press release

Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led 47 Members of Congress in writing to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging the commission to preserve the Lifeline program. Lifeline is a federal assistance program under the FCC that provides communications services to low-income consumers. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, nearly 20 percent of Puerto Rico’s population has relied on Lifeline for essential telecommunications services.

[Press release] House Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT):

The Federal Communications Commission sent a letter that instructed the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) not to deny E-rate applications over confusion caused by the drop-down menu issue. The letter also directs USAC to clarify the language for Funding Year 2019. John Windhausen, Jr., Executive Director of SHLB, said:

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement after the Universal Service Administrative Company’s announcement that the budget control mechanism adopted in 2016 will cut universal service support for small, rural carriers by 15.52% over the course of the next year:

Effective immediately, as of May 2018, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will accept payments to and distribute funds from the US Treasury. This is not a change to USAC’s administration of the Universal Service Fund (USF).

Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) announced the passage of their legislation, the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018, by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The bill would direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a task force to identify gaps in broadband connectivity for the nation’s cropland and ranchland. The measure also instructs the agency to develop ways to help encourage broadband adoption and precision agriculture in areas where it is currently unavailable.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed a $5,323,322 fine against Tele Circuit Network Corporation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that the entity formerly known as Yahoo! Inc.

Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Kennedy (R-LA) announced privacy legislation that will protect consumers’ online data. The bipartisan legislation would require companies to make privacy disclosures clearer and more transparent, give consumers the right to control their own data by allowing people to opt-out of having their data collected, and require companies to notify consumers of a privacy violation within 72 hours. Specifically, the legislation:

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 10, 2018: