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Dems seek investigation into Brendan Carr

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · 17d

House Dems, along w/@agomezfcc.bsky.social, continue to raise alarm over Carr's use of the FCC to serve Trump, w/Dems saying in a new letter Carr's "misuse of regulatory processes represent an unprecedented weaponization of the agency." www.lightreading.com/video-broadc... |@lightreading.bsky.social

House Democrats call for investigation into FCC Chair Brendan Carr following ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel.

Amazon to FCC: Drop five-year deorbit rule

Reposted by Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading

cryopolitics @cryopolitics.com · 21d

Amazon is seeking to roll back the FCC's five-year deorbit rule, and I had something to say about that. 😁 #spacedebris #satellites

Light Reading @lightreading.bsky.social · 21d

Amazon wants the FCC to roll back a five-year deorbit rule for satellites which was established in 2022 to mitigate the harms of orbital debris.

Read more on Light Reading:

Amazon wants the FCC to roll back a five-year deorbit rule for satellites which was established in 2022 to mitigate the harms of orbital debris.

Fiber still dominates most BEAD locations

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Reposted by Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading

Christopher Terry @christopherterry.bsky.social · 20d

People need to understand that Carr is at best only a step or two removed from your average internet shitposter and he has always wanted to regulate speech that he hates. He is living his best life right now as the industry knuckles under.

I've been saying this for years, but welcome to the party.

Olivia Messer @oliviamesser.bsky.social · 21d

hey so this is insane

Brendan Carr confirming that the FCC is carrying out Project 2025 stuff via a gif on Twitter

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Reposted by Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez @agomezfcc.bsky.social · 21d

This FCC does not have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional right to police content or punish broadcasters for speech the government dislikes.

Free speech is the foundation of our democracy, and we must push back against any attempt to erode it.

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Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Aug 26

New for @lightreading.bsky.social: preliminary BEAD results from several states in the past week show fiber is still winning the majority of broadband serviceable locations and funding, but LEO satellite is picking up a bit of steam.

Several states' final proposals released in recent days show fiber still leads in BEAD location wins.

West Virginia sticks with fiber for BEAD

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Aug 20

"This set of regional outcomes is within potential awardee capacity ... supplies universal coverage of eligible locations, and demonstrates a technology-neutral approach prioritizing low-cost projects," said WV of its final BEAD proposal. || @lightreading.bsky.social

The third state to release its final proposal for BEAD, West Virginia's revised program will still award 99% of its broadband deployment funding for fiber networks.

The Divide: Digging into the biggest broadband barriers in the Bronx

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Aug 19

This week's episode of #TheDivide pod for @lightreading.bsky.social explores @nycfuture.bsky.social's illuminating report on the digital divide in the Bronx, which includes some great policy recommendations for targeting issues around device access and skills training. Listen here:

This week: Eli Dvorkin and Rachel Neches, from the Center for an Urban Future, join the podcast to discuss their report exploring the extent and causes of the ongoing digital divide in the Bronx, New ...

What's going on with fixed wireless and BEAD?

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Aug 13

New for @lightreading.bsky.social: Advocates for fixed wireless access were among the first to cheer the Trump administration's rewrite of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, but early results show a low level of FWA activity and wins.

Advocates for fixed wireless access (FWA) were among the first to cheer the Trump administration's rewrite of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, but early results show a low le...

New 'Liberty Link' fiber network to connect low-income New Yorkers

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Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Jul 24

NYC will host a network design and procurement process this summer to roll out Liberty Link: a city-owned fiber network, operated by the NYPL, offering free Internet service for at least three years to 35 affordable housing buildings. @lightreading.bsky.social

New York City will conduct a network design and procurement process this summer for Liberty Link, a pilot program to connect affordable housing buildings in the Bronx and Manhattan to free fiber broad...

California digital equity advocates move to oppose broadband affordability bill

Reposted by Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading

Light Reading @lightreading.bsky.social · Jul 2

California is advancing a broadband bill that was intended to follow in New York's footsteps with a low-cost service mandate. But consumer advocates now oppose the bill over amendments that weaken enforcement and lower speeds.

Read more on Light Reading:

California is advancing a broadband bill that was intended to follow in New York's footsteps with a low-cost service mandate. But consumer advocates now oppose the bill over amendments that weaken enf...

The Divide: Trump terminates Digital Equity Act – now what?

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · May 19

This week on The Divide for @lightreading.bsky.social we hear from NDIA's Angela Siefer on the immediate and long-term impact of Trump (unlawfully) terminating grants from the Digital Equity Act and how advocates and states can fight back. www.lightreading.com/broadband/th...

This week: Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), on the impact of President Trump 'ending' the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act and how advocates can fig...

The Divide: How DigitalC is closing Cleveland's connectivity gaps

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Reposted by Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading

Bill Callahan @cycbill.bsky.social · May 5

4500 Cleveland households are now getting <$20 wireless home broadband from growing nonprofit ISP DigitalC... another excellent "Divide" interview by @nicfer.bsky.social at @lightreading.bsky.social. (Listen close, my name is dropped.)

