Analysis of broadband affordability deemed “extraneous” by FCC chair.

The Federal Communications Commission is ditching Biden-era standards for measuring progress toward the goal of universal broadband deployment.

The changes will make it easier for the FCC to give the broadband industry a passing grade in an annual progress report. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s proposal would give the industry a thumbs-up even if it falls short of 100 percent deployment, eliminate a long-term goal of gigabit broadband speeds, and abandon a new effort to track the affordability of broadband.

Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act requires the FCC to determine whether broadband is being deployed “on a reasonable and timely basis” to all Americans. If the answer is no, the US law says the FCC must “take immediate action to accelerate deployment of such capability by removing barriers to infrastructure investment and by promoting competition in the telecommunications market.”

  • SinAdjetivos@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    We can though, first time was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 with funding being released in 2010. D president, D Senate, D house.

    By 2012 it became obvious that the commitment lined out in the 2009 bill weren’t going to happen and a meek attempt to claw back the funds was made. D president, D Senate, R house.

    2021 sees the access broadband act. D president, D Senate, D house.

    By 2025 it became obvious that the commitment lined out in the 2021 bill weren’t going to happen. R president, D R Senate, R house.

    The only constant is a Democratic Senat so clearly that’s the problem! Right?

    Edit: wrong session for 2025 caucus. It’s all Rs there.

      • SinAdjetivos@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        My bad, thanks for catching that I was looking at 118th caucus not 119th. I thought I just misremembered which of those pesky other parties were part of which caucus.

      • SinAdjetivos@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        With the way American politics are at the moment I interpreted that as a “only the Republicans are the bad guys” and wanted to make it abundantly clear that is not the case.