MignonClyburn
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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.
FCC hopes opening up communication airwaves will boost innovation
Today, the FCC voted to move forward with a proposal to open up communications spectrum beyond 95 GHz. In a statement, it said that spectrum above this range has been thought to be at the edge of what's usable, but now it wants to provide different levels of authorization to use the spectrum to, as Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement, "promote innovation and help put this spectrum to its best use." Pai noted that some might be skeptical as to whether spectrum above 95 GHz can actually be used, but he added, "The point is that we must be open to new technologies that haven't even been developed. And while we don't know precisely how far the laws of physics will permit us to go, we do know there's potential and interest. Engineers and entrepreneurs need to have the ability to push the envelope."
FCC Commissioner Clyburn talks about net neutrality at CES
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn has been a vocal defender of net neutrality and even helped author the Open Internet Order in 2015. She was on the ground and Las Vegas for CES and was nice enough to make time to swing by the Engadget stage. She sat down to talk about the importance of net neutrality and her quest to protect it for future generations as well as how current policies are putting at risk those most vulnerable. Unfortunately, there were some technical problems with our audio during the interview, so we've included a slightly abridged transcript after the break. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.
Ajit Pai reportedly cancelled CES appearance due to death threats
Yesterday, CES announced that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai would no longer be appearing at the trade show where he was scheduled to take part in a conversation with FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen. At the time, neither FCC nor the show organizers gave a reason for the sudden change in plans, but Recode now reports that the cancellation is due to Pai receiving death threats. Two FCC sources added that law enforcement is now involved.
The FCC has repealed net neutrality
During today's open meeting, the FCC's proposal to repeal net neutrality protections put in place in 2015 was put to a vote and it passed, three votes to two. As was widely expected, the three Republican members -- Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioners Michael O'Rielly and Brendan Carr -- voted in favor of the proposal while Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, both Democrats, voted against it.
FCC stops federal approval of low-income broadband subsidies
When FCC Chairman Ajit Pai froze the plan to include nine broadband companies in the commission's Lifeline program in February, the future of low-cost, government subsidized internet access suddenly seemed uncertain. Now, nearly two months later, Chairman Pai has released a new statement saying that the commission supports including broadband in the Lifeline program, but will put a stop to the federal approvals process for new providers. Instead, it will let individual states decide which service providers should be included.
The FCC stops investigating carrier's 'zero-rating' plans
Now that there's a new voice atop the FCC, priorities are changing. As part of a "Friday night news dump" -- as it's being called by fellow commissioner Mignon Clyburn -- the regulator announced it's done investigating carriers for "zero rating" programs that exclude some services from monthly data limits. T-Mobile's BingeOn, AT&T's DirecTV streaming and Verizon's Go90 have all been criticized as violating the principles of net neutrality, by treating some data differently from others. On cable, Comcast has had similar questions about its video-on-demand streaming (like the new support for Roku) and Stream TV.
FCC expands Lifeline to help low-income Americans afford internet
Today the FCC voted 3-2 to approve expanding its Lifeline program that has subsidized phone and prepaid wireless access for low-income Americans since the 80s, so that now it covers internet access too. The $9.25 household subsidy is paid directly to service providers, and now it can be applied to standalone internet access, or bundled voice/data service. There are requirements for the services provided, like a minimum 150GB monthly usage cap, as well as minimums for mobile broadband usage and cellphone voice minutes.
FCC's new net neutrality rules opposed by 100+ internet companies (update: vote still on schedule)
Despite FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's insistence that he is on the side of an open internet, the controversy over proposed net neutrality rules continues to expand. Resistance to the new rules is now coming from voices within the FCC and major internet companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Yahoo and more. The plan was for the five commissioners to vote on their approval next Thursday, but today one of them, Jessica Rosenworcel, called to push back that vote by a month (update: an FCC spokesman says the vote will go forward as scheduled). Citing "real concerns" with Wheeler's proposal and a need for time to consider the "torrent of public response" received, she wants the delay so public conversation can continue. That would mean putting the agency's legal staff out front to explain the measures and answer questions in ways that are accessible to the public, instead of starting a Sunshine Period that would end the ability to accept public comment.
FCC commish says Verizon's ETF response is 'unsatisfying and, in some cases, troubling'
A member of the FCC's five-person commission, Mignon Clyburn, has sent out a letter today in response to Verizon's earlier reply regarding questions surrounding its gargantuan $350 early termination fee on so-called "advanced devices," and in brief, it looks like this issue is far from tied off. Her choicest quote is that she found Verizon's answers "unsatisfying and, in some cases, troubling," noting that customers are already paying "high" monthly fees and suggesting that the public interest isn't being served when someone gets slammed with a three-digit cancellation charge mid-contract. She also straight-up calls the company out on its claim that customers aren't being inadvertently charged when the press the web button on their phone without an appropriate plan, saying that "press reports and consumer complaints strongly suggest otherwise." Commissioner Clyburn's conclusion? "I look forward to exploring this issue in greater depth with my colleagues in the New Year." Dum dum dummmmm. Follow the break for the full text of the letter. [Thanks, Daniel P.]
