Level of Government
Sens Hickenlooper, Capito Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Create Guidelines for Third-Party Audits of AI
Sens John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan Validation and Evaluation for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (VET AI) Act which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to work with federal agencies and stakeholders across industry, academia, and civil society to develop detailed specifications, guidelines, and recommendations for third-party evaluators to work with AI companies to provide robust independent externa
The We Don’t Want to Pay for Universal Telecommunications Access Litigants Finally Hit Paydirt
For several years now, a well-funded litigation group has sought an appellate court decision deeming the current method of funding the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund unconstitutional. The litigants finally hit paydirt in an enbanc appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled in their favor on a 9-7 vote. The litigants ostensibly expressed concerns about constitutional rights, economic freedom, what constitutes a tax, how specific a congressional delegation of authority has to be, and the extent to which the FCC could lawfully delegate administration of
Here’s the status of the BEAD grant application process
We're in the thick of the process to distribute $42.5 billion of government funds to companies that will ultimately win Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funds. Carol Mattey, a former deputy bureau chief with the Federal Communications Commission who now works as a broadband consultant said a handful of states, that are early in the game, are allowing pre-qualification applications for BEAD grants. Some of the states doing this include Missouri,
Senators Urge DOJ and FCC to Closely Scrutinize T-Mobile Acquisition of UScellular
US senators wrote to Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Jessica Rosenworcel, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), urging them to closely scrutinize T-Mobile’s proposed acquisition of UScellular. Since T-Mobile acquired Sprint in 2020, just three carriers have dominated the national mobile wireless service market.
What voters want on AI from Trump
The Artificial Intelligence Polling Institute asked nearly 1,000 respondents to rate the sometimes conflicting views that Trump allies and the man himself have expressed on AI. What they found might give pause to open-source acolytes and out-there accelerationists alike — and, perhaps unexpectedly, to the Republicans who are ready to line up behind Trump’s desire to
Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Efforts to Coordinate Information Sharing About Foreign Malign Influence Threats to U.S. Elections
The Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General undertook this evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the Department’s information-sharing system related to foreign malign influence directed at U.S. elections, evaluate the Department’s oversight and management of its response, and identify any gaps or duplication among the Department’s efforts in this area.
USTelecom Letter to Commerce Secretary Adresses BEAD Low-Cost Service Requirement
USTelecom and more than 30 other broadband industry groups sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo covering several ideas for how the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) can remedy the issues posed by the rates being approved for the low-cost service option requirement in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD)Pprogram.
New court ruling puts Universal Service Fund in hot water
In a ruling that quickly caused shock waves in the U.S. telecommunications industry, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, 9-7, that the Universal Service Fund (USF) is unconstitutional as currently administered. The Court explained its ruling by saying that the USF is a “misbegotten tax” that violates Article I, § 1 of the Constitution, which states that all legislative powers are given to Congress, which is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
New program offers free high-speed internet access to Osage seniors
Osage senior citizens no longer have to pay for internet access, which means they can more easily enjoy online language classes, telehealth appointments and digital tribal news from the comfort of their own homes. To qualify for the new program through Osage Broadband, participants must be enrolled Osage members and have an active account. They must also live within the tribe’s reservation and be at least 55 years old.
Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t said a lot about tech policy, but here’s what we know
Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA) is all but certain to become the Democratic presidential candidate. If elected, Harris would be a president with roots in California’s Bay Area—the heart of the tech industry. Despite her ties to this region, Harris is largely a cipher when it comes to tech policy.