Federal

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) announced that BARConnects and North Alabama Electric Cooperative have notified the FCC  that they will not fulfill their commitment to offer voice and broadband service to certain census block groups (CBGs) within their Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and/or Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction supported service areas.  These providers will be subject to penalties for the CBGs where they are defaulting.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called on the agency to help stop abusers from using connectivity tools in vehicles to harass and intimidate their partners. Her proposal would examine how the agency can use existing law to ensure car manufacturers and wireless service providers are taking steps to assist abuse victims and seek comment on additional steps the Commission can take to safeguard domestic violence survivors.

In a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations, Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10) called for the appropriators to prioritize extending Affordable Connectivity Program funding and expressed the critical need the program meets by connecting hundreds of thousands of Virginia households with affordable, high-speed internet.

In less than two months, if Congress does not act, tens of millions of people could find themselves unable to stay connected to high-speed internet.

A coalition of nearly 70 broadband experts, internet service providers (ISPs), community leaders, and nonprofits wrote to the Federal Communications Commission with a request to grant a limited amnesty designed to prevent the exclusion of America’s least connected rural communities from upcoming federal broadband subsidies. Under the rules of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, communities that are already covered by grants awarded under programs like the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund (RDOF) and Connect America Fund II (CAF II) are not eligible to receive BEAD fund

A new Biden Executive Order will protect Americans’ sensitive personal data from exploitation by countries of concern.

Charles D. Ferris, a Washington lawyer who helped enact landmark civil rights legislation as a top aide to Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT) and who helped usher in an era of telecommunications deregulation as head of the Federal Communications Commission, died Feb. 16 at his home in Chevy Chase (MD).

“I am greatly saddened to hear of Chairman Ferris’ passing. His career in public service is an inspiration and his leadership of the Commission during the Carter Administration laid the groundwork for so many of the technological advances of the past 40 years. Under his tenure, Chairman Ferris helped reshape the communications marketplace by allowing AT&T to use computers in its networks, removing rate regulation on telephone equipment, and supporting the growth of cable television. Consumers still benefit from his foresight today.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has appointed members to serve on the Technological Advisory Council (TAC). The TAC is comprised of a diverse group of leading technology experts.

This Black History Month, NTIA celebrates the historic and present-day achievements of Black Americans who paved the way for innovation in telecommunications and tech sciences. We end the month with a spotlight on Dr. Jon Gant, Director of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives. 

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