Has the Biden Administration Taken Over Broadband?
Betteridge’s Law of Headlines states: “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.” But, apparently, folks in the nation’s capital found a way around Betteridge’s Law. This week, a U.S. House subcommittee hearing featured testimony from all five members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The majority on ... Has the Biden Administration Taken Over Broadband?
Indiana Jones and the Allocation of Spectrum
Hootenannies are mostly peaceful affairs, so it’s a bit awkward to invoke a violent metaphor here. In “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Indiana Jones runs down a Cairo sidestreet only to be confronted by a swordsman. The swordsman makes a big show of tossing his weapon from hand-to-hand and swirling it around. But Indy has ... Indiana Jones and the Allocation of Spectrum
An Inconvenient Truth: Net Neutrality Depresses Broadband Investment
It happens at just about every hootenanny. There’s always at least one song that clears the dance floor. Some tunes, people just won’t dance to. But with a little remixing and a better tempo, even a dirge can be danceable. For years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has refused to dance to the tune of ... An Inconvenient Truth: Net Neutrality Depresses Broadband Investment
Gotta Go Fast: Sonic the Hedgehog Meets the FCC
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel this week announced a notice of inquiry (NOI) seeking input on a proposal to raise the minimum connection-speed benchmarks that the commission uses to define “broadband.” The current benchmark speed is 25/3 Mbps. The chair’s proposal would raise the benchmark to 100/20 Mbps, with a goal of having ... Gotta Go Fast: Sonic the Hedgehog Meets the FCC
Everyone Discriminates Under the FCC’s Proposed New Rules
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposed digital-discrimination rules hit the streets earlier this month and, as we say at Hootenanny Central, they’re a real humdinger. It looks like the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) got most of their wishlist incorporated into the proposed rules. We’ve got disparate impact and a wide-open door for future ... Everyone Discriminates Under the FCC’s Proposed New Rules
All Aboard! The Title II Express Is Leaving the Station
At lunch last week, I handed out the first of my new business cards with the title “Director, Hootenanny Division.” My lunchmate looked down and said, “Sounds fun, what do you do?” Then, I had to explain that part of the job involves watching open meetings of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and reporting on ... All Aboard! The Title II Express Is Leaving the Station
NTIA Tries to Call the Tune on Digital Discrimination
We’ve all been there. You’re enjoying a hootenanny, and someone tries to change the tune. Kind of like yelling “Free Bird” at a Taylor Swift concert or asking a wedding DJ to play the chicken dance. Well, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has jumped into the digital-discrimination hootenanny and put in some requests. ... NTIA Tries to Call the Tune on Digital Discrimination
Net Neutrality Is Dead, Long Live National Security
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel announced plans last week for the commission to vote Oct. 19 on whether to take the first steps toward reinstating Title II regulations on broadband providers. Two days later, the FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the Safeguarding and Securing the Open Internet (SSOI) order. ... Net Neutrality Is Dead, Long Live National Security
Net Neutrality II: Electric Boogaloo—Rate Regulation Hiding in Plain Sight
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel on Tuesday announced the agency’s proposal to regulate internet services under Title II of the Communications Act. Commonly referred to as “net neutrality,” the chair plans to release proposed rules today, with a vote scheduled for Oct. 19 to begin the rulemaking process. Rosenworcel’s speech identified several areas ... Net Neutrality II: Electric Boogaloo—Rate Regulation Hiding in Plain Sight
ICLE on the ACP, BEAD in the Spotlight, Small Steps Toward Ending the Spectrum Impasse
School’s back in session and the Telecom Hootenanny is heating up. We’ve got a hot-off-the-presses issue brief on the ACP, more BEAD agonistes, and the latest on spectrum auctions. The Affordable Connectivity Program: ‘Good Enough’ to Keep Funding In a new International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE) issue brief, Kristian Stout and I examine ... ICLE on the ACP, BEAD in the Spotlight, Small Steps Toward Ending the Spectrum Impasse
Gomez Confirmed to FCC: Here Comes Net Neutrality, But First…
The U.S. Senate moved yesterday in a 55-43 vote to confirm Anna Gomez to the Federal Communications Commission. Her confirmation breaks a partisan deadlock at the agency that has been in place since the beginning of the Biden administration, when Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel vacated her seat to become FCC chair. The commission now has a ... Gomez Confirmed to FCC: Here Comes Net Neutrality, But First…
LEOs Need Love Too and Nobody Wants to Pay for Subsidies
Coming out of Labor Day weekend, there’s not a lot of earth-shaking happenings at the Telecom Hootenanny. But like a visit to the state fair, there’s always something to see. LEOs Need a Seat at the Grownups’ Table Although LEO technology and the market for its services were pioneered by American companies, LEO constellations are ... LEOs Need Love Too and Nobody Wants to Pay for Subsidies
