Upcoming event
The Federal Trade Commission is hosting a listening forum to hear from members of the public about the effects of mergers and acquisitions on a range of market participants. This listening forum will not be limited to a specific industry or labor market. Rather, the reach of this forum is intended to be broad. This fifth forum is an addition to the four forums already helmed by FTC Chair Lina M. Khan and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division.
Power Utilities built fiber networks early to support the critical services they provide. Join the panel on this Fiber for Breakfast to hear about how utilities have used fiber in the past and their plans to serve their communities in the future. FBA President and CEO, Gary Bolton, will lead a panel discussion diving into the challenges and opportunities that Power Utilities see during this tumultuous time of broadband growth.
Speakers
Panelist: Pete Hoffswell, Superintendent of Broadband Services, Holland Board of Public Works
Over the last several years the European Union and the United Kingdom have debated proposals to regulate digital platforms to protect consumers and promote competition. These proposals recognize that while dominant platforms require changes in traditional antitrust law to constrain their market power, they also require changes in traditional consumer protection law and sector-specific experts to protect users from fraud, unfair conduct, algorithmic discrimination, and dangerously deceptive disinformation.
The internet was long assumed to be a positive democratic influence, yet its growth has coincided with a sustained recession of global democracy. Over the past decade, the rise of digital authoritarianism has stifled internet freedoms through transgressions such as internet blackouts and digital surveillance of journalists. In response, the Biden administration and 60 partners have put forward a new code of practice for how democratic nations should engage with the internet: the Declaration for the Future of the Internet.
We now have rules in hand for two of the highly anticipated broadband programs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure program. The Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for each program answer some of the broadband community’s questions about timing and the application process, but some questions remain open. Will states include anchor institutions in their broadband plans?
The following items will be on the tentative agenda for the June 16 Commission meeting:
The NTIA released three Notice of Funding Opportunity documents on May 13, 2022. Collectively, these three grant programs will offer over $46 billion in funding. What opportunities will be available to Michigan communities seeking to expand access to broadband Internet? Casey Lide of Keller & Heckman Law breaks down the key information on the BEAD, DEA and Middle Mile grant programs in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Attendees at this webinar will learn:
Two days of discussions and workshops designed to equip attendees with the essential information and skills they need to get started on a path to broadband for all.
Attendees will have four tracks to choose from:
Opening remarks
Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund.
Guest Speaker
Ambassador Susan Rice, White House Domestic Policy Advisor
Followed by a panel of stakeholders to discuss the ACP program, resources, and recommendations for outreach.