Upcoming event
Kicking Off the New Year in a Big Way
I'm sharing with my fellow commissioners a draft order that would establish the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, a modern approach for connecting those hardest-to-serve corners of our country. At the FCC's January open meeting, we'll vote on this order—our biggest step yet to close the digital divide. The new Fund will provide up to $20.4 billion over the next decade to support the deployment of high-speed broadband networks in those parts of rural America that currently lack fixed broadband service that meets the Commission's baseline speed standards.
The Committee provides advice to the Assistant Secretary to assist in developing and maintaining spectrum management policies that enable the United States to maintain or strengthen its global leadership role in the introduction of communications technology, services, and innovation; thus expanding the economy, adding jobs, and increasing international trade, while at the same time providing for the expansion of existing technologies and supporting the country’s homeland security, national defense, and other critical needs of government missions.
5G Infrastructure Fight Between Cities, FCC to Continue in 2020
A fight between the Federal Communications Commission and dozens of cities over the placement of 5G infrastructure will continue to play out in federal court in 2020, with oral arguments scheduled for February. At issue is whether the Federal Communications Commission can restrict how much municipalities can charge wireless carriers like AT&T Inc. to attach pizza box-sized wireless antennas, or small cells, to light poles and other city-owned infrastructure.
CES isn't what you think it is
CES, the annual January trade show in Las Vegas, is many things: a great place to catch up with leaders from throughout the tech industry, a decent chance to spot broad trends and an opportunity to hear stump speeches from big-name CEOs trying to get their companies seen as tech leaders. What it's not, though, is a place for the most important tech announcements of the year. Companies like Apple, Google and Samsung prefer to launch key products in a less noisy environment, at their own private events. CES is traditionally devoted to the worship of novel tech.
In its 16th year, State of the Net (SOTN) is an opportunity to connect with colleagues across the spectrum of industry, government, and the public interest.
This year will mark the beginning of a new decade of Internet policy and perhaps a new era. The last decade was utterly astonishing with respect to the Internet. There is no doubt that Internet policy will change in the decade to come. Join us the entire Internet policy community at SOTN on January 28, 2020. Student and Foundry discounts are available.
The U.S. Trade Representative has completed the first segment of its investigation under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and concluded that France’s Digital Services Tax (DST) discriminates against U.S. companies, is inconsistent with prevailing principles of international tax policy, and is unusually burdensome for affected U.S. companies.
A hearing on deception and manipulation online: Deepfakes and Cheap Fakes; Dark Patterns; and Social Media Bots
Witnesses
Monika Bickert
Vice President of Global Policy Management
Facebook
Joan Donovan, Ph.D.
Research Director of the Technology and Social Change Project
Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy
Harvard Kennedy School
The Federal Communications Commission seeks comment on adding a goal of broadband adoption to the Lifeline program, making additional program integrity improvements to the program, and establishing privacy training requirements for entities accessing Lifeline subscribers’ personal information.
Reply comments are due on or before February 25, 2020.
The Federal Communications Commission seeks comment on adding a goal of broadband adoption to the Lifeline program, making additional program integrity improvements to the program, and establishing privacy training requirements for entities accessing Lifeline subscribers’ personal information.
Comments are due on or before January 27, 2020 and reply comments are due on or before February 25, 2020.