Many telecom and ISPs say they want to participate in the FCC emergency broadband benefit programs, the agency announced Thursday. Among those are AT&T's BellSouth Communications (which AT&T confirms to us is the same as that company), Cable One, Comcast, Consolidated Telephone and Windstream.
President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 budget reconciliation package (HR-1319) Thursday, a day earlier than expected. Biden’s signoff formally allocates some $7-plus billion for emergency E-rate remote learning, along with additional amounts for state-level broadband projects and emergency CPB funding.
Virginia looks set to become the second state, after California, with a comprehensive privacy law. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed the Consumer Data Protection Act into law, the legislature's website showed Tuesday evening. The action was widely expected but the governor's office hadn't commented on whether he would give his OK. The bill is SB-1392.
FCC members approved an emergency broadband benefit program order 4-0 earlier Thursday, the agency announced tonight. In their statements about the item, commissioners revealed some of the document's details.
FCC members unanimously approved an emergency broadband benefit program order earlier Thursday, the agency announced tonight. This paves the way for the $3.2 billion program to give "qualifying households discounts on their internet service bills and an opportunity to receive a discount on a computer or tablet."
A federal judge denied preliminary injunction for ISP associations against California’s net neutrality law at a teleconferenced Tuesday hearing at the U.S. District Court in Sacramento. The comments came following industry and government arguments. See our news report here.
Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated her proposal for rules for the $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program, a news release said Monday afternoon. The proposal would allow "all types of broadband providers" to participate and require them to "deliver the qualifying broadband service to eligible households" to be reimbursed from the program.
Virginia could soon become the second state with a comprehensive privacy law, after California. The Senate voted 32-7 Friday for HB-2307. The House voted 89-9 Thursday for SB-1392, the Senate's same version. The Senate concurred with House changes.
The House Commerce Committee voted 31-24 along party lines Friday night to advance to the House Budget Committee language in its part of the coming COVID-19 budget reconciliation measure that would allocate $7.6 billion for E-rate remote learning funding, as expected. The section would also allocate $50 million to the Consumer Product Safety Commission that would in part be used to monitor e-commerce websites selling pandemic-related and other dangerous consumer products.
The new administration told a court overseeing the federal government's challenge to California net neutrality rules that the government wants to dismiss that case. As expected, DOJ notified U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California Monday "of its voluntary dismissal of this case," No. 2:18-cv-2660-JAM-DB. See here in Pacer.