The rise of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrats' presidential nominee should have few implications for FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, industry observers agree. If anything, Rosenworcel’s ties to Harris are likely stronger than they are to President Joe Biden, they said. Biden waited until October 2021, more than nine months after his inauguration, to designate Rosenworcel as the first woman to chair the agency on a permanent basis (see 2110260001).
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is maintaining a constant drumbeat about what he calls the slow tempo of the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program rollout. On July 29, he posted on X that it's 987 days since BEAD was enacted and "0 Americans have been connected, 0 Shovels worth of dirt turned." On Aug. 4, it was 993 days. "While there’s time to course correct, the trend line is not good," he posted Aug. 6. In his posts, he frequently lays the blame at the feet of Vice President Kamala Harris. His tweets repeatedly say that in 2021 Harris "agreed to lead a $42 billion plan to expand Internet service," and "no one has been connected."
Some states emphasize Buy American preference requirements more than others in their broadband equity, access and deployment plans, we found in our analysis of NTIA-approved BEAD volume 2 initial proposals. Whether Buy American provisions in state BEAD plans mean all the fiber optics and other materials used will be solely American-made is unclear. NTIA has signed off on 34 BEAD volume 2 plans so far, including Wyoming's on Thursday (see 2408080054).
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez (D) is working with state lawmakers on legislation aimed at holding social media platforms more accountable for disseminating deepfake porn, he told us Wednesday.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
DENVER -- NTIA won’t abandon projects that experience construction delays in the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, program leader Evan Feinman told the Mountain Connect conference on Wednesday. Many state broadband directors at the event reported progress meeting BEAD requirements as they prepare to distribute $42.5 billion across the U.S. next year (see 2408060048).
FCC commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved an NPRM aimed at reducing unwanted AI robocalls, as expected (see 2408050029). Commissioner Nathan Simington raised concerns about part of the notice, with which he would only concur. Responding to concerns that Incompas and Cloud Communications Alliance raised, officials said some questions were moved to a notice of inquiry. Commissioners during their open meeting approved 5-0 a pair of other items (see 2408070047).
The FCC unanimously approved an order Wednesday creating an alert code for missing adults and an NPRM on proposed revisions for the robocall mitigation database. At their open meeting, commissioners also voted on an item that protects consumers from AI in robocalls (see 2408070037). “We do not have a tool on par with Amber alerts to raise awareness and assist with recovery efforts of those 18 and older,” Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said of the new Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) alert code. “I think it would make a difference if we did. Because while only one third of those who go missing are adults, they account for 70% of people who are never found.” Though originally scheduled for Wednesday morning, the meeting’s start time was pushed back nearly three hours due to flight delays that affected Rosenworcel, she said.
CTIA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce backed AT&T’s challenge of the FCC's fine for data violations, filing amicus briefs in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On a 3-2 vote in April, commissioners imposed fines against the three major wireless carriers for allegedly not safeguarding data on customers' real-time locations years earlier (see 2404290044).
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democrats’ 2024 presidential ticket, enters the national stage with a record of pro-rural broadband action but is largely a blank slate on other tech and telecom matters, observers said in interviews. Harris announced Walz as her pick Tuesday after a two-week vetting process in which other governors with stronger broadband policy backgrounds were in contention (see 2407260001). Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republicans’ vice presidential nominee, has been a leading congressional advocate for injecting funding into the FCC’s lapsed affordable connectivity program (see 2407150062).