FCC
C-Band is Vital in Race to 5G
By: Laurel Duggan The Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet will be hearing expert testimony on the state of U.S. spectrum policy this week. Central to the conversation on spectrum policy is C-band, a mid-band spectrum that will be vital to the buildout of 5G in…
Better Mapping to Bridge the Digital Divide
By: Katie McAuliffe The FCC estimates that out of a population of nearly 330 million, only 19 million Americans—about 6% of our population—lack access to high speed internet. The lack of access is most highly concentrated in rural areas, where about one-fourth of rural populations are without high-speed fixed internet.
American Broadband Keeps Improving
By: Laurel Duggan Broadband access has been a top priority for President Trump. A recent progress report reveals the stunning progress his administration has made on this front. Four million rural Americans have gained access to broadband during his presidency thus far, and the number of Americans…
FCC: Communications Workers are Essential
By: Laurel Duggan The FCC has released a letter urging governors to recognize communications laborers—including cable operators, TV and radio broadcasters, and satellite providers—as essential to the pandemic response. The letter, written by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Chris Krebs, asks that states…
Chairman Pai Announces Plan for C-Band Auction
The plan calls for the spectrum to be distributed through a public auction, which Chairman Pai has proposed be held on December 8 of this year.
FCC Chairman Proposes Opening 5.9 GHz Band for Unlicensed Use
On November 20, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced the FCC will propose to allow unlicensed use in the 5.9 gigahertz (GHz) band.
Chairman Pai Suggests 988 Be Made Suicide Prevention Hotline Nationwide
On November 19, 2019, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai proposed that the FCC “begin a rulemaking to establish 988 as a new, nationwide, three-digit phone number for a suicide prevention and mental health hotline.”
Digital Liberty Statement on the FCC’s C-Band Decision
While it is not the outcome that we advocated for, we hope the public auction will be able to avoid bureaucratic roadblocks throughout the notice and comment period to be finalized before the end of 2020.
Commissioner Carr Gives Remarks at Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention
“Henry Ford reportedly said that if he asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses,” he said.
FCC Chairman Addresses CFR on 5G Security Issues, Solutions
On Tuesday, November 4, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai spoke at a Council on Foreign Relations event on securing digital supply chains.