Federal Agency

On March 19, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, with support from AARP, hosted a webinar titled Understanding Internet Access and Use Among Older Adults. Revati Prasad, PhD, Vice President of Programs at the Benton Institute, previewed the new report, Older Adults Online: Measuring Internet Access and Use, and moderated a panel of experts who discussed the needs of older adult populations.

When severe weather prevented Bullitt County (KY) students from attending school full time, a crucial library hotspot lending program kept 30 percent of them connected to their studies. These students would otherwise have had no access to virtual learning from their homes. This same program helps local farmers ensure the wellbeing of their livestock.

Two recent Federal Communications Commission documents have caught my attention.

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program is driving the most ambitious broadband expansion effort in U.S. history.

Federal Communications Commissioner Nathan Simington announces two departures from his office. Adam Cassady, Commissioner Simington’s Chief of Staff, departed the agency and began a new role as (Acting) Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and National Telecommunications and Information Administration Administrator. Carlos Minnix, Commissioner Simington’s Staff Assistant, has also left the office and has assumed a similar role in Chairman Carr’s office.

The Federal Communications Commission is taking an initial set of actions that will help accelerate the transition from aging copper lines to modern network infrastructure in communities all across the country. These actions will help ensure that providers roll out upgraded, high-speed networks to more Americans on a faster timeline—rather than requiring providers to keep pouring resources into maintaining decades-old and increasingly expensive copper line networks.

The Federal Communications Commission waives the filing requirements in the network change disclosure rules adopted under section 251(c)(5) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Act) for a period of two years, unless the waiver is extended prior to its expiration. In the case of short-term network changes and copper retirements, our action also eliminates the associated Bureau public notice process, along with the objection process for interconnected service providers.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr wrote to members of the Senate Commerce Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee about reinstating the FCC's spectrum auction authority, which lapsed in 2023. He wrote, "Passing legislation that establishes a new pipeline of mid-band spectrum is vital to our economy and national security. If Congress accomplishes this goal, the FCC will implement Congress’s decision. Specifically, the FCC will make any and all of the spectrum allocation and license changes necessary to comply with the law passed by Congress."

The Social Security Administration said it will no longer allow individuals to verify their identity over the phone but instead require online authentication or in-person visits for those seeking benefit claims and direct deposit changes. Changes are set to go into full effect March 31, impacting more than 72 million Americans who rely on the platform amid a slew of planned office closures across the country. The Department of Government Efficiency’s website says it plans to shut down at least 47 Social Securit

With Democratic Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks announcing his plans to leave the agency this spring, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is that much closer to having a Republican majority on board. How much he needs that majority is another question.