Tag: FCC
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The FCC Is Blocked from Using the Universal Service Fund to Give Cheap Internet to Low-Income Families
This week the fifth circuit court ruled that the FCC cannot use the Universal Service Fund to pay for FCC programs that help offer cheap internet to low-income families. At issue here is whether the Universal Service Fund allows the FCC to use the money for internet. Many have argued that when the fund was…
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The FCC’s Broadband Lable Rules is Making it Easier To Know the True Cost of Your Home Internet Hopefully, this Rule Comes to TV Services Soon
The Federal Communications Commission has ordered broadband providers to roll out “nutrition-style” labels that spell out the fine print on the prices of their plans and the speeds they really offer. This rule makes it far easier for their customers to quickly know the price, speed, and fees of the service they offer. “This is…
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Should Big Tech Pay More for Internet Service? Internet Providers Think So
One of the biggest debates among Internet providers is whether major tech companies should be forced to pay more to help build out Internet services. Once again a lobby group called USTelecom, which represents AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink, and other companies, has asked the FCC to force major tech companies to pay more for Internet service…
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The FCC Can Continue to Spend $8 Billion On Rural Internet & Other Needs—The Supreme Court Rules
This week the US Supreme Court ruled that the Universal Service Fund that raises $8 billion annually by putting a fee on all phone plans is legal. The fund was created in early 1996 to help expand phone service to everyone in the United States. Recently it has been used to bring Internet to rural…
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Internet Service Providers Try to Stop Net Neutrality in Court
Earlier this year the FCC passed a new rule that would bring back Net Neutrality. This was followed by the FTC and FCC announcing a partnership to enforce Net Neutrality and regulate the Internet in April. For years, the argument has been about who has what control over the Internet to regulate it: the FTC…
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The FCC Chairwoman Wants Advertisers to Inform You If AI Was Used in Political Ads
The use of AI to create videos has exploded in recent years. Now the FCC is looking at how it is used in ads—especially in political ads. This week FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a proposal that would force political ads to fully disclose how AI was used in its TV or radio ads. “As…
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The FCC Goes After Robo Callers Including Those Pretending to Be Streaming Services
Have you received a robocall from someone claiming to be from a streaming company, car insurance, or other place? The FCC has upgraded these repeat offenders to its C-CIST level of misconduct. This new C-CIST level for robo callers will give the FCC more power to readily detect and block them from future messages. “No…
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Local TV Station Want the FCC to Turn YouTube TV Into a Cable TV Company After Local ABC, CBS, FOX, & NBC Locals Demand It
One of the biggest fights right now for the future of cord cutting is local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC owners demand that streaming services like YouTube TV be turned into cable TV companies. At the core of this issue is whether streaming services should be considered “cable TV” by the FCC and, therefore, regulated…
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The FCC Refuses Efforts to Put New Universal Service Fees On Home Internet Services
This week the Federal Communications Commission’s chair decided not to impose a Universal Service fee on home Internet services. These fees are not new to Americans. For years, phone services have had universal service fees that go into a Digital Opportunity Fund. This fee was used to help offer discounted phone service and expand phone…
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This Week The FCC Will Force Comcast, Spectrum, & Others To Disclose The Real Cost of Internet & The Real Speeds They Offer
The Federal Communications Commission wants broadband providers to roll out “nutrition-style” labels that spell out the fine print on the prices of their plans and the speeds they really offer starting this Wednesday, April 10th, 2023. The FCC says these labels are intended to display “clear, easy-to-understand, and accurate information” about a provider’s internet prices,…