FCC emergency broadband benefit enrollment for eligible tribal households continues to decline (see 2106180041). More than 71,000 tribal households have enrolled so far. In the first full week, more than 26,000 tribal households enrolled. During the week of June 14-20, that dropped to 5,076. The lack of broadband availability and questions about EBB mechanics are an obstacle, stakeholders said in interviews.
Telecom-focused lawmakers want to see more information on how a bipartisan infrastructure proposal President Joe Biden backed Thursday structures broadband spending. Some Democrats also cited a likely follow-up bill to address, via budget reconciliation, infrastructure spending not in this compromise as a potential vehicle for more connectivity money. The Biden-backed deal includes $65 billion for broadband, the same the administration previously offered during unsuccessful talks with Senate Republicans (see 2105270072).
The House Judiciary Committee passed bills aimed at Big Tech competition. Members from both parties in interviews defended the committee’s decision to move forward with Wednesday’s markup, despite industry's calls for delay (see 2106220061). The committee was deliberating four other pieces of legislation at our deadline.
As in-person events return this summer and fall (see 2103240003), organizers are opting for relatively light-touch health precautions such as spacing out lunch breaks or sessions to try to prevent larger gatherings of attendees, they told Communications Daily in an unofficial survey of tech and telecom events. Some health experts said mandatory masks or required vaccinations for attendees would be the surest guarantee for safety. But that's not a common approach events are taking, we found.
NAB, ABC and the Educational Media Foundation said the latest proposal to allow increased power (see 2106140045) for low-power FM stations is a threat to the radio band. Many LPFM advocates and broadcasters argue the Simple 250 plan would preserve localism and benefit rural areas, in comments filed by Monday’s deadline in RM-11909. But the FCC “should not have any confidence that LPFM stations are willing or able to ensure the technical integrity of the FM band,” said NAB. Concerns about interference from more powerful LPFM stations are “purely speculation and conspiracy,” said petition for rulemaking author REC Networks.
The House Judiciary Committee's antitrust package targeting big tech, set to be marked up Wednesday, “is an existential threat to our competitiveness,” CTA President Gary Shapiro told the Media Institute Tuesday. “The bills would effectively prohibit acquisitions by our largest companies, leaving startups and their investors, who counted on selling their companies, out in the cold.” Industry groups said this week that the bipartisan legislation would upend centuries of U.S. antitrust law (see 2106220061).
Bipartisan legislation scheduled for House Judiciary Committee markup Wednesday would upend centuries of U.S. antitrust law and harm consumers, industry groups said this week. Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member Ken Buck, R-Colo., urged Republicans to come together and hold Big Tech accountable. Senate Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member Mike Lee, R-Utah, accused House progressives of taking advantage of conservatives’ “justified anger” against Silicon Valley.
A Tuesday Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing on network resiliency issues turned into a debate about the contours of broadband spending in an infrastructure legislative package, as expected (see 2106210058). Supporters and critics of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal (see 2103310064) focused on his call for building “future-proof” broadband networks and the extent to which that could limit funding to only fiber networks. Chairman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and other Democrats also eyed how to advance resiliency measures, including the Generating Resilient and Energy Efficient Network (Green) Communications Act (S-1506).
Attempts to revamp a dwindling Texas USF are back to square one after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vetoed a bill to add VoIP providers to the contribution base. Friday's veto of HB-2667 followed a defeat for rural telco associations in state court where they challenged a Public Utility Commission’s decision not to raise the surcharge on consumer bills to fully fund USF (see 2103290060). It may be too late for legislators to override Abbott, and expect a court appeal soon, RLEC association officials said Monday.
Weekly enrollments for the FCC emergency broadband benefit are beginning to slow, according to Universal Service Administrative Co. data. Some said in interviews last week the apparent slump may reflect lack of sufficient FCC leadership on EBB. Others said the initial surge in enrollment shows the level of interest in the program, and eligible households will continue signing up.