FCC Urges Removal of Insecure Equipment, Provides Guidance | The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau issued a public notice reiterating the importance of removing insecure equipment and services from our nation’s networks under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program and provides guidance on how the program will be carried out moving forward. The bureau said with the recent funding authorized by Congress, once funds have been secured and disbursed, recipients should be able to move swiftly to fulfill their removal work. The bureau said further extensions will become increasingly unnecessary and any further requests for extensions closely scrutinized. | | |
FCC Announces Reconsideration Petitions for 5G Fund Order | The FCC issued a public notice announcing petitions for reconsideration were filed on the second report and order on the 5G Fund for Rural America by Coalition of Rural Wireless Carriers and the Rural Wireless Association. Oppositions to the petitions will be due within 15 days of the date of publication of this public notice in the Federal Register, and replies will be due within 10 days after the time for filing oppositions has expired. | | |
Legislation Introduced to Exempt Certain Broadband Funding | |
Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Mark Warner (D-VA), along with 10 other Senators, introduced legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code so certain federal broadband deployment funding would not be considered taxable income. Grants awarded to broadband providers for the purposes of broadband deployment are currently factored into a company’s income and taxed as income.
"INCOMPAS members are building networks of the future with a mission to connect all Americans. Public-private partnerships are a critical component to help achieve this goal," said INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering. "This bill will ensure every single dollar allocated to deploying broadband goes to deploying broadband. INCOMPAS wholeheartedly supports this commonsense measure and urges Congress to act swiftly to ensure our members can continue to use critical grant resources to bridge the digital divide."
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Hearing Held on Kratsios Nomination as Director of OSTP | |
Last week, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a nomination hearing for Michael Kratsios, nominee to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). During the hearing, Kratsios pledged to bolster the nation’s efforts in artificial intelligence and quantum technology if confirmed to lead OSTP. He also told Senators he would “double down” on the “American free market approach to scientific discovery” to usher in what he called a “golden age of American innovation.”
See Kratsios' written testimony here.
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House Subcommittee to Hold March 5 Hearing on Rural Broadband | The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a hearing on Wednesday, March 5, on rural broadband entitled "Fixing Biden's Broadband Blunder." Witnesses have not yet been announced. | | |
Latta, Kelly Reintroduce Precision Agriculture Legislation | Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Robin Kelly (D-IL) reintroduced the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act, which would require the FCC to review its current satellite rules to determine if rule changes can be made to promote precision agriculture. | | | | | |
