Coverage of how Internet service is deployed, used and regulated.
Internet/Broadband
Keynote Address of Chairman Pai at the Reason Media Awards
So what does it mean for a government agency to be on the side of innovation? Having served on the FCC since 2012, I’ve certainly had time to think about that question. And I’ve come to the conclusion that the most effective strategy for seizing the opportunities of the digital age is promoting the power of free markets. Instead of viewing innovation as a problem to be regulated based on rules from the past, government should see innovation’s potential, guided by markets that embrace the future.
Remarks of Commissioner Clyburn at Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee
Simply put, if you truly believe in the transformative power of broadband, as a tool of digital and economic empowerment, your focus cannot begin and end, with infrastructure. If you believe in universal access to 911, if you believe in education, or healthcare, or civic engagement, if you believe that all of those national purposes are advanced by ensuring all Americans are connected, then you cannot ignore the affordability side of the equation.
Remarks of Commissioner O'Rielly Before the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee
The barriers preventing providers from bringing fixed and wireless broadband throughout our nation have increased despite the existence of this committee. The barriers being imposed are not caused by
Civil Rights Groups Question Lifeline Changes
The National Hispanic Media Coalition, Color of Change, NAACP and the Benton Foundation are among the organizations concerned about proposed changes to the Lifeline program, which is on the docket for the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming open meeting. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai -- who has long called for reforms to deter waste, fraud and abuse in Lifeline -- is seeking a vote at the agency’s Nov. 16 meeting on a major overhaul of the program, which subsidizes phone and broadband service for the poor.
Cities, Counties Seek More Broadband Input at FCC
In a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai copied to the other commissioners, the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties said that if the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDCA) is to continue, "We also request you provide for an appropriate level of local government representation." They defined that "appropriate level" in some of the same terms as those proffered by Rep Anna Eshoo (D-CA) in her recent letter to Chairman Pai:
Antitrust has, almost overnight, become the subject of an intense policy debate, driven by the growth of populist sentiment combined with the emergence of economically and politically powerful companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
The emergence of hybrid infrastructure—infrastructure that integrates digital technology with physical infrastructure—will be more efficient and sustainable than the concrete roads and bridges of yesteryear. Indeed, these solutions are very much in need, as the United States recently earned a D+ on a infrastructure report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, with $4.6 trillion in necessary repairs. But new technologies raise the question of whether to prioritize maintaining existing infrastructure or deploying innovative new infrastructure.
Tweeter-in-chief ready to confront China’s ‘great firewall’
President Donald Trump’s arrival in Beijing on Wednesday will serve as a test of reach for his preferred communications tool, Twitter. The White House is declining to comment on the president’s ability to tweet in China or the precautions being taken to protect his communications in the heavily monitored state. It’s about more than cybersecurity. Knowing the president’s penchant for showmanship, some aides are trying to build up social media suspense before Air Force One is wheels-down in Beijing. Spoiler alert: The American president will get his way.
Strong Gains in School Broadband Connectivity, But Challenges Remain
The majority of school districts today (85 percent) fully meet the Federal Communications Commission’s short-term goal for broadband connectivity of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students. However, recurring costs remain the most significant barrier for schools in their efforts to increase connectivity. Collecting feedback from 445 large, small, urban and rural school district leaders nationwide, the fifth annual survey examines the current state of technology infrastructure in US K-12 districts. (The FCC has used past findings to modernize and expand funding of E-rate.)
Moffett: Telcos May Get Some Revenge Over Cable in Broadband Wars
In recent years, cable companies have gained broadband market share against the telecommunication companies except in areas where the telcos have upgraded their traditional copper-based network infrastructure to support speeds competitive with the cablecos’ hybrid fiber coax-based service. But according to researchers at Moffett Nathanson, that’s set to change as telcos, particularly AT&T, get more aggressive about delivering faster broadband speeds.