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Court blocks FCC from cutting broadband subsidies in tribal lands
The FCC has hit a snag in its plan to curb broadband subsidies for low-income homes. A DC appeals court has issued a stay order temporarily blocking the regulator from limiting the $25 monthly Lifeline subsidy in tribal lands, arguing that native groups and small carriers are likely to win their case opposing the cuts. The court agreed with plaintiffs that the FCC's move would likely lead to a "major reduction, or outright elimination" of vital communication for many tribal residents, and "substantial, unrecoverable losses" for providers that might lead to them going out of business.
FCC has 'serious concerns' about Sinclair merger it helped engineer
Sinclair's attempt to buy Tribune Media has raised many concerns in the past year, and not just among advocates concerned about its partisan message and potential for media dominance. The broadcasting giant has revamped its deal several times in a bid to win the hearts of regulators, with its latest proposal offloading 21 stations. However, it looks like the buyout may effectively be dead. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has produced a draft order that would send disputes over these stations to an administrative law judge, a process that many see as fatal to would-be mergers.
After Math: Stage 4 capitalism
It's been another fun-filled week of plebes like us being crushed under the heel of big business. Want to take a trip into orbit? You're gonna need to mortgage your house and your children's futures. Want to own the last decent MacBook Pro? Tough, Apple now says that the garbage touch panel version is the only one for sale. Trying to watch the World Cup on YouTubeTV? NOPE. NO SOCCER FOR YOU. COME BACK FOUR YEARS!
FCC officially changes rules for formal complaints
The FCC has voted to change its rules around formal complaints from the public. Now, complainants will have to pay a $225 fee to bring their issue to the commission via the official process. Informal complaints, however, are still free.
The FCC could ask you to pay to complain
A proposed rule change at the FCC has raised concerns that the organization is attempting to abdicate its responsibilities to the public. This Thursday, the Commission will consider altering its complaints-handling procedure between individuals and their service providers.
FBI tracks down California man who threatened Ajit Pai's family
Today the Department of Justice announced it has arrested a man in LA on charges that he threatened to kill the family of FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai. 33-year-old Markara Man allegedly sent three emails to Pai from "stubblemanliness@gmail.com" that in succession blamed the commissioner for a child's suicide, threatened his kids while listing several Arlington preschools and finally contained a picture of Pai and his family. According to the filing, Man admitted that he sent the emails in response to the FCC's repeal of net neutrality protections. Earlier this year, Pai canceled a scheduled appearance at CES 2018 citing security concerns, and in November another man was charged with threatening Representative John Katko. The charge Man is facing carries a maximum penalty of ten years in jail.
Net neutrality ends today
The FCC's decision to overturn Obama-era net neutrality protections goes into effect today, giving internet service providers leeway to block, throttle and prioritize websites and content. While we may not see the direct effects of this decision immediately, it is, in no uncertain terms, a massively important change that stands to alter the internet as we know and experience it.
FCC shrugs at fake cell towers around the White House
Turns out, Ajit Pai was serious last year when he told lawmakers that the FCC didn't want anything to do with cybersecurity. This past April the Associated Press reported "For the first time, the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged the existence in Washington of what appear to be rogue devices that foreign spies and criminals could be using to track individual cellphones and intercept calls and messages."
Notorious Kansas swatter charged in net neutrality bomb threat
The FCC vote on December 14th, 2017 is best known as the day that net neutrality died, but you may recall that it didn't quite go as planned. During the session, Chairperson Ajit Pai announced that the room had to be evacuated because of a bomb threat. Now, the person who allegedly did that, Tyler Raj Barriss, has been indicted. If that name sounds familiar, it's the same person accused of swatting a gamer who was subsequently shot and killed by police in Wichita, Kansas.
Recommended Reading: The fate of Facebook's free internet project
What happened to Facebook's grand plan to wire the world? Jessi Hempel, Wired For years, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg touted the company's Internet.org initiative that sought to bring connectivity to everyone in the world. It was presented an ambitious humanitarian effort, but things didn't go according to plan. Wired tells the story of what happened to the project following criticism and bans from local governments.
