Policymakers

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) newly created Office of International Affairs announced its leadership team.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) is now accepting applications for the 2024 Charles Benton Digital Equity Champion Awards. Named for Charles Benton, the founder of Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, NDIA created the awards to recognize leadership and dedication in advancing digital equity: from promoting the ideal of accessible and affordable communications technology for all Americans to crafting programs and policies that make it a reality.

Charles Dickens opened A Tale of Two Cities writing that “It was the best of times, it was worst of times”. Therein may lie some helpful context for understanding where our country finds itself today. I don’t propose to cover the entire issues waterfront in this brief piece, but will instead focus on a few of the things I see dragging our country and our government down today. For the purposes of this essay, I will include telecommunications and media, Congress, and the courts. To start off on the positive, there’s some really good news at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The NTIA Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 4510) would authorize the appropriation of $62 million for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to carry out its operations. The bill would codify some existing responsibilities and programs of the NTIA, such as the Office of Public Safety Communications and the Office of International Affairs. H.R. 4510 also would require the NTIA to carry out other responsibilities including a cybersecurity literacy campaign and studying the cybersecurity of mobile service networks.

Virginia will be receiving nearly $1.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program rural broadband funding—one of the higher amounts allotted in the program. Virginia’s goal is to ensure universal service, and as Dr.

The House of Representatives will be led by Rep Mike Johnson, who represents Louisiana’s 4th district. A previous Chair of the Republican Study Committee and a Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, Johnson has also served on the House Judiciary and Armed Services Committees. What could this mean for the Congressional broadband agenda? Speaker Johnson is largely in line with his Republican colleagues on most broadband issues.

After weeks of uncertainty, House Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), a conservative Christian who opposes abortion rights and same-sex marriages, to become House speaker. While his hardline conservative record is not one that's widely known nationally, it's being celebrated by many Republicans in his home state who are welcoming what they see as an important moment in Louisiana's history. The state's  Gov.-elect Jeff Landry (R-LA) praised Johnson, saying he's "well-liked by everyone." Still, others have been less enthusiastic.

On September 30, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to confirm Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr to serve another term as commissioners on the Federal Communications Commission. Just days before, the Senate confirmed Anna Gomez as FCC commissioner, filling a seat that had been vacant since January 20, 2021. Not only does the FCC now have a full complement of five commissioners, all have terms that will keep them at the agency until at least December 2025. So, the FCC is entering a period of relative stability in its leadership that has not been seen in a few years.

Jason Kronemeyer, the Director of Technology at Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District (EUPISD), has been relentlessly working towards enhancing educational outcomes in the region. Along the way, he grew into the role of a broadband champion. Jason's fervent desire to accelerate student learning, coupled with unconventional strategies of “connecting the dots” over decades have played an essential role in attracting infrastructure construction and driving broadband adoption.