This week: Joshua Edmonds, CEO of DigitalC, on the nonprofit ISP's history providing connectivity and digital skills training in Cleveland, and how DigitalC is working to meet its subscriber goals and...

How delays and tariffs could affect BEAD's US manufacturing goals

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Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Apr 9

New for @lightreading.bsky.social: Over 40 fiber suppliers increased domestic manufacturing in 28 states to comply with BEAD's "Buy America" rules, as set by the Biden admin. But program delays, new tariffs & the Trump admin's push to strip BEAD of its fiber focus may threaten those US investments.

Over 40 fiber suppliers increased domestic manufacturing to comply with the BEAD program's 'Buy America' rules. However, prolonged program delays and a shift away from BEAD's fiber focus could put suc...

State lawmakers urge Lutnick not to delay BEAD with forced changes

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Apr 3

"We've built smart broadband plans tailored to our communities, and federal changes at this stage risk undermining years of progress and deliberation. The best thing Washington can do is let states finish the job," said Missouri State Rep. Louis Riggs, a Republican. #BEAD

Over 100 bipartisan state legislators signed a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick warning that 'mandatory changes' to the BEAD program may delay implementation 'by a year or more' and urging ...

USF framework 'more likely than not' to be upheld – analyst

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Mar 27

The framework of the Universal Service Fund (USF) is "more likely than not" to be upheld, said analyst Blair Levin after yesterday's SCOTUS hearing. But if Trump/Musk rewrite broadband rules to favor satellites, that could still blow up the program's future. More on @lightreading.bsky.social:

The framework of the Universal Service Fund is 'more likely than not' to be upheld, said Blair Levin after a Supreme Court hearing. But the USF's future could still be muddled by Trump administration ...

The Divide: Joey Wender on US Treasury's $10B downpayment on closing the digital divide

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Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Mar 18

4. And here: www.lightreading.com/broadband/th...

This week: Joey Wender, director of the capital projects fund at the US Treasury Department, on the status of $10 billion in federal broadband deployment funds.

Biden video chats with Wisconsin family over ARPA-funded fiber line

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Mar 18

3. More on this here: www.lightreading.com/fttx/biden-v...

In a video call, President Biden spoke to a Wisconsin family over their new fiber line, built and operated by VernonCom, with funds from the American Rescue Plan.

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Mar 18

2. There may have been delays within the NTIA worth critiquing, but by and large BEAD was designed to take years to roll out, and moreover the Biden admin did connect many rural households w/billions in ARPA funds, through an effort spearheaded by the US Treasury Dept.

Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not)

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Mar 18

To clarify: 1. The Biden admin spent billions on building rural broadband; a chunk of that was in the American Rescue Plan. The larger BEAD program in the infrastructure law was designed by Congress to take years to implement, partly bc it mandated use of an FCC broadband map that didn't yet exist.

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Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Mar 5

"For those in the tech industry who supported this administration thinking it would mean less regulation or more 'business friendly' policies: you've catastrophically misread the situation."

Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · Mar 4

Wrote up something about Techdirt's recent coverage, and why (whether we like it or not) we need to be a "democracy blog" now, rather than just a "tech" blog (not that we've ever been just a tech blog).

This story is *the* story and it impacts everything else.

www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/w...

While political reporters are still doing their view-from-nowhere “Democrats say this, Republicans say that” dance, tech and legal journalists have been watching an unfortunately recogn…

www.techdirt.com

Ontario to kill Starlink contract over Trump tariffs

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Feb 3

"We'll be ripping up the province's contract with Starlink. Ontario won't do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy," Doug Ford said on X.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford used Elon Musk's social media site X to report that he would be ripping up a contract with SpaceX's Starlink, signed in November, over Trump's tariffs on Canada.

Federal funding freeze creates 'considerable uncertainty' for BEAD – analyst

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Jan 28

www.lightreading.com/broadband/fe... Among the programs expected to be halted by OMB's sudden directive to "pause" all federal grants and loans in the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, part of the bipartisan infrastructure law, designed to close the digital divide.

The Trump administration's pause on federal grants and loans is expected to halt the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and other funds relevant to telecom, but the ov...

Louisiana expects BEAD shovels in ground in 'next 100 days'

Reposted by Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading

Light Reading @lightreading.bsky.social · Jan 14

Louisiana became the first state to secure final approval of its BEAD plan from the NTIA this week. The state's broadband director expects construction to begin in a matter of months.

Read more on Light Reading:

Louisiana became the first state to secure final approval of its BEAD plan from the NTIA this week. The state's broadband director expects construction to begin in a matter of months.

Cox, Amazon, AT&T to get BEAD grants in Nevada

Nicole Ferraro - Light Reading @nicfer.bsky.social · Dec 18

Nevada is the third state to announce its provisional grant winners for the BEAD (Broadband Equity Access and Deployment) program, following Louisiana and Delaware. Read more at @lightreading.bsky.social: www.lightreading.com/broadband/co...

Nevada has released its provisional BEAD winners, with grants going to AT&T, Cox, Amazon's Project Kuiper and more. The largest sums, totaling $323 million, will go to local firms Sky Fiber Intern...