CNET: FCC Looks to Update Rural Broadband Subsidy Program. “The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday [May 19] to begin a process to update a universal service subsidy program meant to get broadband to areas of the country that are the hardest and most expensive to reach. The agency is looking to increase the speed obligation for subsidy recipients to 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads.”
The Verge: FCC unanimously approves ‘nutrition labels’ for broadband services. “The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to press forward on a new plan that would require internet providers, like Comcast and Verizon, to offer new labels disclosing an internet plan’s price, speed, data allowances, including introductory rates and later price hikes, as well as network management practices, like throttling, at the point of sale.”
CNET: FCC aims to crack down on SIM card swapping scams. “Citing a litany of complaints from consumers who’ve suffered significant distress, inconvenience and financial harm, the US Federal Communications Commission launched a rule-making process Thursday aimed at cracking down on SIM card swapping scams. Key among the new proposals: stronger authentication standards, and notification procedures whenever someone tries to redirect a phone number to a new device or carrier.”
Techdirt: FCC Bungled Broadband Mapping And Subsidies So Badly, It Got Boxed Out Of Broadband Infrastructure Plan. “While the agency has been taking steps to remedy some of the problems under interim boss Jessica Rosenworcel, the agency’s mapping and subsidy dysfunction seems to have resulted in it being boxed out of managing the $65 billion in new broadband funding included in the infrastructure bill.”
Route Fifty: FCC Releases First U.S. Mobile Broadband Map. “The Federal Communications Commission released a new map Friday detailing where the nation’s four largest mobile carriers provide voice and data service, part of a broader effort to improve broadband and internet service across the United States. The map shows where Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile US and UScellular offer LTE voice and data coverage, providing a way for consumers to search coverage by a specific address or geographic area.”
Ars Technica: Ajit Pai apparently mismanaged $9 billion fund—new FCC boss starts “cleanup”. “The Federal Communications Commission wants SpaceX to give up a portion of the $885.51 million in broadband funding it was awarded in a reverse auction in December 2020.”
Ars Technica: US hits anti-robocall milestone but annoying calls won’t stop any time soon. “The nation’s largest phone companies have met a federal deadline to deploy a new anti-robocall technology, but unwanted calls and scams will continue to be an annoying problem for Americans for the foreseeable future.”
ZDNet: New York Attorney General declares top ISPs committed net neutrality fraud. “When then-President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tried to destroy net neutrality in 2017, everyone knew that millions of comments in favor of breaking net neutrality were bogus. As then-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said at the time, two million net neutrality comments were fake.”
Engadget: The FCC is going to hold providers accountable for anti-robocall efforts. “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is introducing a new database all voice providers will have to use to allow the agency to track the work they’re doing to stop robocalls. Starting September 28th, 2021, phone companies will be required to block any incoming traffic from providers not listed in the Robocall Mitigation Database.”
CNN: Are you eligible for the FCC’s emergency internet discount program? Here’s how to find out. “The program will provide discounts of up to $50 a month, or $75 on Tribal lands, for broadband service for low-income households. It also includes a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer or tablet purchased from certain providers, which are yet to be named but are likely to include major wireless network operators, among others.”
CNET: Millions of Americans can’t get broadband because of a faulty FCC map. There’s a fix. “Millions of Americans around the country lack access to fast internet at home, a need that’s become especially critical over the past year as the COVID-19 pandemic forced everything from family gatherings to classes and business meetings to go online. But even as President Joe Biden pushes an ambitious $20 billion plan on top of billions of dollars in funding already earmarked for unserved communities, a fundamental flaw remains in not knowing where the problems lie.”
Techdirt: Ajit Pai’s FCC Does Something Good, Frees Wireless Spectrum The Auto Industry Had Done Little With. “Last week, the FCC quietly voted unanimously to add 45MHz of spectrum to Wi-Fi to public access, taking it away from an auto industry public safety initiative that failed to materialize over the last 20 years. Spectrum in the 5.850GHz to 5.925GHz range for several decades had been set aside for something called Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), a vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications system that was supposed to warn drivers of traffic dangers.”
The Verge: FCC will move to regulate social media after censorship outcry. “On Thursday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said that the agency will seek to regulate social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter at the behest of the Trump administration’s executive order signed earlier this year.”
Reuters: Trump plans to nominate official for FCC amid social media push . “President Donald Trump, pressing for new social media regulations, plans to nominate a senior administration official to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the White House said on Tuesday.”
CNN: FCC seeks record fine against alleged scam operators who made 1 billion robocalls. “The US government is seeking fines of up to $225 million from health insurance telemarketers who allegedly made a billion unwanted robocalls in violation of Federal Communications Commission rules. The record-breaking penalty, announced Tuesday, is the largest proposed fine in FCC history. It targets Texas-based Rising Eagle for allegedly spamming consumers in more than a half-dozen states, including Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.”
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