Legislative Activity House Democrats Introduce Infrastructure Bill that Includes $40 Billion for Broadband On May 17, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced H.R.2479, the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America Act (LIFT America Act). According to a press release on Rep. Pallone’s website, the legislation “sets out five years of funding for essential infrastructure improvements, job growth, … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senators Introduce Bill to Expand Broadband Deployment Using Accurate Coverage Data On May 11, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced S.1104, the Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017. The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “collect broadband coverage … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Online Privacy Legislation Introduced in the Senate On April 27, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tom Udall (D-NM) introduced S.964, the Managing Your Data Against Telecom Abuses Act of 2017 (MY DATA Act). The legislation prevents broadband providers and edge providers, such as Amazon or Netflix, from using “an unfair or deceptive act … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Cell Location Privacy Act Introduced in House On February 15, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced H.R.1061, the Cell Location Privacy Act of 2017. The bill proposes to ban the use of cell-site simulators, known as StingRay devices, without first obtaining a warrant. Cell-site simulators are devices that appear to be legitimate cell phone … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Bill to Establish Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Committee Introduced in Senate On February 2, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced S.277, the Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Service Act. The bill, the text of which is not yet publicly available, would establish a Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Advisory Committee within the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senators Urge FCC to Examine Zero-Rating Plans Seven senators, including Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Al Franken (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler urging the FCC to “take enforcement action against … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity D.C. Circuit Rules 2-1 to Uphold FCC Net Neutrality Rules On June 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (D.C. Circuit) in a 2-1 decision upheld the FCC’s “net neutrality” rules applicable to providers of broadband Internet access service (BIAS), which were released in a March 12, 2015 Report and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senators Press FCC for Extension of Broadband Privacy Comment Period On May 19, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler requesting that the FCC extend the comment period for the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on a proposed framework … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes Bill Preventing Broadband Rate Regulation On April 15, the House of Representatives (House) passed H.R.2666, the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act by a vote of 241-173. The bill’s main provision states that “the Federal Communications Commission may not regulate the rates charged for broadband Internet access service.” The … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Sen. Thune Introduces FCC Reauthorization Act On March 7, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee (Senate Commerce Committee) introduced S.2644, the FCC Reauthorization Act of 2016. The bill would reauthorize the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has not been reauthorized since 1990, and would authorize appropriations … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congressional Lawmakers File Amicus Brief in Net Neutrality Challenge On September 21, twenty-nine members of Congress, led by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), filed an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief in the pending challenge to the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) net neutrality rules in the U.S. Court … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Introduces Joint Resolution to Repeal FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules On April 13, Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) introduced a Joint Resolution to invalidate the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) open Internet rules adopted on February 26. The resolution states that Congress disapproves of the FCC’s rules and that those rules will have no effect. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House and Senate Hold Hearings on FCC Oversight On March 18 and 19, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (Senate Commerce Committee) and the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s (House Commerce Committee’s) Subcommittee on Communications and Technology respectively held hearings concerning oversight of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) policy decisions and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House and Senate Hold Hearings on Internet Issues On February 25, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation held companion hearings concerning the Internet and Internet governance. The hearings occurred one day in advance of the Federal Communications Commission’s … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity STELA Reauthorization Act Passes House and Senate On November 19, the House approved H.R. 5728, the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014, which will ensure that 1.5 million satellite television subscribers continue to receive distant broadcast network television signals. The Senate approved the legislation on November 20, 2014, and President Obama signed it into … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes E-LABEL Bill On Thursday, November 13, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Senate version of the Enhance Labeling, Accessing, and Branding of Electronic Licenses Act (E-LABEL Act) (S. 2583). The E-LABEL Act allows manufacturers of electronics to meet FCC labeling requirements by posting digital notices providing that information on the … Continue Reading
