Level of Government

And just like that, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted Dish parent company EchoStar’s request for more time to meet 5G buildout requirements in exchange for accelerated deployments in certain markets and other commitments. The approval appears to have come in near record time as the FCC typically isn’t known for quick decision-making, to put it mildly.

A recent Politico article quoted a National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) spokesperson as saying that the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was intended to be completed on a 10-year cycle. This is the first time I’ve heard that BEAD was intended to be a 10-year plan. States will be making BEAD awards starting sometime in 2025.

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Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed SB 976 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), which prohibits online platforms from knowingly providing an addictive feed to a minor without parental consent. The bill also prohibits social media platforms from sending notifications to minors during school hours and late at night. The new law prohibits internet service and applications from providing “addictive feeds,” defined as media curated based on information gathered on or provided by the user, to minors without parental consent.

Gov Tony Evers (D-WI), together with Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairperson Summer Strand, announced that the PSC awarded more than $27.8 million in funding from the Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program to fund 11 projects throughout Wisconsin that will improve internet connectivity by providing access to devices, technology, and digital navigators. Through the 11 projects awarded funding under the Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program, an estimated 52,409 households will receive a loaned device and 33,682 households will have access to free Wi-Fi.

The House of Representatives passed the Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhanced (FUTURE) Networks Act (H.R. 1513), legislation that directs the Federal Communications Commission to bring together industry leaders, public interest groups and government experts to establish a 6G Task Force. Specifically, the FUTURE Networks Act requires the FCC to establish a 6G Task Force comprised of industry, government, and public interest representatives to issue a report on:

In December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission issued 6 Orders to nine of the largest social media and video streaming services—Amazon, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Snap, ByteDance, Discord, Reddit, and WhatsApp. At the time, a bipartisan group of Commissioners issued a joint statement warning that far too much about how these platforms operate is “dangerously opaque,” with critical questions around data collection and algorithms “shrouded in secrecy.” On September 20, the FTC released a groundbreaking report that sheds light on how these powerful companies have operated.

Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) lapsed in May 2024, ending a monthly subsidy that 23 million households nationwide had been using to afford high-speed internet connections. The program’s lapse means many rural, low-income, and other vulnerable households are losing access to internet connections.

In the creation of its Initial Proposals Volume 1 and  Volume 2 for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding, the Missouri Office of Broadband and Development (OBD) laid out three goals. In its first goal, OBD recognizes the need for high-quality, affordable broadband for all residents in the state. According to the U.S.

To connect more Americans, Congress designated a slice of the $1.2 trillion 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), as well as a portion of the $350 billion 2021 American Rescue Plan Act that passed to provide financial relief during the COVID pandemic to fund projects that would cross this digital divide. All told, the bills provide around $90 billion in funding for connectivity spread across a plethora of initiatives. But the question remains: Will this colossal sum be enough to bridge the digital divide?