What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
The Federal Communications Commission modernized its E-rate policies in 2014 to encourage greater build-out of fiber to rural schools and libraries. But the implementation of these policies has been fraught with difficulty, and many E-rate fiber applications requesting Special Construction Charges have been denied. Moderator Brian Davidson, President of Clarity Solutions, Inc., will guide our panel as they walk through the current and future E-rate fiber landscape.
A global race to deploy 5G networks is on, with investors, regulators, and equipment manufacturers now fully engaged. But even as the nature of 5G technology is coming into sharper focus, consumers and some policymakers are still unclear on what it is and what it will do for them. Is 5G merely a faster network? Or will its unique architecture make possible revolutionary new applications and services, pushing the mobile revolution into even higher gear? How can U.S. spectrum policy stay ahead of the country’s rapidly escalating demand for 5G capabilities?
Net Neutrality CRA Teed up in House
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) has filed a discharge petition, which would force a vote on the House resolution to restore net neutrality rules. The petition needs 218 votes -- which means a couple dozen Republican will need to support it. There are currently 235 Republicans and 193 Democrats in the House, with seven vacancies. Republicans say that they support net neutrality, but not under the Title II regime used for the Federal Communications Commission's 2015 rules. Republicans continue to try to get Democrats to drop the resolution and work on bipartisan net neutrality legislation.
FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for June 2018 Open Meeting
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the June Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 7, 2018:
Watchdog to conduct ethics training for FCC after CPAC controversy
The Office of Special Counsel has ruled that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai did not violate ethics laws by participating in a panel discussion at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, but said that it will be conducting standards training with agency employees in the coming months. "After considering all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the event, OSC has concluded that you did not violate the Hatch Act by merely participating in the panel discussion in an official capacity," OSC official Ana Galindo-Marrone wrote in the letter to Ch
Rep Doyle to Launch Discharge Petition to Force Net Neutrality Vote in House
House Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Doyle (D-PA) joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) in announcing that, with the passage of legislation to overrule the Federal Communications Commission’s order eliminating Network Neutrality in the Senate, the next step must be passage of this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A Summer Blockbuster Open Meeting
[Press release] In the spirit of the summer blockbuster season, the Commission’s June 7 meeting is going to be our own version of “Avengers: Infinity War.” We’re taking familiar headliners—freeing up spectrum, removing barriers to infrastructure buildout, expanding satellite services, modernizing outdated rules, eliminating waste, improving accessibility, protecting consumers—and rolling them into one, super-sized meeting.
How Betting Will Change the Sports Media Business
The Supreme Court injected a dose of optimism into the sports television industry when it ruled to strike down a 26-year-old federal law that largely prohibited sports betting in the United States.
The next meeting of the TAC will discuss progress on work initiatives discussed at the previous meeting.
The FCC’s Technological Advisory Council, comprised of a diverse group of leading technology experts, provides technical expertise to the Commission to identify important areas of innovation and develop informed technology policies supporting the United States’ competitiveness in the global economy. The TAC is helping the Commission to continue the momentum spurred by the National Broadband Plan to maximize the use of broadband to advance national interests and create jobs.
The Time to Get the Net Neutrality Rules Back is Now
[Commentary] The best and fastest vehicle for bringing back the vital protections of net neutrality resides in both houses of Congress. It’s called a “Joint Resolution of Disapproval” which is allowed under a law called the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA allows Congress to overturn an agency decision soon after it is adopted with a simple majority of members in attendance. This Congress used the CRA last April to repeal Federal Communications Commission rules that would have required ISPs to protect the privacy of their customers.