Federal

Competitive Carriers Association CEO Tim Donovan said he’s encouraged by the White House’s request to Congress to fill the $3 billion gap in the Federal Communications Commission’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, aka “Rip and Replace.” But it’s critical that the funding gets allocated ASAP, he added. Of course, when legislation actually clears both the House and Senate is anyone’s guess. The Senate Appropriations Committee has a hearing scheduled on Oct 31 to review the administration’s national security supplemental request.

On October 2, AEI hosted an expert panel to discuss how price controls might affect broadband affordability and ways to ensure broadband is affordable for all Americans. The panel featured New Street Research’s Jonathan Chaplin, Duke University’s Michelle P.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau seeks additional comment on the proposed eligible services list (ESL) for the schools and libraries universal service support mechanism (more commonly known as the E-Rate program) for funding year (FY) 2024. On September 12, 2023, the Bureau released a Public Notice seeking comment on the proposed ESL for FY 2024. Subsequently, on October 19, 2023, the FCC adopted a Declaratory Ruling regarding Wi-Fi on school buses.

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, Sen Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) asked the FCC to take action on a long-standing proceeding which could change the way broadband providers access utility poles. Capito said she continues to hear “problems and delays” associated with broadband providers getting access to utility poles.

Recent telecommunications conferences have yielded one consistent disconnect – between wireless carriers seeking details about future spectrum allocations and government representatives offering vague assurances of better bandwidth to come. Consider the quizzing of Scott Blake Harris, senior spectrum advisor and director of national spectrum strategy at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, at ForumGlobal's 12th Americas Spectrum Management Conference in Washington on October 10.

The Administration continues to call on Congress to reach a comprehensive, bipartisan agreement to fund the Government, which is critical for a number of bipartisan priorities – including child care, nutrition assistance, public health, research and development, and national security.

Here’s everything we have on deck for our November Open Meeting.

The Parker Lecture matters because Everett Parker matters. He stood for justice and stood up to the FCC when it approved the license of a Jackson, Mississippi television station that was suppressing Black voices. He petitioned the agency to change course and he had something I think is common to all changemakers—tenacity. Because he took that case all the way to the Supreme Court. And he prevailed in a milestone decision that opened the door for an African American to lead WLBT and for more minority voices to be broadcast over the airwaves.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Rosenworcel is proposing final rules to prevent discrimination in access to broadband services based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, and national origin. The rules will be voted on by the full Commission at its November 15 Open Commission Meeting. If adopted, they would establish a balanced framework to facilitate equal access to broadband internet service by preventing digital discrimination. Under these rules, the FCC could protect consumers by:

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced at the National Conference on Domestic Violence that she will be sharing with her colleagues an Order that would help domestic violence survivors access safe and affordable connectivity. The proposed rules would implement key provisions in the Safe Connections Act of 2022 to support survivors of domestic abuse and other related crimes seeking to maintain critical connections with friends, family, and support networks. If adopted at the FCC's November 15, 2023 open meeting, the Order would: