NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson came under repeated fire Wednesday from House Republicans for low-cost offering requirements in the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, with the lawmakers repeatedly charging -- and Davidson denying -- they amount to rate regulation. The House Communications Subcommittee oversight hearing also saw lawmakers chide one another across the aisle about the looming funding cliff of the affordable connectivity program (ACP).Read More >>

The FCC will address "additional measures to combat emerging security challenges of the digital age" during the commissioners' open meeting June 6, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a note Wednesday. Commissioners will consider a proposal requiring that ISPs comply with new rules concerning border gateway protocol (BGP) security and a pilot program supporting cybersecurity services for E-rate participants. Also on the agenda is a proposal that would change existing bank rating standards for high-cost programs and updates to the commission's low-power television rules.Read More >>

Industry representatives and members of the Fiber Broadband Association's middle-mile and public policy working groups emphasized the need for more public-private partnerships to promote middle mile connectivity during a webinar Wednesday. "Middle mile is like that middle child that keeps getting ignored," said Sachin Gupta, Centranet director-government business and economic development. "If we continue ignoring it," he warned, "we will not be able to connect all of these new last mile connections that we are planning on building."Read More >>

A possible $2 billion clawback "would keep broadband as a key state priority," California Assembly Communications Committee Chair Tasha Boerner (D) said this week. With the state facing a tough fiscal situation, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) Friday announced a May budget revision that included taking back promised additional funding for the state’s middle-mile network and eliminating a broadband fund for local governments. However, some digital equity advocates are sounding the alarm with state legislators.Read More >>

Communications Decency Act Section 230 has outlived its usefulness and should be repealed, Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told us this week.Read More >>

All three 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges hearing oral argument Wednesday on Gray Television’s appeal of a $518,000 FCC forfeiture order seemed skeptical of the agency’s rationale for the penalty amount but split on Gray’s arguments against the FCC’s authority over deals for TV station network affiliation.Read More >>

Qualcomm remains hopeful the FCC will approve final rules this year for cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) in the 5.9 GHz band, but the technology is moving forward in the interim, with the agency approving more than 50 waivers already, John Kuzin, Qualcomm vice president-spectrum policy and regulatory counsel, said Wednesday during a Broadband Breakfast webinar. Qualcomm is a longtime proponent of the technology (see 1801220024).Read More >>

The Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday voted along party lines to pass two bills aimed at combating AI-driven manipulation of election content such as deep fakes and synthetic audio.Read More >>

Backers of stopgap funding for the FCC’s ailing affordable connectivity program and Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program believe they made progress last week toward their goal of firming up the initiatives even as a bid attaching funds to…Read More >>