Upcoming event
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold an executive session to consider a number of bills and nominations including:
This hearing will examine the imminent threat posed to America’s small businesses by the Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE. The hearing will provide committee Members the opportunity to hear from national security experts and cybersecurity firms on steps the administration can take to protect small businesses and American citizens from the dangers presented by ZTE. The hearing will also investigate ongoing efforts being by both the public and private sectors to reduce the challenges small businesses face in dealing with illicit Chinese backed enterprises.
Women are underrepresented in many technological occupations, but have increasingly made inroads into the field of civic technology, a sector of digital technologies, platforms, and services which enable progress toward the public good. Civic tech provides a toolbox for citizens and governments to enhance open government, spur community action, and combat inequality. The growing inclusion of women in this field adds their unique experiences and perspectives to the development of transformative technology solutions, reinforcing the role of greater diversity in the workforce.
Fifth generation wireless broadband technology—or 5G—is expected to revolutionize communication and transform numerous industries when fully deployed. Compared to 4G LTE, 5G will not only enable higher speeds for video traffic, especially video streaming, conferencing, and virtual reality, it will also become the choice network for the internet of things, artificial intelligence applications, and other broadband-enabled functions.
FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for July 2018 Open Meeting
[Press release] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the July Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 12, 2018:
FCC Won't Consider 39% Ownership Cap at July Meeting
Despite recent buzz that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai would be scheduling a vote at the July 12 public meeting on a proposal related to the FCC's review of the 39% ownership cap/UHF discounts, such an item did not make the agenda.
Scoring a Victory for 5G
When it comes to 5G, we need to keep the playbook fresh and forward leaning. So at our July 12 meeting, the Federal Communications Commission will take another step to ensure that America continues to lead the world in mobile innovation. Headlining the agenda at the FCC’s July meeting is a proposal to make more intensive use of mid-band spectrum from 3.7 to 4.2 GHz, commonly called the C-band. Another area in which the FCC has made substantial progress but must not stand still is emergency alerting.
Public hearing on draft NPRM on Internet Disclaimers and Definition of Public Communication
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration launched the State Broadband Initiative (SBI) in 2009 to encourage state entities to advance broadband and information technology into their state and local economies. Almost ten years later, what states have taken up the challenge to adopt their own broadband initiatives?