an analysis of highly confidential information submitted in response to the FCC’s 2015 special access data collection (2015 Collection) which has been incorporated into the record of this proceeding. Affected parties will have ten (10) business days from the
A week doesn’t go by without the term “5G” showing up in business and technology headlines here and abroad. Why the fascination among so many with all things 5G? If technologists can be believed, 5G broadband networks will revolutionize how we communicate, do business, become educated, participate in the political process, and more. But will the new networks have a positive competitive effect on consumer broadband services? Will these 5G networks open up new avenues of competition between and among different parts of the Internet ecosystem?
In 2012, Congress created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to develop, build and operate a nationwide, broadband network that equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities. FirstNet has made significant strides in delivering on this mandate. Today, nearly 7,250 agencies utilize more than 600,000 connections on the FirstNet network. In addition, over 100 devices with public safety-focused features and functions are approved and certified for use on the FirstNet network.
The FCC's July Meeting: A Broadband Action Blockbuster
The Federal Communications Commission held its monthly open meeting on July 10. We gave a preview of the meeting a few weeks back. There were eight items in total in the action-packed agenda, but we’re going to unpack a few of the actions that are especially relevant to open, affordable, high-capacity broadband in the U.S.
White House convened top officials to combat infighting over 5G
Tensions over 5G have come to a head within the Trump administration, prompting Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to convene a high-level White House meeting to hammer out policy disputes between government agencies.
FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for August 2019 Open Meeting
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Aug 1, 2019:
Establishing the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund – The FCC will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would propose to adopt a two-phase reverse auction framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, committing $20.4 billion in high-cost universal service support to bring high-speed broadband service to millions of unserved Americans.
When Opportunity Knocks (FCC Aug Agenda)
This April, I joined President Donald Trump at a White House event, where I announced my plans to create the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, a modernized approach for connecting the hardest-to-serve corners of our country. Today, I’m circulating a proposal to formally establish this program. If adopted, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund will mark the Federal Communications Commission’s single biggest step yet to close the rural digital divide and will connect millions more rural homes and small businesses to high-speed broadband networks.