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By Andrew Feinberg, Deputy Editor, BroadbandCensus.com

WASHINGTON, November 18, 2009 - The Universal Service Fund is in need of an overhaul to equalize costs among stakeholders and modernize programs to include broadband services, a group of industry representatives and regulators told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet during a Tuesday hearing. The hearing examined a discussion draft of the Universal Service Reform Act of 2009, authored by subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., and Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb. The Universal Service program, which existed for decades before being codified in the 1996 Telecommunications Act, is under "tremendous pressure" and requires a comprehensive effort to reform its operations, Boucher said during opening remarks. Reform is needed because new technologies for long distance voice communications have reduced the available revenue that can be tapped to fund current programs, leading to soaring costs for consumers – a projected 14 percent of revenues in January of 2010, he said. Such an increase and a maintenance of the status quo is simply "not sustainable," Boucher said. The Boucher-Terry bill would cap the high cost portion of the fund while requiring wireless carriers who participate to do so through a competitive bidding process. Such legislative...

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By Andrew Feinberg, Deputy Editor, BroadbandCensus.com

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2009 - The White House announced its intention to nominate South Carolina Public Service Commissioner Mignon Clyburn to the Federal Communications Commission late Wednesday. If confirmed, Clyburn would fill the Democratic seat being vacated by Democrat Jonathan Adelstein, who has been tapped to run the Agriculture Department's Rural Utility Service. She would also fill a seat on the FCC that is by custom occupied by a state-level commissioner, previously Republican Deborah Taylor Tate, who was a director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority before serving on the FCC during the Bush administration. Clyburn, the daughter of House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., was first elected to the South Carolina Public Service Commission in 1998. South Carolina PSC members are elected officials who serve four year, staggered terms. Clyburn has also been in charge of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Washington Action Program for the past three years, coordinating lobbying efforts by state utility commissioners. Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps hailed the White House announcement of Clyburn, calling her "an excellent choice" to join the commission. "The experience she brings...will be an invaluable asset as we address the many challenges and opportunities that are before us,"...

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By Andrew Feinberg, Deputy Editor, BroadbandCensus.com

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2009 - Congressional scrutiny of consumer privacy on broadband networks, especially uses of so-called “deep packet inspection” technology, ramped up Thursday as industry representatives and consumer advocates testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet. "Broadband networks are a primary driver of the national economy," said subcommittee chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va. It is "fundamentally in the nation's interest to promote their expanded use," he said. Boucher acknowledged that technologies like DPI have beneficial uses for network management and law enforcement. But DPI's potential for invading consumer privacy is "nothing short of frightening," he said. Boucher, who has previously stated his commitment to passing comprehensive privacy legislation during the 111th Congress, announced that his subcommittee would hold a joint hearing with the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection subcommittee early this summer which would focus privacy and Internet-based companies like Google. Boucher hinted that the privacy bill, which he wants to develop on a bipartisan basis, would be based largely on the Consumer Privacy Protection Act introduced in the 109th Congress by then-Chairman Cliff Stearns, R-Fla. Stearns, now the ranking member of the subcommittee, cautioned against acting too swiftly against new technologies before...

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By Andrew Feinberg, Deputy Editor, BroadbandCensus.com

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2009 – Broadband stimulus funds should be prioritized to unserved areas and encourage greater adoption, National Cable and Telecommunications Association president and CEO Kyle McSlarrow wrote in a Thursday letter to members of Congress. McSlarrow wrote to express NCTA’s enthusiastic support for the broadband stimulus programs, while informing lawmakers of the group’s preferred direction for grant programs. “Our industry applauds the renewed focus on broadband” that the stimulus funding represents, McSlarrow wrote. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, signed by President Obama on February 17, allocates $7.2 billion for broadband programs to be administered by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service, with input from the Federal Communications Commission. Congress should be a vigilant watchdog of the broadband grant funding, McSlarrow said. He suggested that lawmakers build “a framework within which these agencies, with appropriate oversight by Congress, can ensure accountability and most effectively meet the objectives of the Recovery Act with regard to broadband deployment and adoption.” Extending service to the “small percentage of the nation’s homes with no physical access to broadband” should be the first priority of the grant programs, McSlarrow wrote. McSlarrow emphasized that once...

