Upcoming event
Amid debates surrounding children’s privacy and safety online, the topic of age verification has been more relevant than ever. Utah passed a law this year requiring social media platforms to restrict access to minors without parental permission, and Congress and multiple states are considering legislation that would similarly require platforms to verify users’ ages.
This discussion will delve into the crucial role of early stakeholder engagement in achieving successful projects that are embraced and championed by the local community. Through a combination of real-life success stories and cautionary tales, along with helpful approaches and resources, the panel will demonstrate the need for customized approaches rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all formula for success.
Lessons learned from the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) and its implications for the ongoing E-rate program.
Congress allocated a significant $7 billion to the ECF two years ago, enabling anchor institutions, including schools and libraries, to provide crucial broadband access to homes during the pandemic. As the ECF program gradually winds down, now is the perfect time to reflect on its impact and explore which aspects of the ECF should be integrated into the ongoing E-rate program.
A key ingredient to successfully deploying a high-speed internet or fiber project is to collaborate with local governments. Counties are on the front lines of ensuring their residents receive access to quality, high-speed internet services that will allow residents to thrive.
Affordable, reliable high-speed internet access is an essential resource for nearly all Americans and vital to daily life. Access to high-speed internet helps families stay healthy, find jobs and income opportunities, and grow local businesses. But too many communities in America, especially rural ones, lag behind with access to high-speed internet. And cost can be an issue: according to a 2021 AARP survey, 60 percent of adults age 50 or older say high cost is a problem.
Gigi Sohn is a senior fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, a Board Member at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the first the Executive Director of the American Association for Public Broadband. She also served as the co-founder of Public Knowledge.
Public Library Association awards $1.27 million to more than 200 Public Libraries for digital literacy and ACP workshops
Powered by a contribution from AT&T, the Public Library Association (PLA) has selected more than 200 public libraries across 45 states to host digital literacy and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) workshops.
Agenda
- Advancing Understanding of Non-Federal Spectrum Usage: The FCC will consider a Notice of Inquiry that would initiate a technical inquiry into how to obtain more sophisticated knowledge of real-time non-Federal spectrum usage—and how the FCC could take advantage of modern capabilities for doing so in a cost-effective, accurate, scalable, and actionable manner.
Agenda
- Enhancing Support for Connectivity in Tribal Communities – The FCC will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which would adopt rules to enhance Tribal communities’ access to the E-Rate program by streamlining certain program rules, making Tribal college and university libraries eligible for E-Rate support, and reducing administrative burdens in the program. The FCC will also seek comment on ways to further improve and simplify program rules for all E-Rate applicants. (CC Docket Nos.02-6, 96-45, 97-21)