Competition/Antitrust

Linda Willey, who delivered a keynote address discussing the state of the multifamily industry on behalf of the National Multifamily Housing Council at the Broadband Communities Summit, said a current Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposal to ban bulk billing offers a “serious threat for industry operations and the future of affordable broadband access for residents.” Out of over 92,600 units offered at Camden’s properties, Willey said less than .05 percent of residents moved out because of the bulk technology packages offered by Camden, according to recent data from the company.

Engagement is key with any successful public broadband network hoping to get off the ground, according to Chris Walker, the senior executive director of Infrastructure Strategy Noa Net, a non-profit public broadband organization owned by public utilities that operates in the Pacific Northwest. Kerem Durdag, the CEO of Maine-based Great Works Internet, said providers need to realize it’s alright to make money, but it’s also alright to have a social contract defining how a given project will benefit the community.

With the Federal Communications Commission's recent proposal to ban bulk billing arrangements in the multifamily industry, the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) has been hard at work to ensure policymakers understand the full impact on the multifamily broadband industry.

Popular narratives characterising neoliberal economic orthodoxy hold that all forms of government intervention are counter-productive to free markets.  Conservatives who claim to embody such liberalism often trace opposition to government interventions to two founding Chicago School economists, Friedrich August von Hayek and Milton Friedman.

On June 6, initial comments are due in the Federal Communications Commission's recurring proceeding that assesses the state of competition in the communications marketplace, including broadband. In its last Communications Marketplace Report, published in December 2022, the FCC pointed to the potential for more competitive broadband markets.

On April 3, members of Congress wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Carr, Starks, Simington, and Gomez expressing concern about the proposal to ban bulk billing agreements in multi-tenant buildings. Specifically, they asked that the FCC reconsider the proposal since in 2010 the FCC found that bulk billing arrangements “predominately benefit consumers.” On May 3, Chairwoman Rosenworcel responded, explaining that the proposal was designed to protect consumers, and would allow them to opt-out of bulk billing arrangements.

Without congressional action, funding for the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will expire at the end of May 2024. With this in mind, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband convened a May 2 hearing on 'The Future of Broadband Affordability' to discuss congressional funding of U.S.

As millions of Americans prepare to lose their internet connection, the Biden administration has been caught flat-footed, failing to articulate a robust plan to avert the looming connectivity crisis. The Biden Administration’s connectivity strategy continues the US government’s neoliberal aversion to creating and funding public options for the internet. As a result, the country’s primary mechanism for connecting the unconnected is directing users to corporate internet service providers’ (ISPs) low-income plans.

This Public Notice seeks public input to inform the Federal Communications Commission’s required assessment of the state of competition in the communications marketplace in its upcoming Communications Marketplace Report (2024 Communications Marketplace Report) to Congress. Specifically, we seek data, information, and comment on a wide range of issues relevant to the state of competition in the communications marketplace as a whole.

In Fort Collins, Colorado, residents have a unique option when signing up for internet service. Instead of being limited to giant providers like Comcast, Charter or Cox, they can opt for a city-owned and operated service, called Connexion. Connexion's genesis took place about a decade ago, when the city was looking for ways to bring faster, more affordable internet to the community. In November 2017, voters approved a ballot measure to build a municipal fiber network.