House Democrats mobilize for next phase of net neutrality fight
Earlier this week, Senate Democrats, with the help of three Republicans, managed to pass a resolution to save net neutrality before its upcoming repeal in June. Now their counterparts in the House are trying to rally enough signatures to force a similar vote in that chamber. They have 90 Democrats but need over 20 Republican representatives to break ranks and sign on. The road to saving net neutrality is still very uphill.
Senate barely passes resolution to restore net neutrality
A spirited campaign by Democratic lawmakers to save net neutrality has passed the Senate, moving one step closer toward forestalling its scheduled demise on June 11th. The vote was predictably close along party lines: In addition to every Democrat supporting the legislation, the final 52-47 tally featured three Republican legislators, Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and John Kennedy (R-LA), voting in favor of the bill.
Senate vote to restore net neutrality will take place on May 16th
For those of you who have been hoping that the Senate will save net neutrality, we now have a date for that vote. Senate Democrats led by Edward Markey (D-MA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) will force a vote on Wednesday, May 16th.
Net neutrality dies June 11th
Net neutrality officially dies June 11th, almost three years to the day after it was put into law. In a press release (PDF) from Ajit Pai's office, the former Verizon counsel (above) repeated his rhetoric that the internet was never broken and bemoaned Title II rules as being "heavy handed" and "outdated."
Senate Democrats plan to force vote on net neutrality May 9th
Democrats in Congress have been against the FCC's repeal of net neutrality rules from the beginning. They've had the signatures in favor of restoring the rules since January, along with a companion House bill (with 80 co-sponsors). Senator Edward J. Markey also introduced a formal Congressional Review Act "resolution of disapproval" in February. Now, Markey tweeted that Democrats will force a floor vote restore the rules on May 9th.
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn is stepping down
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn has announced that she will be stepping down from the commission following a tenure that featured a strong advocacy of net neutrality. Commissioner Clyburn shared her plans to leave the commission during an FCC meeting today. Appointed to the commission in 2009 by Barack Obama, she also held the position of Acting Chairwoman in 2013 prior to Tom Wheeler's appointment as Chair.
Former FCC broadband advisor arrested on $250 million fraud charges
A former broadband advisor picked by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to push high-speed internet access in rural areas has been arrested on multi-million dollar fraud charges. It is alleged that during her time with Alaska-based fiber optic cable provider Quintillion, former CEO Elizabeth Pierce raised more than $250 million from investment firms in New York using forged contracts from other companies. By using bogus documents, she convinced other investors that Quintillion had already secured backing from elsewhere, leading them to believe their investment was stronger than it actually was.
US Congressmen ask FCC to combat unauthorized Stingray use
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had detected activity in Washington DC that was consistent with the use of cell-site simulators, or Stingrays. The findings were a result of a short-term trial that took place last year and they suggest that foreign powers could be using these unauthorized devices to monitor officials, travelers and residents in the US capital. In a letter to Senator Ron Wyden, the DHS said that it didn't have the resources to continuously monitor the use of such devices but it did share its findings with "federal partners." Following those reports, three US Representatives have now sent the FCC a letter demanding the commission take action against unauthorized Stingray use.
FCC aims to block purchases from non-US firms posing ‘security threat’
The FCC announced a proposal today that aims to more fully shut out companies "that pose a national security threat to United States communications networks or the communications supply chain." If approved, an upcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will seek to disallow the use of the FCC's Universal Service Fund -- which subsidizes those that bring broadband internet to rural regions of the US -- for purchasing equipment and services from certain companies based abroad. "The money in the Universal Service Fund comes from fees paid by the American people, and I believe that the FCC has the responsibility to ensure that this money is not spent on equipment or services that pose a threat to national security," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement today.
Senate officially introduces resolution to restore net neutrality
Last week, the FCC officially published its net neutrality rollback plans, which were voted on back in December. Today, the next stage of the battle begins. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced his Congressional Review Act "resolution of disapproval" that would begin the process of undoing the FCC's vote.
