Federal Communications Commission

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel continued her 2024 Connectivity Tour, focused on closing the Homework Gap, with a visit to Winters’ Well Elementary School in Tonopah (AZ). She was joined by Saddle Mountain Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Winters to meet with parents, teachers, and school staff to discuss access to broadband for students in rural communities through the federal E-rate program and how updates to this foundational program can improve internet access to students regardless of where they live.

The House of Representatives passed the Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhanced (FUTURE) Networks Act (H.R. 1513), legislation that directs the Federal Communications Commission to bring together industry leaders, public interest groups and government experts to establish a 6G Task Force. Specifically, the FUTURE Networks Act requires the FCC to establish a 6G Task Force comprised of industry, government, and public interest representatives to issue a report on:

Broadband providers want to avoid net neutrality because it comes with more expansive federal oversight. But one trade group for Internet Service Providers and state officials told judges that it comes with at least one big benefit: backup from the government in negotiations with utility pole owners. The Federal Communications Commission is currently trying to keep alive its net neutrality rules, which would reclassify broadband as a telecom service subject to common carrier regulations. Broadband trade associations challenging the move in court convinced a panel of the U.S.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federally funded program providing discounted internet service to economically disadvantaged households, officially ended on June 1, 2024, due to lack of funding from Congress.

On September 10, 2024, Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks delivered remarks to the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) at its annual convention at Amelia Island (FL). Commissioner Starks highlighted a number of broadband-related topics in his speech, including the developments in wireless technology since his 2019 CCA speech, the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, and the need for more affordability measures like the Affordable Connectivity program (ACP). "Let me be clear," said Starks.

One of the oddest areas of law under the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission is 47 U.S.C. § 230 (Section 230). This is the law that shields internet service providers and social media platforms from liability for content created by users. Section 230 is very much in the political news these days. There were 25 bills introduced in Congress over the last two sessions to modify Section 230 language. The bills look at a range of different topics. One set of proposed regulations would provide more protection for children online.

The lack of broadband in many rural and Tribal communities in the U.S. is widely recognized, but there are also claims of a lack of broadband availability in predominantly minority and urban communities, sometimes labeled digital redlining or digital discrimination. Motivated by such claims, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 includes a provision addressing digital discrimination and directing the Federal Communications Commission to write rules implementing the statutory provision.

Blair Levin, non-resident senior fellow with The Brookings Institution, has some opinions about the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. He thinks it’s being run a lot better than the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). Levin recently testified at a House subcommittee hearing where Republican Congresspeople tried to slam the BEAD program. He contrasted BEAD with the RDOF program, which set up a reverse auction to award broadband grants under the former Republican Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai.

The Federal Communications Commission announced a $13 million settlement with AT&T to resolve an Enforcement Bureau investigation into the company’s supply chain integrity and whether it failed to protect the information of AT&T customers in connection with a data breach of a vendor’s cloud environment. AT&T used the vendor to generate and host personalized video content, including billing and marketing videos, for AT&T customers.

The Federal Communications Commission announced the opening of the application window for the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program. During the 45-day application filing window, which will run from September 17, 2024 to November 1, 2024, eligible schools and libraries can apply to participate in the three-year, $200 million pilot program.