Internet/Broadband

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiled a legislative framework for regulating artificial intelligence (AI), warning that “Congress must join the AI revolution” now or risk losing its only chance to regulate the rapidly moving technology. Majority Leader Schumer also said that starting in Fall 2023, he would launch a series of “AI Insight Forums” featuring top AI developers, executives, scientists, community leaders, workers, national security experts, and others. Those discussions, he said, will form the foundation for more detailed policy proposals for Congress.

In the lead up to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) announcements of state Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) allocations expected at the end of June 2023, it’s vital to reflect on how far we’ve come already – not just in terms of the number of dollars committed or the number of locations served, but in proving that a public-private partnership model is one of the most effective paths forward in working to expand broadband access. Local leaders and industry partners have come together and made extraordinary progress building out broadband n

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is leading some of the City’s investments in digital equity and is partnering with the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Queens Public Library to support low-income New Yorkers on using technology. A significant portion of the agency’s Section 8 households include an older or disabled adult and many are bilingual.

There are at least seven reasons why states should consider connecting anchor institutions early in the broadband deployment process rather than at the tail end:

Attempts to pass comprehensive transmission siting reform failed in the recent congressional debt ceiling negotiations. It may be time to explore a different approach to accelerating transmission build-out: encouraging voluntary efforts by developers and stakeholders to create stakeholder-driven transmission corridors.

Gov.

The Utah Broadband Center (UBC), part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, asks for public feedback on the drafts of the Utah Digital Connectivity Plan and Digital Equity Plan. Comments can be submitted online through July 6, 2023. The Utah Digital Connectivity Plan and Digital Equity Plan highlight Utah’s vision, goals, objectives, and strategies to help get all Utahns connected to affordable high-speed broadband internet and access to the tools and resources needed to succeed in the digital world.

Powered by a contribution from AT&T, the Public Library Association (PLA) has selected more than 200 public libraries across 45 states to host digital literacy and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) workshops.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against Amazon for its years-long effort to enroll consumers into its Prime program without their consent while knowingly making it difficult for consumers to cancel their subscriptions to Prime. In a complaint, the FTC charges that Amazon has knowingly duped millions of consumers into unknowingly enrolling in Amazon Prime.

The Federal Communications Commission originally budgeted $20.4 billion dollars for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) subsidy program to be spent over ten years. The original RDOF reverse auction offered $16 billion in subsidies. But in a story that is now well known, some entities bid RDOF markets down to ridiculously low subsidy levels, and only $9.4 billion was claimed in the auction. $2.8 billion of this funding ended up in default, including some of the bidders who had driven the prices so low. That means that only $6.4 billion of the original $20.4 billion has been allocated.