Gov performance

Sen John Neely Kennedy (R-LA), the top Senate appropriator overseeing Federal Communications Commission funding, will bring in FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for a hearing Oct 17 to grill him about whether the agency will run its own, likely slower, auction of the 5G airwaves known as the C-band or, as Sen Kennedy fears, allow the satellite companies holding the spectrum to conduct a private sale. “They say we’ve got to do a private deal because it’ll be faster,” said Sen Kennedy. “You ever heard of courts? Duh, you don’t think anybody’s going to file suit over this?

It is clear that the online comment system at the Federal Communications Commission, and very likely other public agencies, is easily exploitable and likely broken to the point that it’s causing more harm than good. Though it may seem like an arcane issue, it’s a big problem. When it comes to crafting new federal policies, the notice and comment process might be the only direct way a member of the public can have a voice in federal decision-making. Regulators are legally required to consider opinions shared by Americans.

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a letter to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) urging the government watchdog to investigate and evaluate months-long communication failures and restoration efforts in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands following Hurricane Maria in 2017.  As part of his request, Chairman Pallone wrote that the Federal Communications Commission’s response to Hurricane Maria raises serious questions about the state of our communications infrastructure.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced the launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier for all new enrollments in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Starting on October 23, 2019, eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) in these eleven states will be required to use the National Verifier’s eligibility determination process for all consumers applying for Lifeline service and must cease using legacy eligibility processes for prospective Lifeline subscribers.

In 2018, the Federal Communications Commission’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order reversed its 2015 decision to apply common carrier regulation to broadband Internet access services under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. Empirical evidence indicating negative investment effects of the regulation played a key role in this reversal, though the quantification of these investment effects were a matter of substantial controversy. This article surveys the studies cited in the recent decision and the FCC’s scrutiny of them.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government approved its FY2020 spending bill which includes:

• $339 million for the Federal Communications Commission, which is offset by regulatory fees and equal to the enacted level.  The bill also provides $132.5 million for the spectrum auctions program.
• $312.3 million for the Federal Trade Commission, which is $2.6 million more than the FY2019 enacted level and equal to the FY2020 budget request.

The Federal Communications Commission took a step in its efforts to streamline and strengthen consumer eligibility verification for the Lifeline program, as a nationwide automated connection between the Medicaid program and the Lifeline National Eligibility Verifier went live Sept 17. The connection between the Medicaid and Lifeline databases means that the eligibility of up to 60% of the Lifeline-eligible population can be confirmed automatically.

The backlash against giant tech companies is stressing the public institutions tasked with examining their power, as participants, observers and critics question whether regulators have the skill, will and authority to check corporate forces. The machinery of antitrust regulation will process the broader conversation about tech's role in society through the mill of American politics and law — and some wonder whether it's up to the task.

A problem could lead to the undercounting of the population of the United States, which would affect how billions in federal funds are distributed. It involves broadband. For the first time in our history, the US census will prioritize collecting responses online. In practice, this means that most households will get a letter in the mail directing them to fill out a form on a website. For households that do not respond, letters with paper forms may follow, and a census taker could eventually be sent to collect the data in person.

Members of Congress asked the Government Accountability Office to review issues related to identity information associated with public comments on proposed rulemakings.