NARUC would seek more state and local government members on the FCC's Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, under a proposed resolution released in draft form Wednesday. State commissioners plan to vote on that and another resolution seeking increased USF high-cost funding, at their July 16-19 Summer Policy Summit in San Diego. With the BDAC, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is sending the impression he isn't interested in working with states, said District of Columbia Public Service Commission Chairman Betty Ann Kane in an interview.
NARUC would seek more state and local government members on the FCC's Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, under a proposed resolution released in draft form Wednesday. State commissioners plan to vote on that and another resolution seeking increased USF high-cost funding, at their July 16-19 Summer Policy Summit in San Diego. With the BDAC, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is sending the impression he isn't interested in working with states, said District of Columbia Public Service Commission Chairman Betty Ann Kane in an interview.
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously advanced legislation reauthorizing the FAA through 2021, adopting 56 amendments en bloc without discussion, including several on drones and one requiring that passengers be barred from talking on their cellphones during flights. “Our committee has acted to continue advancing unmanned aircraft systems and other aviation innovations while offering airline passengers new protections,” said a statement from Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., whose substitute amendment was approved during the Thursday markup.
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously advanced legislation reauthorizing the FAA through 2021, adopting 56 amendments en bloc without discussion, including several on drones and one requiring that passengers be barred from talking on their cellphones during flights. “Our committee has acted to continue advancing unmanned aircraft systems and other aviation innovations while offering airline passengers new protections,” said a statement from Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., whose substitute amendment was approved during the Thursday markup.
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously advanced legislation reauthorizing the FAA through 2021, adopting 56 amendments en bloc without discussion, including several on drones and one requiring that passengers be barred from talking on their cellphones during flights. “Our committee has acted to continue advancing unmanned aircraft systems and other aviation innovations while offering airline passengers new protections,” said a statement from Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., whose substitute amendment was approved during the Thursday markup.
Rural groups urged the FCC to nail down a Connect America Fund Phase II auction "with all due speed" after five years of preparatory work. "Further delay now to rewrite the rules in a manner that may tilt the playing field toward lesser quality networks will not serve the needs of our rural communities and the consumers we serve," said a filing Tuesday in docket 10-90 by 33 groups calling themselves Concerned Rural Stakeholders. Hughes Network Systems and Pennsylvania government entities asked the FCC to reconsider decisions in a February order that set bidding weights for the reverse auction of broadband subsidies (see 1704210016 and 1705190044). NTCA, one of the rural stakeholders, separately cited "the negative effects of insufficient" USF support "and the ensuing unpredictable nature of the budget control mechanism on investments" by rural telcos and the rates paid by their consumers. The group urged the FCC "to act upon its pending petition for reconsideration to address such concerns so that the purported goals of USF reform and the mandates of federal law may be achieved," said a filing Monday on the association's meeting with an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai.
Rural groups urged the FCC to nail down a Connect America Fund Phase II auction "with all due speed" after five years of preparatory work. "Further delay now to rewrite the rules in a manner that may tilt the playing field toward lesser quality networks will not serve the needs of our rural communities and the consumers we serve," said a filing Tuesday in docket 10-90 by 33 groups calling themselves Concerned Rural Stakeholders. Hughes Network Systems and Pennsylvania government entities asked the FCC to reconsider decisions in a February order that set bidding weights for the reverse auction of broadband subsidies (see 1704210016 and 1705190044). NTCA, one of the rural stakeholders, separately cited "the negative effects of insufficient" USF support "and the ensuing unpredictable nature of the budget control mechanism on investments" by rural telcos and the rates paid by their consumers. The group urged the FCC "to act upon its pending petition for reconsideration to address such concerns so that the purported goals of USF reform and the mandates of federal law may be achieved," said a filing Monday on the association's meeting with an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai.
Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC has been more productive in his tenure than under recent past permanent chairmen, with 49 items adopted in his first 100 days, compared with 34 under Julius Genachowski and 25 under Tom Wheeler during the same time period. Pai's comments were in a talk Friday at the American Enterprise Institute in which he largely recapped agency actions since he took over and described how they fit into closing the digital divide, modernizing rules, promoting innovation, consumer and public safety protection, and operational improvement. Text of the prepared remarks, which we heard live, was posted by the FCC along with a fact sheet.
Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC has been more productive in his tenure than under recent past permanent chairmen, with 49 items adopted in his first 100 days, compared with 34 under Julius Genachowski and 25 under Tom Wheeler during the same time period. Pai's comments were in a talk Friday at the American Enterprise Institute in which he largely recapped agency actions since he took over and described how they fit into closing the digital divide, modernizing rules, promoting innovation, consumer and public safety protection, and operational improvement. Text of the prepared remarks, which we heard live, was posted by the FCC along with a fact sheet.
Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, will be the “go-to guy” leading broadband infrastructure efforts for the House Commerce Committee and “therefore, for the Republican conference,” House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said Tuesday before a gathering of NTCA members. “This is a guy you’re going to see a lot as we focus on broadband expansion.”