Federal Communications Commission

Cable broadband companies continue to insist that data caps are good for people with low incomes, pushing back against comments filed by consumer advocacy groups. NCTA—The Internet & Television Association urged the Federal Communications Commission to avoid regulating the monthly data limits and overage charges that cable firms such as Comcast and Cox impose on many Internet plans.

Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) won the race to lead the powerful House Commerce Committee in the 119th Congress, replacing retiring Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The panel's vast jurisdiction positions its chairman to play a lead role in crafting policy on an array of issues: everything from blocking China from engaging in U.S. telecommunication networks to influencing drug pricing. Rep. Brett Guthrie chairs the panel's Subcommittee on Health.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a public workshop for December 10 at 3:00 EST to describe the process for challenging the FCC cellular data maps. The primary purpose is to discuss how local governments can submit bulk challenges to the FCC cellular data map. In September, the FCC announced a new $9 billion 5G Fund for Rural America that will be used to bring cell towers to rural areas with poor coverage.

Internet-service providers have been required since earlier in 2024 to list standardized price and speed data on labels that look like the nutrition-facts panels on packaged foods, allowing consumers to compare plans. But broadband users often don’t know to look for them. Or can’t find them.

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) secured just over $3 billion to ensure communities across the country can remove and replace Chinese-owned telecommunication equipment from U.S. networks.

SpaceX’s effort to put an additional 22,488 satellites into low-earth orbit is facing a formal objection from a Ukrainian-American nonprofit, which says it’s concerned about CEO Elon Musk’s “contacts with Russia and the alleged use of his Starlink system by Russian forces in Ukraine.” In a petition to deny and motion for stay filed with the Federal Communications Commission, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) also cited negative 

Thanks to Congress’ work on the infrastructure law, America has the funding to make internet coverage reliable nationwide. Where broadband goes, economic growth and educational opportunity follow. But despite the federal government’s efforts, including decades of work and billions of dollars, too many Americans still lack reliable connection, an unacceptable fact in today’s digital world. The problem boils down to bureaucratic disorganization. Today, over 100 separate initiatives, managed by 15 individual federal agencies, have been deployed to address the digital urban-rural divide.

Earlier this year, a Benton Institute for Broadband & Society survey of low-income households found that 13 percent of Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) participants (approximately 3 million households) would disconnect their home internet service without the subsidy and 36 percent (or 8.3 million households) would downgrade to a cheaper or slower plan.

The FirstNet network, operated by the FirstNet Authority as an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), enables the fire service, EMS, and law enforcement to do their jobs more safely and effectively, no matter where they are located. The network is exclusive to emergency services, giving responders the ability to access the resources they need in real time as they respond to incidents.

The Federal Communications Commission's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) conditionally approved AXON Networks to operate an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system to manage access to 6 GHz band spectrum by standard-power unlicensed devices. Under this conditional approval, AXON Networks will not be permitted to begin commercial operation of its AFC system until it completes a rigorous testing process, which may begin immediately. This process will require that AXON Networks’ AFC system undergo both lab testing and a public trial.