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September 4, 2024 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent federal administrative agency established by the Communications Act of 1934 (1934 Act; 47 U.S.C. [section]151 et seq.) to regulate [...]

Updated May 6, 2024 Contents Introduction FCC Leadership FCC Structure FCC Strategic Plan FCC Operations: Budget, Authorization, and Reporting to Congress FCC FY2025 Budget FCC Authorization FCC Reporting to Congress [...]

Updated March 1, 2024 Contents Introduction Universal Service Principles Universal Service Fund Programs High Cost Program Rural Digital Opportunity Fund 5G Fund for Rural America Lifeline Program Emergency Broadband Benefit [...]

October 19, 2023 On October 19, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposes to reclassify broadband internet access service (BIAS) as a [...]

Updated September 12, 2023 Contents Introduction History of the FCC's Spectrum Auction Authority Temporary Extensions of the FCC's Spectrum Auction Authority in the 117th Congress Proposals in the 117th Congress [...]

August 7, 2023 Contents Introduction Undersea Cable Technologies and Global Network Ownership Cross-Jurisdictional Nature of Cables Threats to Undersea Telecommunication Cables Intentional Damage Unintentional Damage Examples of Unintentional Damage from [...]

Updated December 30, 2022 Contents Introduction History of the FCC' s Spectrum Auction Authority Proposals in the 117th Congress to Extend the FCC s Spectrum Auction Authority Extending America's Spectrum [...]

Contents Introduction Broadband Data and Mapping Fifth-Generation Wireless Technologies 5G Rural Fund FCC Spectrum Authority Spectrum Auctions Interference with Existing Technologies and Systems Spectrum Coordination National Security Initiatives Secure and [...]

Updated May 3, 2022 Contents Introduction FCC Leadership FCC Structure FCC Strategic Plan FCC Operations: Budget, Authorization, and Reporting to Congress FCC FY2023 Budget FCC Authorization FCC Reporting to Congress [...]

August 12, 2021 Introduction The Digital Equity Act is included in the Senate-passed version of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684). Submitted as an amendment in the nature [...]

Updated June 25, 2021 Efforts to deploy voice telephone service throughout the United States began almost 100 years ago. Starting in the 1990s, these efforts shifted toward the deployment of [...]

The article focuses on the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in the United States and its impact on consumers. Topics include the demographics of ACP beneficiaries, potential financial difficulties for participants, and alternative programs for affordable internet access. Legislative actions and options to extend or replace the ACP are also discussed.

May 5, 2021 The federal government supports scientific and technological advancement directly by funding and performing research and development, and indirectly by creating and maintaining policies that encourage private sector [...]

Contents Introduction Federal Communications Commission Broadband Provisions Section 901. Amendments to the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program Section 903. FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program Section 904. Benefit for Broadband [...]

Updated February 24, 2021 Contents Overview Federal Communications Commission Activity The Information Services Designation and Title I The 2005 Internet Policy Statement The FCC August 2008 Comcast Decision Comcast v. [...]

Updated January 27, 2021 Contents Overview of the Federal Communications Commission FCC Leadership FCC Structure FCC Strategic Plan FCC Operations: Budget, Authorization, and Reporting to Congress FCC FY2021 Budget FCC [...]

Updated January 21, 2021 Introduction The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the new Biden Administration may take different positions on several key topics than the FCC under the Trump Administration, [...]

January 28, 2021 Introduction Efforts to deploy voice telephone service throughout the United States began almost 100 years ago. Starting in the 1990s, these efforts shifted toward the deployment of [...]

October 19, 2020 Background Periodically, the General Services Administration (GSA) negotiates new contracts through which federal agencies can acquire their telecommunications services. Current contracts--known as Networx, Washington Interagency Telecommunications System [...]

May 29, 2020 Background 'Contact tracing' is a public health measure used to control disease spread. Trained public health workers assist patients with an infectious disease recall their close contacts [...]

April 28, 2020 Quantum Information Science Technologies and Applications Combining elements of mathematics, computer science, engineering, and physical sciences, quantum information science (QIS) is believed to have the potential to [...]

Updated February 12, 2020 The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated devices connected to a network and/or to one another, exchanging data without necessarily requiring human-to-machine interaction. [...]

The article presents a report from the U.S. Congressional Research Service on future of the universal service fund and related broadband programs. Topics discussed include information on how telecommunications Act of 1996 expanded universal service goals and established principles to guide policy, including equitable contributions to the Universal Service Fund (USF).

The article provides a technology overview of TikTok, a popular video-sharing smartphone application owned by ByteDance Ltd. The app uses a recommendation engine that relies on artificial intelligence (AI) and data mining practices to curate a personalized video feed for users. The article discusses the concerns and scrutiny raised by the U.S. government regarding TikTok's potential privacy and security risks.

October 16, 2019 Internet pioneer David Clark said: 'It's not that we didn't think about security. We knew that there were untrustworthy people out there, and we thought we could [...]

RL32589 April 18, 2019 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent federal agency established by the Communications Act of 1934 (1934 Act, or 'Communications Act'). The agency is charged [...]

Contents Introduction Overarching S&T Policy Issues Federal Science and Technology Policymaking Enterprise Federal Funding for Research and Development Disruptive and Convergent Technology America COMPETES Act Reauthorization Technology Transfer from Federal [...]

Updated December 21, 2018 The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) regulates robocalls. A robocall, also known as 'voice broadcasting,' is any telephone call that delivers a prerecorded message [...]

