A draft FCC notice of inquiry seeking comment on how to combat digital discrimination could shed light on the issue's severity, given the limited information currently available, public interest organizations told us. Commissioners will consider the item during its March 16 meeting (see 2202220069). Some advocates disagree how the FCC should define the term and say ISPs may push back on claims they may be engaging in digital discrimination.
Gabriella Novello
Gabriella Novello, Assistant Editor, is a journalist for Communications Daily covering telecommunications and the Federal Communications Commission. She joined the Warren Communications News staff in 2020, after covering election integrity and the 2020 presidential election at WhoWhatWhy. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in health promotion at American University. You can follow Novello on Twitter: @NOVELLOGAB.
NTIA is "really focused on adoption" throughout all of its broadband programs, said Administrator Alan Davidson during Monday’s State of the Net Conference. “We’ve been given resources to do things that we’ve never had the chance to do,” Davidson said, pointing to closing the digital divide, spectrum policy and other ongoing NTIA initiatives. NTIA and FCC coordination on spectrum is "key," Davidson said. It's "important" for NTIA to "be thinking about this broad range of competitiveness for the U.S."
Public interest advocates urged states to start planning now if they haven’t already for NTIA’s broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, during a Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition webinar Thursday on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s broadband funding. Panelists also said NTIA should take a technology- and provider-neutral approach to setting eligibility requirements for the middle mile and other programs.
A draft notice of inquiry would seek comment on rules the FCC should adopt to combat digital discrimination and process public complaints, if adopted during the agency’s March 16 commissioners’ meeting (see 2202220069). A draft Further NPRM would seek comment on resolving pole attachment and replacement disputes.
A "special focus" on connecting Black households "is warranted if we are ever going to close the digital divide," said FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks during a virtual event Tuesday. "Far too many Black Americans are on the wrong side of the digital divide," Starks said, and "we can no longer defer the hard work on digital equity." The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $2.75 billion for NTIA to establish digital equity and inclusion programs and language authorizing the FCC to spend some of its $14 billion affordable connectivity program (ACP) on outreach (see 2107280065).
The FCC "has been working non-stop" to expand access to broadband with "a big assist from Congress," blogged Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Tuesday. Commissioners will consider a notice of inquiry on digital discrimination, a rulemaking on pole replacement disputes, and a fourth round of connected care pilot program recipients during the agency's March 16 commissioners' meeting.
Citing the expanded use of telemedicine, FCC commissioners unanimously adopted a Further NPRM seeking comments on changes to the rural healthcare program’s telecom program’s rates determination rules and to the healthcare connect fund’s internal funding caps, during the agency’s monthly meeting Friday (see 2202170031). They also adopted an order requiring Aureon to submit information needed to calculate refunds to its customers, and a $45 million fine against a company that made more than 500,000 robocalls that violate Telephone Consumer Protection Act rules. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel also said the FCC plans a notice of inquiry on receiver standards, which has been before the agency for 20 years.
Commenters on the Universal Service Fund generally agreed its funding system is unsustainable and in need of changes but disagreed on the solution, in comments posted Friday in docket 21-476 (see 2112220051) as the FCC prepares its report to Congress on the future of USF.
Aureon will “continue to work with” the FCC Wireline Bureau on developing a potential refund plan, it told bureau staff in recent meetings, per ex parte filings last week in docket 18-60. The centralized equal access provider also discussed the information it would provide to the bureau about its switched transport tariff rate. Commissioners will consider an order during its Friday meeting that would require Aureon to submit certain information the bureau would need to calculate refunds to customers that paid unlawful charges March 1, 2018, through October 14, 2019 (see 2201280065).
Industry groups pressed NTIA to give states maximum flexibility in awarding the billions of forthcoming dollars from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as the agency prepares to roll out program rules for the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) and middle-mile programs, in comments we reviewed (see 2202070053). The agency made most of the more than 750 comments it received available Wednesday.