Telecommunications Act of 1996

Some RDOF and CAF II Auction Census Block Groups are Eligible For Other Funding Programs

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) announced that BARConnects and North Alabama Electric Cooperative have notified the FCC  that they will not fulfill their commitment to offer voice and broadband service to certain census block groups (CBGs) within their Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and/or Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction supported service areas.  These providers will be subject to penalties for the CBGs where they are defaulting.

Broadband experts, community groups & internet providers urge FCC to free up rural communities to receive broadband subsidies

A coalition of nearly 70 broadband experts, internet service providers (ISPs), community leaders, and nonprofits wrote to the Federal Communications Commission with a request to grant a limited amnesty designed to prevent the exclusion of America’s least connected rural communities from upcoming federal broadband subsidies. Under the rules of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, communities that are already covered by grants awarded under programs like the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund (RDOF) and Connect America Fund II (CAF II) are not eligible to receive BEAD fund

Net Neutrality and the Future of State Broadband Regulation

Once Democrats finally secured a 3-2 majority in the Federal Communications Commission, the agency lost no time in approving a long-anticipated proposal to reintroduce net neutrality by reclassifying broadband providers as common carriers. While its commitment to reclassification seems unwavering, the agency has equivocated about the preemptive effect of agency action.

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Appreciates FCC's Move to Raise the Bar for Broadband

The Federal Communications Commission last updated its speed benchmarks for advanced telecommunications capability in January 2015; since then our online lives have changed dramatically, so the Commission’s coming action is welcome and overdue. The new benchmark aligns the FCC standard with the bar set by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

March 2024 FCC Open Meeting Agenda

Here’s what to expect at the Federal Communications Commission's March Open Meeting.

Rural Texans, internet providers worry that federal broadband expansion plan will have a painfully slow rollout

A national coalition—including broadband providers and nonprofit organizations—noted that some recipients nationwide of previous broadband grant programs have failed to use their allocations to build out broadband networks. Texas Rural Funders, a nonprofit dedicated to rural philanthropy, took the lead in collecting signatures from Texans.

Sen Capito Floats USF As Possible ACP Funding Source

Sen Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) indicated to West Virginia TV station WTRF that Capitol Hill lawmakers were looking at the Universal Service Fund as a source of money for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The USF has about $8.

American Library Association advances libraries’ role in digital equity as FCC shapes Learn Without Limits programs

In these comments to the Federal Communications Commission, the American Library Association affirms support for including Wi-Fi hotspots and services in the E-rate program, ALA urges the FCC to:

A Permanent Solution for Connecting Low-Income Families

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has been a transformative force, connecting more than 23 million households. It’s a true unicorn among public policies, attracting the support of 4 out of 5 Americans. Yet, despite the program’s massive success, the ACP is on life support.

The Quickening Pace of Landline Retirement

Sooner rather than later, landline telephone service will completely transition to wireless and Internet-based calling (commonly referred to as Voice Over the Internet Protocol or "VoIP").  While the Federal Communications Commission, for over a decade, has precluded a “flash cut” service termination, I expect the timeline for copper wire service retirements to shorten.