The article reports that the Radio spectrum is the continuum of frequencies allocated for radio transmissions and is a finite and valuable resource. Topics include considered it is necessary for companies to provide wireless services, such as radio broadcasting, mobile communications, and satellite services.

Updated May 22, 2018 Contents Introduction Overarching S&T Policy Issues Federal Science and Technology Policymaking Enterprise Federal Funding for Research and Development America COMPETES Act Reauthorization Regulations for Federally Funded [...]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates a number of disability-related telecommunications services, including video relay service (VRS). VRS allows persons with hearing disabilities, using American Sign Language (ASL), to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment rather than through typed text. VRS has quickly become a very popular service, as it offers several features not available with the text-based telecommunications relay service (TRS). The FCC has adopted various rules to maintain the quality of VRS service. Now VRS providers must answer 80% of all VRS calls within 120 seconds. VRS providers must also offer the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, in June 2010, the FCC began a comprehensive review of the rates, structure, and practices of the VRS program to minimize waste, fraud, and abuse and update compensation rates that had become inflated above actual cost. Rules in that proceeding were issued in June 2013. The new rules initiated fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and competition, drive down ratepayer and provider costs, eliminate incentives for waste, and further protect consumers. In addition, the new rules transition VRS compensation rates toward actual costs over the next four years, initiating a step-by-step transition from existing tiered TRS Fund compensation rates toward a unitary, market-based compensation rate. On June 30, 2022, the FCC adopted per-minute VRS compensation rates for the 2022-2023 Fund Year, effective from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. For VRS providers with more than 500,000 monthly minutes, the applicable per-minute VRS compensation rates for this period are: • $4.82 per completed conversation minute for a provider's first 1,000,000 monthly minutes (Tier I); • $3.97 per completed conversation minute for a provider's monthly minutes between 1,000,001 and 2,500,000 (Tier II); and • $2.63 per completed conversation minute for a provider's monthly minutes exceeding 2,500,000 (Tier III) (a 7.1% reduction from the 2018-2019 rate of $2.83). For VRS providers with 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes (Emergent Tier), the rate for the 2022-2023 Fund Year is $5.29 per minute for the first 500,000 minutes, and the otherwise applicable tiered formula for monthly minutes exceeding 500,000. Congressional interest in the VRS program is twofold: eliminating fraud and abuse in the program and maintaining the usefulness of the program for users. Controversy has arisen over the latest proposals for change to the program being considered by the FCC. The FCC believes that rate structure changes are needed to reduce fraud and better manage the VRS program, but the deaf and hard-of-hearing community is concerned that funding cuts will result in fewer and lessqualified ASL interpreters. Additionally, the FCC has proposed changing the technologies used to operate and use the system, but the community is concerned that changes in technology will decrease the quality of the system as it is now and also potentially pose challenges to some users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents The Federal NITRD Program Structure Budget, Funding, and Spending Federal Technology Funding: Background and Context Legislative Activity in the 115 th Congress Potential Issues for Congress Figures Figure 1. [...]

Updated April 7, 2015 Contents Introduction Overarching S&T Policy Issues The Federal Science and Technology Policymaking Enterprise Federal Funding for Research and Development America COMPETES Act Public Access to Federal [...]

Updated December 15, 2014 Contents Background Radio Chips in Smartphones: A New Initiative Business Case: Radio Industry Business Case: Wireless Service Providers Emergency Alerts and Warnings Wireless Network Reliability Contacts [...]

The article presents a report of the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS), which reveals that TikTok, a video-sharing smartphone application (app) owned by ByteDance Ltd., is under increasing scrutiny by the U.S. government as a potential privacy and security risk to U.S. citizens. It mentions that former U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order aimed at stopping TikTok from doing business in the U.S.

The article focuses on U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has pursued a multi-part strategy for combatting illegal robocalls and protecting consumers. It mentions fines for violations of its Truth in Caller ID rules, enabled voice service providers to block certain clearly unlawful calls before they reach consumers' phones and clarified that voice service providers may offer call-blocking services.

The article provides information on cloud computing and reports on adoption of cloud computing by federal government agencies in the U.S. The Office of Management and Budget promised to update the government's Federal Cloud Computing Strategy in the year 2017. The author discusses two hearings directly concerning cloud computing in the 116th Congress.

The article discusses the structure of U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), along with its role in changing telecommunications landscape in the U.S. It mentions that establishment of the FCC under the U.S. Communications Act of 1934. It also discusses that the FCC regulated the telecommunication, radio communication and the broadcasting industry of the U.S.

The article focuses on passage of the U.S. Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) to establish a long-term framework through which federal information technology (IT) investments. It mentions Government Accountability Office (GAO) have actively monitored the activities of the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the initiatives carried out by the office. It also mentions House Committee on Oversight and Reform has held two hearings on FITARA in U.S. Congress.

Contents Introduction Doing Business with Repressive Regimes: U.S. Industry Dilemma U.S. Government Activity Promoting Internet Freedom Department of State The NetFreedom Task Force Freedom Online Coalition The State Department's International [...]

Contents Overview of the Federal Communications Commission FCC Leadership FCC Structure FCC Strategic Plan FCC Operations: Budget, Authorization, and Reporting to Congress FCC FY2014 Budget FCC Authorization FCC Reporting to [...]

October 23, 2012 Summary Modern communication tools such as the Internet provide a relatively inexpensive, accessible, easy-entry means of sharing ideas, information, and pictures around the world. In a political [...]