Federal

Peak Seasons, Peak Injuries: Amazon Warehouses Are Especially Dangerous During Prime Day and the Holiday Season—and the Company Knows It

On July 16 and 17, 2024, Amazon will hold its annual Prime Day event, where it discounts products for Amazon Prime subscribers. The event is a major source of revenue for the company, but Prime Day is also a major cause of injuries for the warehouse workers who make it possible.

From Thiel-ism to Trumpism

The politics of Sen JD Vance (R-OH), Donald Trump’s new running mate, might require a lot of explanation if you’re still accustomed to the traditional Democratic/Republican divide — a Yale-educated former venture capitalist and economic nationalist with ties to Catholic integralists and an 

Tech leaders line up behind Trump

A significant chunk of the tech industry's money and power is lining up behind Donald Trump. Silicon Valley was once solidly Democratic, with just a handful of Republican outliers.

Texas Broadband Fund Prepares to Award $730 Million for Rural Networks

The state of Texas has begun accepting applications for nearly $730 million in broadband funding. Applications are due by August 26, 2024. Applicants can request funding for any of 24 counties. Funding targets the two neediest counties in each of the state’s 12 economic regions.

Where is fiber broadband on the hype cycle?

There’s a huge amount of energy in the fiber broadband ecosystem right now driven largely by the Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) program. But as someone who’s covered telecommunications for three decades, I suspect that we’re nearing the peak of the hype cycle for broadband.

Impact of the Discontinuation of the Affordable Connectivity Program

In a meeting with officials at the Federal Communications Commission, Recon Analytics shared results of a survey of 4,000 consumer mobile and 4,000 home internet consumers.

Broadband Deployment: Who’s the Cop on the Beat?

Many people have criticized the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its execution of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program, which awarded $6 billion in funding to bring broadband to 3.5 million locations across the country.

The End of Chevron Deference for Agency Decisions: Potential Implications for Telecommunications Policy

The Supreme Court in a 6-3 vote overturned the landmark decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, sharply limiting the authority of federal administrative agencies including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). After the decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, it will be easier to challenge and overturn agency decisions, and federal agencies will be more hesitant to adopt new regulations absent clear Congressional direction.

The Divide: Blair Levin on what the end of Chevron deference means for broadband

TBlair Levin, analyst for New Street Research and former chief of staff at the FCC, discusses the Supreme Court's June 28 decision striking down Chevron deference (a.k.a, the Loper Bright decision), and the implications for the telecommunications industry at large.

Federal Municipal Network Support Declining, Warns Experts

Experts expressed concern that federal support for municipal broadband is limited, prompting uncertainty about future funding and operational sustainability. Tyler Cooper, editor-in-chief of Broadband Now, said that Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grants are less promising for municipal broadband deployments despite initial promises. Cooper expressed concern that BEAD rules and requirements may not favor municipal networks, potentially favoring larger providers.