What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
As the 116th Congress begins, policymakers on both sides of the aisle are looking for technology-enabled solutions to lower health costs and spur better outcomes for patients.
Elections Matter: Who’s Who in Telecommunications Policy in the 116th Congress
The 116th Congress is underway. In the background of a partial government shutdown, lawmakers are getting their committee assignments. At Benton, we keep a close eye on two key Congressional panels because of their jurisdiction over many telecommunications issues and oversight of the Federal Communications Commission: 1) the House Commerce Committee's Communications and Technology Subcommittee, and 2) the Senate Commerce Committee. Here's a look at some key telecom policymakers -- and their priorities -- in the 116th Congress.
Meet Rep Derek Kilmer, Pelosi's Modernization Point Person
Many have tried and few have succeeded when it comes to dragging Congress into the modern age, said Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA). Indeed, Hill staffers have bemoaned being unable to use cutting-edge software or even Apple computers since the early aughts. But as chairman of the new Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, Rep.
FCC Seeks Postponement of Net Neutrality Oral Argument
With the US.Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit signaling it planned to hold the Feb. 1 oral argument in Mozilla vs.
Since 2010, well over half a trillion dollars has been invested directly into wireline and wireless broadband networks. What do we expect investment over the next eight-tenths of a decade to look like? Are we at a steady-state level, or will it change? How much of that investment will be for 5G, other types of wireless connectivity, and wireline? What do we expect new capacity to carry? Will it continue to be video, or will an Internet of Things mean more sensor data traveling from machine to machine? What would the latter imply for connectivity needs?
Rifts Risk Democrats' Privacy Plans
House Democrats want to use the coming months to execute a bold tech agenda ahead of the 2020 presidential election, but they may need to make peace with each other first. While Democrats insist they bring a unified front to the issue of online privacy, they're kicking off this year with a clash between Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), a thought leader on privacy issues, and House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), who's committee is responsible for shepherding any such legislation. “If Democrats can’t agree with each other, how can they come to a single position with the Republicans?"
Court Signals Green Light for Net Neutrality Arguments
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit said that oral arguments scheduled for January and now February will take place, partial government shutdown or not. That means the court will hear arguments in the Mozilla et al.
House Democrats campaigned on net neutrality. But will they act on it?
A majority of the new Democrats in the House have made public statements supporting network neutrality, giving advocates hope that the new members of Congress will have the issue in mind moving forward. Past statements from all 64 new Democrats indicate that at least 45 of them publicly supported net neutrality.
FCC 28 GHz Spectrum Auction Moves to Stage Three
The Federal Communications Commission will move the 28 GHz auction to stage three beginning Jan 14. It will stay with the same number of six rounds per day, and the same half-horu duration, but instead of bidders having to bid on 95% of the licenses for which it is eligible, they must now bid on 100% of those licenses.
Smart Cities are the future. So when Houston, Texas faced rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, it seized the opportunity to transform itself as a tech-centric, smart city by incorporating emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Machine Learning and data analytics. Houston is being extremely planful in building multiple innovative solutions across departments at the same time that communicate with one another which is significantly increasing the positive impact it’s bringing to its citizens.