The FCC recently released a draft Report and Order establishing a framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). Phase I of the RDOF will target $16 billion in support to census blocks that do not have any 25/3 Mbps broadband service. The FCC initially estimates six million locations could be eligible for support in Phase I of the RDOF.
The FCC has released a draft Report and Order establishing a framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) which will be voted on at the FCC’s January 30, 2020, open meeting. Much of the $20.4 billion RDOF framework in the Report and Order is similar to what was originally proposed in the August 2019 NPRM, but with more focus on driving funding toward the deployment of future proof networks.
The FCC has denied a request filed by Nemont Telephone Cooperative, Inc. on behalf of its wireless subsidiary, Sagebrush Cellular, Inc., for waiver of the final buildout requirement for three lower 700 MHz B Block spectrum licenses, resulting in the termination of two licenses.
An update on news about Huawei Technologies Company.
The Cybersecurity Vulnerability Identification and Notification Act of 2019 has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. If passed, the bill would give the Department of Homeland Security power to subpoena ISPs for the contact information of entities that control critical infrastructure systems and devices that are connected to the Internet and vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.
Update on news from December 2019
A jury has found Cox Communications secondarily liable to the tune of $1 billion in damages for willful copyright infringement. The lawsuit was initiated by a group of recording companies in July 2018. The jury found Cox vicariously and contributorily infringed 10,017 works owned by the plaintiffs, and awarded $99,830.29 in statutory damages for each work infringed.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Blockchain of Things, Inc. (BCOT) have agreed to a settlement over an initial coin offering. The SEC concluded that BCOT violated the Securities Act by offering and selling securities without having a registration statement filed or in effect with the SEC or qualifying for exemption from registration. BCOT must pay a civil monetary penalty in the amount of $250,000.00.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $600 million ReConnect Pilot Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in areas of rural America that lack access to broadband service. To date, USDA has provided awards for 25 projects totaling $229,630,148 in funding for high-speed broadband infrastructure in 17 U.S. states. The funded service areas include a total of 44,833 households.
