Internet/Broadband

The Republican who is likely to lead the Federal Communications Commission under President-elect Donald Trump detailed how he would run the agency when he wrote a chapter for the conservative Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr, a longtime opponent of net neutrality rules and other broadband regulations, has also made his views clear numerous times when opposing rulemakings initiated by the current Democratic majority.

A fiery debate has erupted in the halls of telecommunications about traffic—the gigabyte rather than vehicular variety. On one side are the mountaineers, who argue data volumes will continue to climb as usage grows and more advanced applications take off. On the other are the dissenting levelers. Led by William Webb, an independent consultant and former Ofcom executive who has written several books on the topic, they foresee a plateauing of consumption as smartphone customers struggle to cram more gigabytes into the day.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved $157 million in the eighth round of grants for last-mile broadband projects as part of the $2 billion Last Mile Federal Funding Account grant program, which expands broadband internet access for underserved and unserved communities across California.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act identifies Veterans as one of eight “covered populations” and encourages states to research and address the barriers Veterans face in accessing, adopting, and benefiting from internet access and other digital technologies. States’ digital equity plans acknowledge the common challenges facing Veterans and other covered populations while also developing strategies to address the unique needs of Veterans.

The Federal Communications Commission received 2,734 applications from schools, libraries, and consortia of schools and libraries to participate in the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program, representing $3.7 billion in requests to fund cybersecurity projects during the three-year program. During the application filing window—which ran from September 17, 2024 through November 1, 2024—the Pilot Program attracted applications from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, including schools and libraries in both rural and urban communities.

Tennessee Gov Bill Lee (R-TN) and Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter approved $26.6 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which will assist communities with infrastructure improvements and health and safety initiatives. “Forty new communities are increasing the quality of life for Tennesseans through these crucial infrastructure grants, and I look forward to seeing the benefit and economic growth this funding brings to their regions.” said Gov Lee.

Verizon asked a federal appellate court to nix the $47 million fine imposed by the Federal Communications Commission for sharing customers' location data. “The agency ignored the limits of its authority in these multiple ways, in an effort to show force against a large company that did nothing wrong,” Verizon argues in a written brief filed with the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, announced that the organization has sent a letter to President-elect Donald J. Trump asking him to appoint Brendan T. Carr to be the next Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. “Commissioner Carr has been a great partner to the men and women in law enforcement,” Yoes said. “He is known as ‘Mr. 5G’ for his strong advocacy in accelerating the availability of this new technology.

Peoria County (IL) has launched a Digital Equity Pilot program designed to provide low-cost or no-cost internet access to eligible low-income households. The initiative is funded through a $125,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. The importance of reliable internet access became undeniable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it shifted from being a luxury to a necessity for daily life.

Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted Meta’s request to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Ethan Zuckerman, who teaches public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who wants to build a tool that allows Facebook users to unfollow everyone in their feed.