Upcoming event

Since 2010, well over half a trillion dollars has been invested directly into wireline and wireless broadband networks. What do we expect investment over the next eight-tenths of a decade to look like? Are we at a steady-state level, or will it change? How much of that investment will be for 5G, other types of wireless connectivity, and wireline? What do we expect new capacity to carry? Will it continue to be video, or will an Internet of Things mean more sensor data traveling from machine to machine? What would the latter imply for connectivity needs?

Smart Cities are the future. So when Houston, Texas faced rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, it seized the opportunity to transform itself as a tech-centric, smart city by incorporating emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Machine Learning and data analytics. Houston is being extremely planful in building multiple innovative solutions across departments at the same time that communicate with one another which is significantly increasing the positive impact it’s bringing to its citizens.

Mayors and community leaders across the country are looking for solutions to connect residents to fast, affordable, and reliable internet access. Becoming Broadband Ready was developed to be a first-stop resource for these leaders, and features best practices and strategies from a diverse array of successful projects.

1:00 Welcome

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold an executive session on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. to consider and approve the rules for the committee and to ratify Subcommittees and Subcommittee assignments for the 116^th Congress.

This event will feature a panel of experts who will discuss bipartisan solutions that federal legislators can employ as they tackle the ever-pressing issue of privacy in the digital age. 

The 2.5 GHz band is the largest band of contiguous spectrum below 3 gigahertz. It’s highly suitable for next-generation mobile and fixed broadband services, including 5G. For over 50 years, the FCC has intended the 2.5 GHz band to serve primarily an educational purpose by placing certain restrictions on licenses in this band – but much of the 2.5 GHz band lies underutilized and unused throughout the U.S.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program is the only federal program specifically designed to address the biggest cause of America’s digital divide: the high cost of phone and internet service. The program provides qualifying low-income households a $9.25 monthly subsidy to purchase phone and internet service, which helps millions of low-income military veterans, students, and health care recipients.