Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a means-tested federal program launched in January 2022 to support broadband connectivity among low-income households in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The expiration of the ACP benefit, the largest ever consumer support program for telecommunication services in U.S. history, invites a discussion about the impact of the program and what alternative policy mechanisms exist to promote equitable access to broadband.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed revised spectrum sharing rules for non-geostationary orbit, fixed-satellite service (NGSO FSS) systems. This proposal would seek to clarify certain methodology details from the 2023 Report and Order that previously updated the FCC’s rules governing coordination and protection requirements among NGSO FSS systems approved through different processing rounds.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau announce that comments in response to their September 2024 Public Notice are due no later than November 4, 2024, and reply comments are due no later than November 18, 2024. On September 11, 2024, the FCC released a Public Notice inviting supplemental comment to refresh and expand upon the record regarding the annual reporting and certification requirements for providers of incarcerated people’s communications services (IPCS).

The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau announced the addition of Andy Hendrickson as its new Chief Technology Officer to provide strategic and technical advice on technological developments and issues with respect to the Enforcement Bureau’s work and as part of the ongoing effort to strengthen the Bureau’s technical expertise in support of its privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and network outage enforcement work.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the appointment of Ira Keltz to serve as Acting Chief Engineer. Keltz, an electrical engineer, will lead the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) which maintains the U.S. table of frequency allocation, manages spectrum policy for unlicensed devices, oversees the FCC’s experimental licensing program and equipment authorization program, and conducts engineering and technical studies. Keltz began working on spectrum policy issues at the FCC in 1994 and most recently served as Deputy Chief of OET.

You've probably heard of Project 2025—the not-so-secret plan the Heritage Foundation cooked up for the next Republican administration. Project 2025’s contents are so noxious, unpopular and anti-democratic that even Donald Trump has repeatedly tried to distance himself from them—though at least 140 former Trump officials contributed to the plan. What you might not know is that just one of Project 2025’s authors currently works for the federal government: Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr, the agency's senior Republican.

The Federal Communications Commission’s top Republican has opposed expanding the agency’s broadband subsidy for schools and libraries. He said the July ruling that found the fund unconstitutional could be an additional reason to proceed with caution.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the agency took quick action to assist people impacted by Hurricane Helene by providing discounted phone and broadband service through its Lifeline program. The agency voted to temporarily waive certain Lifeline program eligibility rules to ensure that consumers receiving federal disaster assistance can easily apply for and enroll in the Lifeline program.

The Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Education, with input from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, released a resource guide to help schools and libraries evaluate their cybersecurity risks and identify the most impactful cybersecurity solutions.

On October 1, Federal Communications Commissioner (FCC) Anna Gomez spoke at Americas Spectrum Management Conference in Washington, DC. She spoke about several issues, including spectrum sharing and the National Spectrum Strategy, and urged conference goers to keep the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) top of mind in their discussions. She also spoke about the history of the FCC's spectrum auction authority, which has been lapsed for over a year.