Federal Agency
An analysis of the neutrality of "tech neutrality" in broadband coverage
When the Federal Communications Commission's new broadband maps came out, we were quick to compare the number of unserved locations in the new maps to the number of unserved housing units in the previous Form 477 data. As expected, the number of unserved locations doubled, from 3.6 million to 7.8 million. But that comparison isn’t apples-to-apples.
What Do We Mean When We Say Digital Discrimination?
Back in 1996, Congress amended the Communications Act to include antidiscrimination as part of American telecommunications policy.
Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $6 Million to Washington in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that Washington received its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative.
Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $5.7 Million to Connecticut in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that Connecticut received its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative.
NTIA Features 40 Local Governments' Digital Equity and Inclusion Resources
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is highlighting a variety of digital equity and inclusion activities occurring in 40 different city and county governments on the Digital Inclusion map on the BroadbandUSA website. The site includes local government digital equity and inclusion websites, leaders, coordinators, resources, and plans.
Recap: Ensuring Solutions to Meet America’s Broadband Needs
The Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband held a hearing examining ongoing and past efforts within the public and private sectors to bring affordable, resilient and secure broadband to all communities. Four witnesses testified during the hearing:
States Must Be Smart When Defining ‘Extremely High-Cost Locations’
States have a lot to think about as they determine how to prioritize investing federal broadband dollars. Every state that receives federal funding via the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act’s (IIJA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program should have the flexibility to design and implement a plan that meets its policy prerogatives.
How Biden’s FCC nominee became a major campaign target
The push to tank [Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate] Gigi Sohn’s nomination for the Federal Communications Commission has been bolstered by conservative groups taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars in attack ads. In the past year, two conservative nonprofits — the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) and the Center for a Free Economy (CFE) — have placed at least $246,000 in Facebook ads opposing Sohn, according to a review of digital ads archives.
Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Implementation
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is requesting comment on the implementation of the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, as directed by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. NTIA seeks broad input and feedback from all interested stakeholders—including private industry, academia, civil society, and other experts—on this grant program to support the promotion and deployment of open, interoperable, and standards-based radio access networks (RAN). Submit written comments on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 27, 2023.
The Capital Projects Fund Helps Utah Bridge Broadband Access Gap
The Utah Broadband Center and Access Act—enacted July 1, 2021—created the state's broadband office to 1) ensure that publicly funded broadband projects continue to be publicly accessible and provide a public benefit, 2) develop the statewide digital connectivity plan, and 3) administer the Broadband Access Grant Program.