Eighty-nine percent of the 950 ISPs in the FCC’s $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program aren't selling connected devices to EBB-eligible households, per the FCC. Experts said in recent interviews it could hurt enrollment efforts. Providers can get $100 for providing a connected device so long as a customer makes a $10-$50 co-payment. Eligible devices are laptops, desktops and tablets.
The FCC seems unlikely to backtrack on last year’s 5-0 order splitting 5.9 GHz between Wi-Fi and auto safety (see 2011180043). Commissioner Brendan Carr considers this a key early test of the commission’s resolve to stick with controversial decisions (see 2105130064). Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed concerns, similar to those in the last administration (see 2103250071).
The FCC proceeding on its Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act isn’t considered likely to lead to rule changes, but increased enforcement and warnings to licensees could be in the cards, said broadcast and cable attorneys. The FCC acted quickly to begin an examination after the act’s originator, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., criticized lack of enforcement. The agency has authority to enforce the rule, Rosenworcel told reporters Thursday. Comments on the rules are due June 3 (see 2105070058).
FCC members vowed to ramp up pressure on robocallers, approving a Further NPRM 4-0 Thursday proposing to tighten secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) rules, as expected (see 2105180040). Officials told journalists there were minor tweaks to the draft and no substantial changes.
California state legislators advance broadband bills, including to renew and revamp the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) with a goal of upgrading to at least 100 Mbps downstream. Bills to preempt local governments on wireless deployment are advancing this year, after former Gov. Jerry Brown (D) vetoed a 2017 attempt (see 1710170026).
The Biden administration said Thursday it expects deliberations over how to respond to Senate Republicans’ infrastructure counteroffer to continue into Friday, amid conflicting evaluations about prospects for a deal (see 2105190069). House Commerce Committee Republicans bowed the American Broadband Act to counter President Joe Biden’s proposal to spend $100 billion on broadband. The counterproposal includes $65 billion. More than 40 groups and companies launched the Broadband Equity for All coalition to press lawmakers to create a permanent federal broadband benefit program to succeed the FCC-administered $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program.
The Senate Commerce Committee advanced the nomination of Eric Lander to be Office of Science and Technology Policy director to the floor Thursday (see 2105140049). Five Republicans voted no: Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; Ted Cruz of Texas; Mike Lee of Utah; Ron Johnson of Wisconsin; and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming.
Citing the impact of COVID-19 on incarcerated people and their families, FCC commissioners unanimously approved an order and Further NPRM Thursday to cut interstate rates for inmate calling services (see 2105120031). It’s “not the last action we will take because there is more that needs to be done,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during Thursday’s meeting.
There’s no obvious path for the FTC or the FCC to regulate online platform speech, FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips and FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington agreed Wednesday. Policymakers struggle to regulate speech that violates community standards when they can’t identify consensus standards, Simington told a Federalist Society event, noting he’s not confident the FCC can or should do anything about speech on digital platforms. “There’s no consensus for speech regulation in the digital media era” and no obvious regulatory path forward, he said.
Connectivity difficulties for households trying to apply online during the initial FCC emergency broadband benefit rollout could discourage people from returning to the website to try again, some working to encourage EBB enrollment said in interviews. Users reported initial delays (see 2105130063). The FCC posted an alert May 13, the day after the program began, warning online applicants they could have had connectivity issues in applying online. The alert cited high demand. The Universal Service Administrative Co. posted the same.