The FCC's Enforcement Bureau issued a public notice requesting from voice service providers and the registered consortium, USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group, any information necessary for the FCC’s annual report on the state of private-led efforts to trace back the origin of suspected unlawful robocalls. The reporting period for this request is from November 1, 2021, to October 31, 2022. Submissions are due by December 9, 2022

The FCC unveiled new rules that will for the first time require broadband providers to display easy-to-understand labels to allow consumers to comparison shop for broadband services. The Report and Order approved by the FCC creates rules that require broadband providers to display, at the point of sale, labels that show key information consumers want−prices, speeds, fees, data allowances, and other critical information. The labels resemble the well-known nutrition labels that appear on food products.

“Broadband is an essential service, for everyone, everywhere. Because of this, consumers need to know what they are paying for, and how it compares with other service offerings,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “For over 25 years, consumers have enjoyed the convenience of nutrition labels on food products. We’re now requiring internet service providers to display broadband labels for both wireless and wired services. Consumers deserve to get accurate information about price, speed, data allowances, and other terms of service up front.”

The Report and Order also includes a template of the required label that reflects comments the FCC received from consumers, consumer advocates, and government and industry experts who participated in three public hearings and many others that submitted comments in response to the earlier NRPM. To ensure the label benefits all consumers, the FCC adopted language and accessibility requirements for the label’s display.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) plans to host an insightful discussion among agency staff and industry stakeholders regarding the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program’s equitable workforce development objectives. This webinar will help program participants better understand the subgrantee requirements and guidance of federal labor and employment laws, skilled workforce standards, equitable training and workforce development, and contacting.

The webinar will take place Tuesday, December 6 from 2 p.m to 3 p.m. ET. Register here for an opportunity to learn more and ask questions about your role in fostering equitable workforce development and job quality objectives.

Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government; and Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) issued a statement calling on Congress to provide $1 billion in the year-end omnibus for the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), which funds devices and broadband services for students and educators to connect to the internet at home. The federal dollars are necessary to fully fund the $2.8 billion in ECF requests that the FCC received in its most recent application window. The lawmakers worked to secure the provisions creating the Emergency Connectivity Fund within the American Rescue Plan to provide immediate internet access to the millions of American students who lack the ability to get online at home.

In June, Sens. Markey and Van Hollen and Rep. Meng led 76 of their colleagues in a letter urging congressional leadership to support their efforts to secure additional funding for the Emergency Connectivity Fund. Last year, the trio introduced the Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed (SUCCESS) Act to provide an additional $8 billion a year over five years – for a total of $40 billion – to the ECF program to continue to connect students to the internet following the coronavirus pandemic.