Federal
President Biden Picks Fara Damelin for FCC Inspector General
President Joe Biden nominated Fara Damelin to be Inspector General of the Federal Communications Commission. Currently, Damelin serves as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (OIG), a nationwide organization with over 500 oversight professionals dedicated to protecting HUD’s programs and beneficiaries from fraud, waste, and abuse.
Consumer advocates, industry groups still quibbling over broadband label rules
Requirements for forthcoming consumer broadband labels are nearly finalized, but a new batch of Federal Communications Commission filings shows there are still key points of disagreement between public interest groups and industry organizations representing internet service providers (ISP). Consumer advocates including Next Century Cities and Consumer Reports expressed opposing views from industry groups like NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) on some of those matters. Here are some of those remaining sticking points:
Buy America poses threat to US fiber deployments
In his recent State of the Union address, President Joe Biden said all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects — and he specifically mentioned fiber optic cables — must be made in America. On its face, that sounds like a nice policy that even Democrats and Republicans can agree on.
Why community digital equity discussions should be in person
Iowa’s Department of Management (DOM) is kicking off a series of 50-plus town hall-style meetings to learn directly from residents what broadband and digital services they need. The in-person meetings, which DOM announced on March 6, started on March 14 and will run through late May. They will cover four topic areas: accessibility, affordability, digital devices, and digital skills. One reason the meetings are not available virtually is to emphasize local, in-person participation, said Matt Behrens, the state’s chief information officer.
How Will States Determine Unserved Areas for BEAD? Two States’ Plans
States are making plans for awarding funding in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The issue is particularly complex because concerns have arisen about how soon the Federal Communication Commission's National Broadband Map will be accurate enough to be used for that purpose. BEAD Program Director Evan Feinman advised states that they could do their own challenge process for the FCC Broadband Map. One state that plans to rely, in large part, on the FCC map is Idaho. Ramón S.
How should we handle areas currently covered by FCC high cost programs in the context of the BEAD funding?
The Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program is a monthly subsidy from the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund (USF) that covers about 1.27 million Broadband Serviceable Locations. A-CAM's funding comes from a surcharge on phone bills. But the “contribution base” — the number of phone lines — is shrinking. That means to generate the same amount of money, the percentage of the total phone bill needs to go up. That’s been happening quarter-over-quarter for years.
RUS Accepting Community Connect Grant Applications
The Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is accepting applications under the Community Connect Grant (CCG) program for Fiscal Year 2023. RUS has approximately $79 million for FY 2023. These grant funds will be made available to eligible applicants to construct broadband networks that provide service on a community-oriented connectivity basis in rural areas. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications. Applications are due June 20, 2023.
NTIA chief says states have ‘homework assignments’ on broadband permits
Internet service providers will need to secure multiple permits to build broadband infrastructure — a process that is currently so time-consuming it could significantly hinder efforts to close the digital divide, internet policy experts said. At the federal level, discussions about broadband permitting reform are underway, but state and local governments should also take this issue seriously to ensure federal broadband grants are spent effectively, said Alan Davidson, the head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The NTIA is expected to announce in June
FCC Extends Preventing Digital Discrimination NPRM Reply Comment Date
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau granted an unopposed motion filed by Public Knowledge, The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Center for Accessible Technology, Common Cause, Common Sense Media, Communications Workers of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Free Press, The Greenlining Institute, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, MediaJustice, National Urban League, Next Century Cities, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, and TURN—The Utility Reform Network seeking a 30-day extension of time for filing reply comments in the