- Supply Chain Legislation
- FCC to Investigate Private-Sector Diversity
- Houston Literacy Office Hosted Digital Symposium
- 12 New Broadband Projects in Mississippi
- Princeton Expands Corrections Facilities’ Device Access
SUPPLY CHAIN LEGISLATION
This week, a group of U.S. senators reintroduced bipartisan legislation to ensure federal broadband programs remain on track. The Network Equipment Transparency (NET) Act aims to boost the transparency of the broadband supply chain through the FCC.
The announcement cites the impact of previous supply chain disruptions on broadband infrastructure projects, indicating that they have led to delays. The goal of this legislation is to help enable earlier identification of issues in the telecommunications supply chain that could lead to equipment shortages, and ultimately, project timeline delays.
“This bipartisan bill would fortify the investments we made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand high-speed, affordable Internet by identifying issues in the broadband supply chain early, before they impact American businesses, workers, and consumers,” Sen. Gary Peters said in a statement.
If enacted, the NET Act would amend Section 13 of the Communications Act of 1934 to require that the FCC’s Communications Marketplace Report include information on the impact of supply chain disruptions on broadband infrastructure project timelines. The FCC would be responsible for determining whether lacking network equipment impacted broadband projects’ completion in the prior year. The aim is to equip Congress with the necessary information to remedy any supply chain challenges.
This legislation has been proposed in the past. It was first introduced in the 117th Congress in February 2022 and was reintroduced in the 118th Congress in March 2023.
According to a one-pager on the proposed legislation, supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic caused both delays and uncertainty for those purchasing essential components of broadband networks.
As such, in 2021, the FCC issued a public notice requesting comment on the impact of supply chain challenges on the communications sector. The majority of companies surveyed reported that delays in supply procurement often resulted in project installation delays.
“Supply chain disruptions delay the rollout of [Bipartisan Infrastructure Law] projects,” Sen. John Hickenlooper said in a statement. “We have no time to waste.”
FCC TO INVESTIGATE PRIVATE-SECTOR DIVERSITY
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, appointed by then President-elect Donald Trump in November, has opened an investigation into the equal employment opportunity practices of Comcast and NBCUniversal.
In a Feb. 11 letter to Comcast, Carr stated that he is “concerned that Comcast and NBCUniversal may be promoting invidious forms of [diversity, equity and inclusion] in a manner that does not comply with FCC regulations,” citing Comcast’s offering of diversity training for company leaders as one potential example of non-compliance. Carr referenced President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for the elimination of such federal programs.
However, a statement from FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks criticizes the move by Carr, stating that as a commissioner, Carr opposed the prior administration’s actions vetoing private-sector decisions: “From what I know, this enforcement action is out of our lane and out of our reach.”
Comcast leadership previously released a statement in support of Carr’s appointment to the chairman position, welcoming his stance on “deregulation” among other things; however, the latest action seems to regulate private-sector decisions.
“We believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive company is a more innovative and successful one,” a Comcast webpage said on the topic, detailing the company’s commitment to mitigate injustice against race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, disability or veteran status.
According to reporting by Reuters, Comcast has confirmed the receipt of an FCC inquiry and will cooperate with the investigation. Reuters cited a company statement in which Comcast reaffirmed its commitment of “integrity and respect” for all of its employees and customers.
HOUSTON LITERACY OFFICE HOSTED DIGITAL SYMPOSIUM
In local news, last week the city of Houston’s Mayor's Office for Adult Literacy held its second digital literacy symposium. The in-person event, the 2nd Annual Digital Symposium: The Future of Adult Literacy, took place Feb. 7. Virtual access to sessions was provided.
The symposium focused on the need for workers to have digital skills. It aimed to equip adult educators, volunteers, and other stakeholders with training and experience ranging from basic digital skills to artificial intelligence use — an area in which there is an emerging digital divide. Participants got to hear from industry leaders and even engage in simulated workforce training using virtual reality or augmented reality technology.
12 NEW BROADBAND PROJECTS IN MISSISSIPPI
In state news, the office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) has approved 12 broadband infrastructure projects, supported by $32.5 million from the federal Capital Projects Fund (CPF). All projects funded by CPF must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026.
These projects will help build Internet service access for approximately 9,000 households. BEAM last year approved 37 other projects, with CPF funding totaling $100 million.
BEAM has also leveraged CPF funding for public Wi-Fi projects. Locations include parks, volunteer fire stations and downtowns. BEAM is also taking steps to access federal funding from the widely anticipated Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.
PRINCETON EXPANDS CORRECTIONS FACILITIES’ DEVICE ACCESS
Universities can play a big role in efforts to close the digital divide, and Princeton University recently announced its own initiative in this area.
The university has donated 52 laptop computers to the New Jersey Department of Corrections. The laptops, and equipment including headsets and printers, will be used in two state prison facilities as part of the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) initiative.
This donation will help enable computer access for students who are incarcerated, teaching them digital skills that will be essential to their re-entry upon release.
NJ-STEP is an initiative through which individuals who are incarcerated can earn credits towards a degree to help prepare them for the workforce after their time is served.
