Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission has released its fiscal year (FY) 2024 Agency Financial Report. This report provides financial and performance information about the FCC’s activities over the course of FY 2024. The report includes three sections:

President-elect Donald Trump on November 17 chose Brendan Carr to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, naming a veteran Republican regulator who has publicly agreed with the incoming administration’s promises to slash regulation, go after Big Tech and punish TV networks for political bias.

The Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Task Force, together with the Office of Economics and Analytics, announced that the fifth version of the National Broadband Map was released on November 15. The Map depicts fixed and mobile broadband availability data as of June 30, 2024, based on data submitted by internet service providers as part of the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection. The Map is available here.

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to revise its satellite spectrum sharing rules to promote market entry, regulatory certainty, and spectrum efficiency. The Report and Order released on November 15th refines the FCC’s non-geostationary satellite orbit, fixed-satellite service (NGSO FSS) spectrum sharing regime that provides clarity regarding sharing between systems licensed in different processing rounds, granting primary spectrum access to systems approved earlier, while enabling new entrants to participate in an established, cooperative spectrum sharing structure.

Three years ago, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—a once-in-a-generation investment in America’s infrastructure to reverse this trend, strengthen communities, and transform the U.S. economy.

The internet plays an essential, everyday role in the lives of Americans. Internet access—both fixed and mobile—is a critical resource that allows individuals and families to participate in work and education opportunities, receive telehealth services, access public benefits and services, communicate with loved ones, and more.  Yet affordability remains one of the primary barriers to reliable broadband access.

Chris Mitchell speaks with Andy Schwartzman, Senior Counselor at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, about pressing legal issues affecting telecommunications policy in the U.S.

Donald Trump could have an easier time limiting press freedom in his second term in the White House after a campaign marked by virulent rhetoric towards journalists and calls for punishing television networks and prosecuting journalists and their sources, legal scholars and journalism advocacy groups warn.

The Universal Service Fund (USF) has been stuck in legislative limbo as the government wrestles with how to improve the subsidy program. Experts think USF reform could see momentum in Trump’s second term, but how that will pan out is a trickier question to answer. The USF, which supports broadband access and affordability in rural and low-income communities, is made up of four [sic] smaller programs: Connect America Fund, Lifeline, E-Rate and Rural Health Care. One glaring problem with the current USF framework is the shrinking contribution base.

The future of the $8.5 billion Universal Service Fund (USF), which supports broadband access in schools, libraries, and rural communities, hangs in the balance as three critical court cases move forward. In a rare twist, two cases saw oral arguments on the same day, adding a sense of urgency to the outcomes. These decisions could redefine affordable internet connectivity for students, families, and communities nationwide. We summarize each case and outline the stakes for the E-rate and other USF programs. As we await the courts’ decisions, SHLB is not just observing from the sidelines.