Federal

The Federal Communications Commission voted to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades. Under the new rules, the cost of a 15-minute phone call will drop to $0.90 from as much as $11.35 in large jails and, in small jails, to $1.35 from $12.10. The new rules also, for the first time, address the exorbitant cost of video visitation calls, dropping those prices to less than a quarter of current prices and requiring per-minute rate options based on consumers’ actual usage.

July 18 marks a major milestone on the long road to right a market dysfunction that has wronged incarcerated persons and their loved ones for decades.  The Federal Communications Commission’s vote on Bringing Common Sense and Fairness to Correctional Facility Phone Rates will lower rates for voice phone calls including, perhaps most importantly, local and intrastate calls.  Among the many other long overdue reforms, the agency’s Report and Order will end kickbacks, euphemistically called “site commissions,” to carceral facilities.  No less significantly, the new measures are forward-looking

he Federal Communications Commission voted to approve final rules to support the students, school staff, and library patrons around the country who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital and educational divide. Now, schools and libraries will be able to utilize E-Rate resources to loan out Wi-Fi hotspots which will provide internet access for those individuals without a reliable connection at home.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed that the agency require mobile service providers to unlock customers’ mobile phones within 60 days of activation. Expanded unlocking requirements would establish a clear and uniform set of requirements for all mobile service providers. New unlocking rules would allow consumers the freedom to take their existing phones and switch from one mobile service provider to another more easily, as long as the consumer’s phone is compatible with the new provider’s wireless network.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to expedite the transition to Next Generation 911, help ensure that the nation’s 911 system functions effectively, and support the deployment of advanced 911 capabilities— including video, text, and data—that will help first responders save lives. Each year, people in need of emergency assistance make more than 200 million calls to 911 in the United States.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Third Report and Order furthering its efforts to enable individuals with disabilities to access video programming through closed captioning. The Order adopts a “readily accessible” requirement for closed captioning display settings. The Commission previously adopted requirements that users must be able to customize caption displays by changing the font, size, color, and other caption features, but many consumers have had difficulty accessing these caption display settings.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) highlighted the recent investment of billions in grants and loans to provide reliable, affordable high-speed internet to thousands of rural residents, farmers, and business owners across rural America.

J.D. Vance, the Ohio GOP senator announced as Donald Trump's running mate for the presidency, isn't expected to have a broad impact on US telecommunications policies. But he could have something to say about how the country helps consumers afford access to critical broadband services.

A new report funded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) through Massachusetts ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Funds examines access to information technology in Worcester, and the “capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy,” which is part of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NOIA) definition of “Digital Equity.” The City of Worcester is a member of the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program through the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI).

Although broadband internet access is a functional prerequisite for modern civic and economic life, significant inequities in broadband access remain. The Federal Communications Commission’s most recent report on the state of broadband in America (2021 Broadband Deployment Report) finds that millions of Americans lack access to reliable broadband service, and that millions more must procure broadband service from a local monopolist. U.S.