Upcoming event
Antitrust has, almost overnight, become the subject of an intense policy debate, driven by the growth of populist sentiment combined with the emergence of economically and politically powerful companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
The emergence of hybrid infrastructure—infrastructure that integrates digital technology with physical infrastructure—will be more efficient and sustainable than the concrete roads and bridges of yesteryear. Indeed, these solutions are very much in need, as the United States recently earned a D+ on a infrastructure report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, with $4.6 trillion in necessary repairs. But new technologies raise the question of whether to prioritize maintaining existing infrastructure or deploying innovative new infrastructure.
Just eight years after completing the analog-to-digital TV transition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is poised to authorize a transition to “Next-Gen TV,” with a vote scheduled for the agency’s open meeting on Nov. 16. The proposed order would authorize a “voluntary” transition that would not immediately force consumers to buy a new TV. Still, contentious issues remain in play concerning whether some viewers will lose local channels and whether pay TV providers or consumers will ultimately bear other costs related to the transition.
What's the FCC Doing to the Lifeline Program?
[Commentary] On November 16, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on an item that will impact the commission's Lifeline program, which provides discounts on telecommunications services for qualifying low-income consumers. On October 26, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released a draft of the item in advance of the November vote. Here we break down the rules that the FCC plans on changing immediately at the November meeting, the new proposals the FCC is seeking comment on, and the more general evaluation the FCC is launching into the program's "ultimate purposes." [Kevin Taglang]
The hearing will examine the use and benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT) in rural communities, and the infrastructure needs necessary to advance the IoT market to ensure rural America has access to products and devices that are driving the digital economy.
Witnesses
The Federal Communications Commission's Technological Advisory Council, comprised of a diverse group of leading technology experts, provides technical expertise to the Commission to identify important areas of innovation and develop informed technology policies supporting the United States’ competitiveness in the global economy. The TAC is helping the Commission to continue the momentum spurred by the National Broadband Plan to maximize the use of broadband to advance national interests and create jobs.
FCC to Hold Accessibility Innovations Expo Oct 23
The Federal Communications Commission announced it will host an Accessibility Innovations Expo from 10 a.m. to noon on Oct. 23, 2017, featuring technologies that advance accessibility for people with disabilities. The Expo, which is co-hosted by the FCC’s Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau and Connect2HealthFCC (C2H) Task Force, coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness Month and will highlight how technology can provide opportunities for people to be fully engaged in an increasingly technological workforce.
Facebook and Twitter will testify to the U.S. Congress on Russia and the 2016 presidential election
Facebook and Twitter have each agreed to appear before US lawmakers and testify publicly as part of a congressional probe into Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election. Google has also been invited to testify at that hearing, scheduled before the Senate Intelligence Committee on November 1, but the search giant did not immediately comment on its plans Oct 4.
The rare appearance in front of one of the most powerful panels on Capitol Hill could prove to be a uniquely uncomfortable one for the country’s top technology companies. Facebook and Twitter, at least, are set to face tough questions -- for the first time, in the open — about the Russian-backed accounts and advertisers that took advantage of their platforms to spread misinformation ahead of Election Day. For now, though, Facebook and Twitter have not yet shared whether their chief executives — Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, respectively — would testify in front of Senate investigators.
A Jump-Start for Restoring Communications Networks in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Hurricane Maria has had a catastrophic impact on communications networks in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The Federal Communications Commission has been doing a lot to assist with repair and restoration—and that work continues. That’s why I am proposing that the FCC use its Universal Service Fund to help with these efforts. Responding to natural disasters has consumed the bulk of the FCC’s time and attention this season. But there are other important areas under our jurisdiction, and we’ll cover some of them at our upcoming meeting on October 24.
Twitter, With Accounts Linked to Russia, to Face Congress Over Role in Election
After a weekend when Americans took to social media to debate President Trump’s admonishment of National Football League players who do not stand for the national anthem, a network of Twitter accounts suspected of links to Russia seized on both sides of the issue with hashtags such as #boycottnfl, #standforouranthem and #takeaknee.
As Twitter prepared to brief staff members of the Senate and House intelligence committees on Sept 28 for their investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, researchers from a public policy group have been following hundreds of accounts to track the continuing Russian operations to influence social media discourse and foment division in the United States. There is evidence that Twitter may have been used even more extensively than Facebook in the Russian influence campaign in 2016. In addition to Russia-linked Twitter accounts that posed as Americans, the platform was also used for large-scale automated messaging, using “bot” accounts to spread false stories and promote news articles about emails from Democratic operatives that had been obtained by Russian hackers.