Digital Liberty advocates for a consumer-driven market free from heavy regulation or taxation of the Internet, technology, telecommunications, video games, and media.
Bad Proposals
Biden FCC’s Digital Discrimination Order is Overbroad and Unworkable
By James Erwin One to 218. No, that’s not the teacher-to-student ratio in Mumbai elementary schools (that would be a measly 1:36). That’s the number of pages in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorizing the FCC to embark on its digital discrimination rulemaking to the number of pages…
Bad Proposals
Net Neutrality May Have Slowed Down the Internet
Amid much hue and cry, apocalyptic predictions, and advocacy from “comedian” John Oliver’s HBO show, the FCC revoked the Open Internet Order in 2017 (effective 2018). Widely promoted as “Net Neutrality,” the policy had been adopted by the FCC in 2014 after public pressure by then-President Obama,…
Uncategorized
Digital Liberty Submits Last Reply Comments to FCC on Biden’s Digital Discrimination Order
By Jason Lee Digital Liberty filed the last round of reply comments on April 1st to the FCC regarding Biden’s digital discrimination order, which was adopted in 2023. The rules have the stated intention of preventing and eliminating digital discrimination under the…
Uncategorized
FCC Should not Reward RDOF Failure
By James Erwin The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) is not quite a punchline among broadband advocates, but its shortcomings have long been apparent. Deadlines are often blown, tax dollars routinely wasted, and consumers largely left unsatisfied. Of the $9.2 billion awarded through RDOF over 10 years, over $2.8 billion…
5G
Cruz, Thune Lead on Spectrum
By James Erwin It’s finally here. Shortly after the one-year anniversary of the FCC’s spectrum auction authority expiring on due to congressional inaction, Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced a bill to remedy this dysfunction. The short, five-page bill would finally restore the FCC’s auction authority until September 30,…
Broadband
FCC Pushing for Fee Increase for 2025 Budget
By Jason Lee This week, the FCC publishes its 2025 budget estimates for its funding from Congress. In its budget breakdown, the FCC plans to have a base increase of $30,000,000 in 2025. This is a massive increase over the Commission’s $2,450,000 base increase in fiscal year…
Bad Proposals
Wi-Fi on School Buses is a Horrible Idea
By Jason Lee In July 2023, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was pushing the idea of installing Wi-Fi on school buses using E-Rate funding during a speech at the American Library Association. This was in spite of the fact that E-Rate funding…
Economic Growth
FCC Pushes Broadcasters to Publish DEI Scorecards of Employees
By Jason Lee The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion agenda is losing ground by the day. More corporations are cutting their DEI departments, and it is generating backlash. The FCC joined in last month when it voted 3- 2…
Digital Divide
FCC’s Enhanced Competition Incentive Program Uses Better Incentives, But It’s Still A Band-Aid
By Jason Lee Last week the FCC launched the Enhanced Competition Incentive Program , which the commission voted to establish in July 2022. The program seeks to incentivize spectrum license holders to provide unused radiofrequency spectrum to small carriers, tribal nations, and…
Uncategorized
How Federal AI Adoption Can Benefit Taxpayers
By Jason Lee Artificial Intelligence coming of age is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for taxpayers. A month ago, following a report from Chief Justice John Roberts on AI use in the judiciary, the House Committee on Administration held a hearing on Artificial Intelligence Innovation within the Legislative…