Press Release

Public Knowledge welcomes Katie Watson, Development Manager, to our team to support our telecommunications, copyright and internet policy advocacy efforts by leading fundraising initiatives and events. Prior to joining Public Knowledge, Watson was a Google Public Policy Fellow at New America’s Open Technology Institute and a Policy and Program Manager at Next Century Cities, where she assisted both urban and rural mayors with local broadband, digital inclusion, and civic technology initiatives. She received her B.A. from the University of Virginia, where she majored in both Foreign Affairs and Media Studies with a concentration in Media Policy and Ethics.
[Katie was previously an intern with the Benton Foundation].

The following Agenda item has been adopted by the Commission, and deleted from the list of items scheduled for consideration at the Thursday, August 3, 2017:

Implementation of Section 25.281(b) Transmitter Identification Requirements for Video Uplink Transmissions (IB Docket No. 12-267)
Summary: The Commission will consider a Memorandum Opinion and Order that waives the requirement that satellite news trucks, and other temporary-fixed satellite earth stations transmitting digital video, comply with the Digital Video Broadcasting-Carrier Identification (DVB-CID) standard if the earth station uses a modulator that cannot meet the DVB-CID standard through a software upgrade.

An enterprising farmer who wants to expand his steak and dairy business but can’t reach beyond his locality. A librarian who sleeps over nights and weekends so that students can come work on projects they’ve been given online. A disabled, bedridden young woman who desperately wants to be self-sufficient but has no access to online education. Two sisters who watch their father die before their eyes because they can’t get a signal to call 911.

These are some hundreds of stories ranging from vexing to heart-rending we heard when we joined Commissioner Mignon Clyburn of the Federal Communications Commission on a journey outside of the Washington bubble last week to rural Appalachia to discuss the problems their communities face with broadband access. There, in a high school auditorium in Marietta (OH) we bore witness to seemingly countless tales of frustration, anger, and desperation from residents and elected representatives alike, from seven counties in West Virginia and eleven counties in Ohio - sentiments directed both at service providers like Frontier and AT&T (or “nonproviders,” as one man referred to them) and the Washington lawmakers charged with overseeing them in the public interest.

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking), the national professional association of school system technology leaders, announced a new collaboration with Team4Tech, a nonprofit based in Redwood City (CA) to create resources for rural school districts in the United States. For the first year, this collaboration is working with the Millard School District, a rural school district of approximately 3,000 students in Delta and Fillmore (UT). As part of this initiative, VMware, a technology company based in Palo Alto (CA) has brought a group of 12 employees from around the world (including the U.S., Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Ireland and India) to Utah as part of its Good Gigs leadership development program through immersive service learning. In addition, two of CoSN’s nationally recognized Certified Education Technology Leaders (CETLs) are joining the team to add their expertise to helping Millard.

On July 17, 2017, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai responded to several members of Congress regard the Restoring Internet Freedom Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Numerous lawmakers had written to Chairman Pai expressing concern that the proposal would roll back critical consumer protections by dismantling the current network neutrality rules.

Pai said he shared their view on the importance of having a free and open Internet. He wrote, "[I]n this proceeding, the Commission is currently examining the best legal framework for both protecting Internet freedom and providing strong incentives for the private sector to build and expand next-generation networks so that all Americans can be connected to digital opportunity. Currently, the FCC is in the midst of receiving public comment on this matter, and we will go where the facts and the law lead us. Your views are very important and will be entered into the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. I look forward to continuing to work with you and your colleagues on this critical issue."

On June 26, 2017, Reps Frank Pallone (R-NJ), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Mike Doyle (D-PA), and Gerald Connolly (D-VA) wrote to the Federal Communications Commission to express concerns about the FCC's cybersecurity preparedness and the multiple reported problems with the FCC's website in taking public comments in the net neutrality proceeding.

On July 21, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai responded by saying the Information Technology (IT) staff at the FCC immediately addressed the disruption to the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Chairman Pai wrote, "Although i cannot guarantee that we will not experience further attempts to disrupt our systems, our staff is constantly monitoring and reviewing the situation so that everyone seeking to comment on our proceedings will be afforded the opportunity to do so."

On June 21, 2017, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai regarding wireless spectrum, writing, "I am pleased to hear that the Commission may be considering a new proceeding to identify new spectrum uses in a range of bands. As you look for ways to better utilize spectrum, I urge you to explore possible new allocations in the mid-band frequencies, perhaps including the 3.7 GHz and 6 GHz bands, and to begin a rulemaking proceeding focused on opening mid-band spectrum for both licensed and unlicensed networks."

On July 18, Chairman Pai responded by saying, "I have asked my colleagues at the Commission's August Open Meeting to initiate a new inquiry into opportunities for next-generation services--particularly wire less broadband services- in the spectrum range of 3. 7 GHz to 24 GHz. This inquiry will be conducted in close coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and will focus on exploring opportunities in the mid-band frequencies for expanded flexible use. This inquiry will also explore long-term strategies the Commission can pursue to promote expanded spectrum access to meet the growing demand."

On June 22, 2017, Sens Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, urging him to, "move forward with the Remote Areas Fund (RAF) to appropriately target Universal Service Fund support towards the most difficult to serve areas in our states that remain unserved."

On July 18, Chairman Pai responded by saying, " I was pleased to move forward with the bipartisan CAF Phase II Auctions Order earlier this year, which the Commission has now targeted to include extremely high-cost areas as well as the high-cost areas that were always part of the Connect America Fund. And that's why I was pleased that the Commission agreed to commence the Remote Areas Fund, which like the CAF Phase l1 Auction will employ technology-neutral rules, no later than one year after the commencement of the CAF Phase li auction."

On April 18, 2017, Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep Mike Doyle (D-PA) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to postpone the vote on the Business Data Services (BDS) Report and Order that was scheduled for a vote at the April 20, 2017 FCC meeting.

On July 17, Chairman Pai responded by saying, "In your letter, you suggest additional protections for small businesses and the need for a reasonable transition as well as a delay of the Commission's vote. Although the Commission was unable to accommodate your every request, I note that the Commission did deny incumbent carriers a catch-up adjustment to their existing rates in non-competitive areas and implemented a staged transition: In newly deregulated areas, price-cap carriers cannot raise their tariffed rates for special access services for a period of six months and have three years to transition to de-tariff their services. The Commission also emphasized that incumbents may not use the de-tariffng process to disturb existing contractual or other long-term arrangements-a contract tariff remains a contract even if it is no longer tariffed. Finally, the Commission adopted downward pricing flexibility in still regulated areas to ensure that small businesses in rural America have the opportunity to receive the same discounts now available in urban areas."

On June 22,2 017, members of Congress from Missouri, Sens Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Reps Billy Long (R-MO), Sam Graves (R-MO), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Blaine Luetkemeyor (R-MO), Jason Smith (R-MO), and Ann Wagner (R-MO), wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai regarding completing the next steps under the Connect America Fund, and to state their opposition to any efforts or petitions to delay or alter implementation of the rules.

On July 18, Chairman Pai responded by saying, "The CAF 11 Auction Order adopted auction weights designed to give every bidder- no matter what technology they use-a meaningful opportunity to compete for federal funds, while ensuring the best value for the American taxpayer. With this Public Notice, we are seeking comment on the procedures to be used during this auction. Moving forward now will put us on track to conduct the auction in 2018."