Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill announced this week that she has been re-appointed as Chair of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee. Her news release on the matter noted that her re-appointment “offers an opportunity to continue working on major efforts to expand the availability of high-speed broadband to close the state’s digital divide.”

You have until January 19th if you have anything to say about the FCC’s second phase of its COVID-19 telehealth program. The Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau solicited input on Wednesday regarding the $249.95 million next wave of support for healthcare providers who are utilizing the revenue to, among other things, establish telemedicine services.

If you have something to say about a national 911 call center contact information database, now’s your time to speak up. Earlier this week the FCC released a public notice on the matter, noting that comments are due within 30 days of publication in the Federal Register. According to database developers the Alliance for Telecommunications […]

The FCC’s Office of Economics and Analytics this week released its research paper analyzing the impact of increased broadband connectivity on the farming community. Utilizing Form 477 data and information from  the USDA, the research concludes that a one percent increase in the number of 25/3 Mbps per 1,000 households translates into a 3.6 percent […]

On Tuesday, the FCC announced the results of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction, allocating more than $9 billion nationwide. A total of 180 bidders won support aimed at delivering high-speed BB to more than 5.2 million homes. From a state perspective, Pennsylvania had 13 winning bidders who will deploy to 184,505 locations […]

A mid-week, party-line vote by the Senate Commerce Committee has sent President Trump’s FCC nominee Nathan Simington one step closer to a Commissioner’s seat. The 14-12 vote was quiet from the R’s but drew some rancor from D committee members who questioned Simington’s lack of experience and, more importantly, his involvement with Trump’s siege on […]

Legislation establishing a BB fund is working its way closer to the Governor’s desk after unanimously passing the House this week. Senate Bill 835 provides for the Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program Act. The Commonwealth Financing Authority is charged with administering a grant program for non-governmental applicants who are required to demonstrate the ability to […]

On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee grilled President Trump’s FCC nominee Nathan Simington with questions on 5G, spectrum management and, most notably, activity on Section 230 and reigning in social media.  (Commissioner Michael O’Rielly’s pushback on Trump’s Section 230 initiative is widely believed to have precipitated his departure from the Commission.)

On Wednesday, the inaugural meeting of the PUC’s Pole Attachment Working Group was held (virtually of course), and participants addressed a variety of issues including an overview of the Commission’s dispute resolution processes and an update on federal pole attachment rules and proceedings. The group has its genesis in the Commission’s September 2019 Order which […]