Telecommunications Act of 1996

The American Library Association submitted remarks to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. ALA's comments focused on addressing the regulatory burdens of the E-Rate Program. Recommended changes include:

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation submitted remarks to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. Some of ITIF's recommendations:

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association submitted remarks to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. NRECA's comments focused on several rules, including transparency and reporting requirements. "Broadband providers that receive high-cost support are currently required not only to file detailed deployment data in the Universal Service Administrative Company High Cost Universal Broadband portal, but also to file coverage data twice each year in the Broadband Data Collection program.

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. TPA made a number of recommendations, including:

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society joined Access Humboldt, Common Sense Media, Everyone On, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, and New America's Open Technology Institute (all members of the Lifeline Coalition*) in a filing in the Federal Communications Commission's RE: DELETE, DELETE, DELETE proceeding. With the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program, millions of households lost the support they relied on to access the internet.

Texas' statewide broadband office announced grant applications are open for a new low Earth orbit satellite program that signals a shift in how the nation is developing its broadband infrastructure. Every state has receiving funding to expand broadband through the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD, program, which was billed as a “bold” step toward universal high-speed internet access by 2

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Communications Commission, Chairman Brendan Carr, recently launched his own proceeding he calls “IN RE: DELETE, DELETE, DELETE.” Carr says he’s following Trump’s orders to deregulate the telecommunications industry to spur economic prosperity.

This week, the Senate Commerce Committee––chaired by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)––held a confirmation hearing for Olivia Trusty, President Trump’s nominee to be a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission. If (when really) Trusty is confirmed, she would join FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington to give Chairman Brendan Carr a working majority at the Commission. Trusty committed to the following actions if confirmed:

In this Order on Reconsideration, the Federal Communications Commission address several petitions for reconsideration (PFRs) of the Enhanced A-CAM Order, which established the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (Enhanced A-CAM) program as a voluntary path for supporting broadband deployment of at least 100/20 Mbps throughout the rural areas served by carriers that previously received A-CAM support and in areas served by legacy rate-of-return support recipients.  Among other requests, Petitioners encouraged the FCC to extend the Enhanced A-CAM Program’s deployment milestones by

Criticism is mounting against the 5G Fund, a long-gestating US government program that would distribute billions of dollars to wireless network operators with the goal of funding the construction of 5G networks in rural areas. Indeed, the issues are so lengthy and complex that T-Mobile has suggested just ending the program altogether.