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By Andrew Feinberg, Deputy Editor, BroadbandCensus.com

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2009 - President Obama’s long-awaited nomination of Julius Genachowski to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission was greeted with an enthusiastic reaction from groups representing every corner of the telecommunications community. Genachowski has long been heir-apparent to former chairman Kevin Martin since January 13, when the media reported that then-President-elect Obama would nominate Genachowski to replace Martin. Martin announced his resignation on Thursday, January 15, and his last day was January 20. Genachowski, currently a venture capitalist and advisor to LaunchBox Digital, a Washington, D.C.-based technology incubator, attended Harvard Law School with Obama and worked on his campaign as a technology policy advisor. He also served as an advisor to former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. Acting FCC chairman Michael Copps praised Genachowski: “Julius has the knowledge, experience and dedication to lead this Agency forward as we tackle the many challenges confronting the country – and the Commission,” Copps said. “I look forward to the prospect of working with him on a communications agenda focused on serving consumers and the public interest.” Copps’ Democratic colleague Jonathan Adelstein called Genechowski “the right person at the right time for the job.” Adelstein said the President’s nominee has “a strong strategic...

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News

By Andrew Feinberg, Deputy Editor, BroadbandCensus.com

WASHINGTON, February 25, 2009 - House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said  it is important that Congress pass a bill preserving satellite viewers' access to broadcast television. But new technology could make other compulsory licenses for broadcast programming  obsolete. Speaking at a hearing on copyright issues in 21st century video programming Wednesday, Conyers noted that competition in video programming has improved since compulsory licensing was enacted in the 1970s. "Some of the same rationale we likely agreed on are not as relevant now," he said. While the hearing focused on satellite television, the raised by the looming lapse of retransmission consent involve several other sections of the Copyright Act. Conyers is working with Raking Member Lamar Smith, R-Texas, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., and Communications subcommittee chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va to form a special task force between the House Energy and Commerce and Judiciary committees. Both committees have jurisdiction over the Satellite Home Viewing Extension and Reauthorization Act -- which would renew sections of the copyright act that allows satellite television providers to license local broadcast signals for viewing by subscribers. The license was created by statute in 1988, and renewed in 1994, but set to expire...

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News

By Andrew Feinberg, Deputy Editor, BroadbandCensus.com

WASHINGTON, February 24, 2009 - As Congress examines renewing legislation that mandates satellite carriage of over-the-air broadcasts, owners of low power television stations say record levels of cable and satellite subscribership necessitate their inclusion in any retransmission consent regime to promote public safety, ensure a supply of local programming and promote ownership diversity. Eighty-five percent of Americans recieve television programming by way of cable or satellite, Community Broadcasters Association president Kyle Reeves told President Obama in a letter sent to the White House last weekend. Many young people have never seen a pair of rabbit ears, Reeves wrote. Instead, they increasingly choose to access video programming over broadband, cable, or satellite connections. Reeves said this change means public interest groups that fought against allowing one entity to own multiple television stations in a market picked the wrong battle."The true issue that impacts the diversity of ideas available to the public...is access to distribution systems," he said. Local programming and low power television were both matters of great concern to some members of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet at a Tuesday hearing on the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act. Reps....

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News

By Andrew Feinberg, Reporter, BroadbandCensus.com

WASHINGTON, February 13, 2009 – Broadband service providers can breathe a sigh of relief as the economic stimulus package, with the provisions for high-speed internet services intact, headed to the President's desk late Friday night after a marathon day of voting by lawmakers. The $787 billion spending measure passed the House on a 246-183 vote early Friday afternoon. House Democrats rejoiced despite not being able to attract a single Republican vote. The stimulus legislation will be "transformational" to the economy, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. said at a press conference following the vote. Democrats should feel a "sense of satisfaction" at the cooperation required to pass the bill, she said. The bill represents an effort to follow through on President Obama's promise of change, she said, and would lead to "swift, bold action." The stimulus legislation is the largest economic relief measure in history, Pelosi said. Invoking the first 100 days of John Kennedy's presidency, Pelosi noted that "in a few short weeks," Obama had successfully worked with Congressional leaders to pass a major bill "faster than any other President." In their opposition, House Republicans indicated they want to go down the "same old path," Pelosi said. But the Speaker was...

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