The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is starting its first mid-band 5G spectrum auction today, marking a key step toward opening up 5G spectrum for the commercial marketplace. […]
While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced last week that it awarded the final $10 million under its $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program authorized by the CARES Act, FCC Chairman Ajit Pail talked today about the success of the program, and expressed hope that lawmakers authorize similar programs in the future that will allow the commission to distribute funding quickly. […]
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said today he believes Congress should take action to make broadband service affordable for tens of millions of Americans with low incomes and those who have been left unemployed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lacks a “comprehensive strategic [plan] to guide spectrum policy for 5G deployment,” according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The government watchdog agency made recommendations to FCC to improve its strategic plan, but the FCC was luke warm on the reccomendations. […]
The Federal government has worked to expand access to broadband across the U.S. through large investments in the sector and can continue expanding access in rural areas by improving data and broadband access maps. […]
The Federal Communications Commission said today that the total value of funding grants under its COVID-19 Telehealth Program rose to $157 million, after the agency approved $29.4 million of new grants. […]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai asked members of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee for $65 million to implement the Broadband DATA Act, a law signed in March to improve the accuracy of broadband deployment maps. […]
Geoffrey Starks, commissioner at the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) announced the creation of the Digital Opportunity Equity Recognition (DOER) Program. The program, announced on June 8, will “commend organizations, institutions, companies, and individuals who, through their actions and responses to the COVID-19 crisis, have helped to make quality affordable broadband service available to unserved or underserved communities.” A statement from Starks specifically called out organizations that have leveraged the use of broadband to improve healthcare, education, public safety, civic engagement, or other essential services,” as well as entities that have promoted digital education and literacy. […]
The manager of the Federal government’s airwaves petitioned the organization which oversees airwaves’ commercial use, the Federal Communications Commission, to reconsider its April decision to allow the Virginia-based company Ligado to operate in a spectrum band that the military and others claim could cause interference. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced May 21 it is partnering with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to promote the use of $50 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help close the digital divide during the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
The Spectrum IT Modernization Act, which advanced on a voice vote out of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on May 20, takes aim at revamping the way the Federal government manages the airwaves. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced May 14 that 774 broadband and telephone providers have agreed to extend the Keep Americans Connected Pledge through June 30 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. […]
A bipartisan group of 23 members of the House Armed Services Committee sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) questioning whether the commission’s recent Ligado decision may have violated the law. […]
Defense Department officials on May 6 pleaded their case to the Senate Armed Services Committee for a reversal of the Federal Communications Commission’s recent decision to grant a spectrum license to Virginia-based Ligado to operate in a spectrum band that military officials claim will interfere with Global Positioning System (GPS) networks vital to DoD operations. […]
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai called telehealth investments and advancements the “silver lining” of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic at a May 6 Brookings Institution webinar. […]
The Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Homeland Security (DHS) announced that they are continuing to work very closely together on bringing medical supplies to veterans and their doctors amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. […]
CenturyLink has extended its Keep Americans Connected Pledge that was launched by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai on March 13. […]
Following a May 2017 disruption in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) made numerous cybersecurity recommendations that the agency still has not implemented. […]
The Federal Communications Commission approved an application from Ligado, which will allow the company to operate in an adjacent spectrum band to Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, a move that defense leaders fear could disrupt military operations. […]
A group of Democrat senators urged Congressional leaders to include $1 billion in funding for the Lifeline program, which provides a discount on phone services for low-income consumers, in a future COVID-19 relief package. […]
A group of Federal agencies including the Defense (DoD) and Homeland Security (DHS) departments are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke authorizations held by China Telecom (Americas) Corp. to provide service between China and the U.S. The agencies said the company’s ownership by the Chinese government poses “unacceptable” risks to U.S. security. […]
Federal Communications Commission Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has made access to broadband “no longer a luxury.” […]
An executive order signed by President Trump on April 4 creates a formal Federal agency structure to scrutinize applications by foreign entities to acquire U.S.-based telecommunications assets, the Department of Justice said (DoJ) on April 7. […]
As schools have closed down across the country to combat the spread of COVID-19, students are increasingly needing broadband access to take part in digital learning. However, there are still wide swaths of the country – much of it rural – that lack access to broadband. […]
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) voted in favor of adopting a $200 million telehealth program, as appropriated by the CARES Act, to help healthcare providers purchase telecommunications devices and broadband connectivity. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added nine new members to its Native Nations Communications Task Force Tuesday, bringing the total number of members to 25. […]
The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has prepared four legislative options for Congress to consider to make sure that Federal agencies receive financial benefits for sharing use of their wireless spectrum holdings. […]
The Federal Communications Commission said on March 27 it granted a temporary waiver of its “traffic pumping” rules to telecom services provider Inteliquent that will protect the firm from negative financial impacts of being deemed an “access-stimulating” carrier under current law because of the heavy traffic generated by Inteliquent when it carries traffic for conferencing service providers Zoom Video Communications and Cisco WebEx. […]
The Federal government and other entities are adjusting to and planning for the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Here’s a quick look at some of the top developments of interest to the Federal IT community: […]
The Federal government and other entities are adjusting to and planning for the impact of the spreading COVID-19 coronavirus. Here’s a quick look at some of the top developments of interest to the Federal IT community: […]