Federal

The following individuals will serve in FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez's office in acting capacities:

I am humbled and honored that President Biden and the United States Senate have entrusted me with the privilege to serve the people of the United States as a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. As the first Latina to serve in this position in over two decades, it is especially meaningful to be sworn in as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) led 25 of their Senate colleagues in writing to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expeditiously reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and restore net neutrality protections. Doing so will allow the FCC to effectively protect consumers from harmful practices online, promote affordable access to the internet, enhance public safety, increase marketplace competition, and take other important steps to benefit our nation’s digital future.

In August, I had the pleasure of visiting Totelcom’s—a family-owned, rural telecommunications provider—offices and training facilities in De Leon, Texas. The visit provided insight into the work and challenges of rural providers, and how much those challenges can vary across a state as vast and geographically diverse as Texas. Totelcom trains its workers on the job by partnering new employees with more experienced staff who show them the ropes and provide valuable mentorship.

There have been several lawsuits over the last few years that challenge the legitimacy of the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund (USF). A suit from a non-profit group called Consumers’ Research argues that USF fees are taxes and that the original creation of the USF was unconstitutional since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 gave the FCC the power to levy taxes.

I’ve been asked to speak tonight about my career as a public interest communications lawyer and advocate, a grantmaker, and a public servant. When someone asks you to reflect on your career and perhaps offer some wisdom, it can only mean one thing – you’re old! Seriously, though, I’ve been extraordinarily lucky to have had exciting and diverse experiences in civil society, philanthropy, government, and yes, even in the private sector.  But like cooking a great meal, building a successful career requires a mix of a lot of different ingredients.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires the use of Made in America construction materials and manufactured products for federally funded infrastructure projects, including high-speed Internet service deployment under the Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. As a result, Calix is announcing an initial investment of up to $6 million, and an ongoing investment for operations of up to $15 million per year, which will result in creating approximately 100 American jobs.

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr, a longtime opponent of net neutrality rules, blasted the idea of bringing back regulations now that Democrats have a majority at the agency again. He said that recent Supreme Court law makes clear that a net neutrality revival would not survive legal challenges, meaning that any effort to craft rules would sap time from a FCC that should be focused elsewhere.

AT&T filed a petition for rulemaking asking that the Federal Communications Commission establish a mid-band spectrum screen. As a broader development relating to competition policy, AT&T points to the July 2021 issuance by President Biden of an Executive Order that encouraged the FCC to consider actions to promote competition, including specifically to avoid excessive concentration of spectrum license holdings in the United States.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment on whether Summit Ridge Group, the Reimbursement Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) selected by a committee of stakeholders in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band (3.45 GHz Band), satisfies the criteria established by the FCC in the 3.45 GHz Second Report and Order and the Bureau in the 3.45 GHz Clearinghouse Selection Process Order. Following the comment period, the Bureau will issue an order announcing whether the selection criteria have been satisfied.