Upcoming policy issue

Alan Davidson, the newly confirmed head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), will manage tens of billions of federal spending on broadband — but he's also talking about helping set administration policy around app stores and privacy. In his first major interview since taking the NTIA helm, Davidson said his biggest priority is making sure every American has access to affordable, high-speed internet.

The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation (RWDF) submitted comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) highlighting the need to connect broadband infrastructure programs to systemic inequity. In doing so, the Foundation elevated the needs of BIPOC communities who face compounded social inequalities in an increasingly digitized world.

US Ignite responded to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) request for comments on broadband programs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Without in-depth technical assistance for State Broadband Offices (SBOs), combined with rapid local government support, this new Federal grant program will remain out of reach for too many underserved communities. To meet their goals, NTIA must collaborate with nonprofit coordinating bodies, like US Ignite, to support SBOs in their efforts to reach these underserved communities.

The Technology Policy Institute recommends that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA):

The United States is pressing the EU to revise rules targeting digital giants to make them focus less on American companies and ensure they will also cover tech firms from outside the US.

The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dealt internet service providers (ISP) groups a blow, as a three-judge panel upheld the state of California’s right to implement its own net neutrality rules. Analysts at New Street Research tipped the decision to prompt more state action on the issue; Blair Levin of New Street Research argued the ruling opens the door for states with similar views on net neutrality to pass their own regulations.

This week, the Federal Communications Commission launched a proceeding seeking public comment on creating a mechanism to ensure access to accurate, simple-to-understand information about broadband Internet access services. The aim is to enable consumers to comparison shop when choosing broadband services and providers that best meet their needs and match their budgets.

Net neutrality is making a comeback. President Biden, who was vice president under former President Barack Obama when the Federal Communications Commission voted in favor of net neutrality in 2015, has made clear that, if he gets his way, the Trump administration’s efforts to unwind the rules won’t stand. He has a fight ahead of him. Biden started by hiring Tim Wu, the person credited with popularizing the term net neutrality, to work on tech and competition at the National Economic Council.

Ahead of the December 1 vote in the Senate Commerce Committee, Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, who’s been re-nominated to another term as commissioner, and Federal Trade Commission nominee Alvaro Bedoya answered questions from lawmakers on topics ranging from broadband and spectrum use to social media use and antitrust. Rosenworcel told senators point-blank that she had no plans to regulate broadband rates — a concern prompted after she previously seemed open to the option as a way to increase broadband access.

In the midst of this historic time, I sometimes lose sight of the fact that the official broadband speed definition, at least according to the Federal Communications Commission, remains at 25/3 Mbps. I’m not sure there is anything more absurd in the broadband industry than this outdated definition. Some would argue it was already outdated when it was established back in 2015, as a benchmark to measure national broadband progress.