Gabriella Novello

Former FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said there “absolutely” needs to be more use of unlicensed spectrum going forward Tuesday during a WiFiForward event. “I think we’re going to have more unlicensed opportunities,” O’Rielly said, but “we have to continue the momentum and it’s not an either-or decision on using licensed spectrum. It’s a matter of finding the “right band, the right circumstances, and then finding … the right partners to make that dance happen,” he said. O’Rielly noted NTIA needs to be given a “backbone” so it’s "respected by all the other agencies and stop the end runs to all the random subcommittees." NTIA is “committed to working toward a coordinated national approach” on spectrum policies and initiatives, said Senior Adviser Phil Murphy. “That includes ongoing and close coordination” on the 5.9 GHz band, Murphy said. NTIA and the FCC are holding monthly “high-level meetings” and updating their memorandum of understanding, he said, and NTIA is also updating the national spectrum strategy. High-speed internet access has “never been more critical for our economy” and Wi-Fi has been “critical in keeping individuals and communities connected” throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy said. Achieving an “equitable future” means “ensuring homes and businesses have high quality connections at affordable prices,” he said, and Wi-Fi will be “an essential part” of NTIA’s efforts to close the digital divide with its broadband programs funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

NTIA received letters of intent from 39 out of 56 states and territories indicating their interest in participating in the agency’s $42.5 billion broadband, equity, access, and deployment program, said Administrator Alan Davidson Thursday during a Media Institute event. “It’s going really well,” Davidson said: “We’ve been talking about the digital divide in this country for over 20 years … and finally, thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law and other funding out there, we’ve been given this historic opportunity to really do something about it.”

NTIA's $5 million capacity and planning grants through the broadband, equity, access and deployment program are “hugely important” and the agency is “going to support them every step of the way," said Evan Feinman, the program's director, during an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation webinar Tuesday. Feinman emphasized the need for partnerships among providers, local governments and anchor institutions, saying they should work with their state broadband offices now if they haven't begun.

The FCC plans to release details about the affordable connectivity program's outreach grants and pilot program aimed at boosting enrollment among households receiving federal public housing assistance this summer, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during a virtual Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights event Monday.

NTIA will “ultimately measure our success by meaningful adoption” of broadband as the agency implements the broadband, equity, access and deployment program funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, said Administrator Alan Davidson during a virtual USTelecom and AT&T event Friday. Affordability and adoption are “critical” to connecting households, Davidson said, and it “doesn’t help if we have a connection to somebody’s home if they can’t afford to get online or they can’t use it” (see 2206090072).

FCC commissioners adopted an NPRM seeking comment on how it should craft rules for annual data collection on prices and subscription plans for services offerings through the affordable connectivity program (see 2206020058). The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act directed the commission to adopt rules for the data collection by November.

Economists and telecom experts urged NTIA to develop evaluation and accountability metrics to ensure the $42.5 billion broadband, equity, access, and deployment program is effective in reaching unserved and underserved communities during a Technology Policy Institute webinar Tuesday (see 2205240052). Some suggested NTIA release specific metrics on the type of data states should submit or allow for independent reviews once the program ends.

Local officials and E-rate groups asked the FCC to heed calls to abandon its proposed centralized online competitive bidding portal for the program, said reply comments in docket 21-455 (see 2204280051). Many said the record showed such a change would hurt smaller E-rate participants and remains unnecessary. Some advocated for updates to the Universal Service Administrative Co.'s training and how it shares information with participants.

Disability rights advocates and digital navigators on Wednesday urged the FCC to emphasize accessibility in its forthcoming consumer broadband labels. Several panelists at the commission’s third public hearing on the labels highlighted the need for multiple languages and alternative formats for individuals who may not understand technical language (see 2204080027).

NTIA has a “keen interest in making sure that there's strong oversight” on how the $42.5 billion broadband, equity, access and deployment program is spent, said Administrator Alan Davidson Tuesday during a Mountain Connect conference in Colorado (see 2205130054). The agency “left flexibility” in its notice of funding opportunity, Davidson said, but included “basic requirements” on accountability, subgrantees and affordability to ensure that “federal money is being spent wisely,” he said: “We tried to take the principle of if it didn’t need to be in the notice, it’s not there.”