Federal Communications Commission to Vote on designating Boston and Raleigh as Newest FCC Innovation Zones

Federal Communications Commission to Vote on designating Boston and Raleigh as Newest FCC Innovation Zones | site |



Boston and Raleigh Would Join New York City and Salt Lake City as Innovation and Research Test Beds for Advanced Wireless Technologies Like 5G and Open RAN


(Information contained in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) press release dated: July 14, 2021) Washington, July 14, 2021—FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel today proposed establishing Raleigh, North Carolina and Boston, Massachusetts as innovation zones to allow for advanced wireless communications and network innovation and research. These designations would, among other positive impacts, help spur the development and integration of 5G network technologies and open radio access networks, or Open RAN. Innovation zones are FCC-designated, city-scale test beds managed by the National Science Foundation’s Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research. If a...

Mobius delivers first of 50 IBots to VA to determine how Machines may help Veterans | site |



(Information contained in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] press release dated: June 8, 2021)

Washington - - The Department of Veterans Affairs accepted a donation of 50 iBOT Personal Mobility Devices from Mobius Mobility LLC, May 27 to help Veterans with spinal cord injuries regain their autonomy.

The iBOT PMD increases the user’s mobility by allowing them to independently elevate, interact at eye-level, climb stairs and cross various terrains.

As part of the “Operation Mobility Tour” kickoff, Acting VA Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Carolyn Clancy, M.D. welcomed the first donation at the VA East Orange Medical Center from Dean Kamen, inventor of the iBOT PMD and president of DEKA Research and Development. An iBOT was donated to the center’s Spinal Cord Injuries/Disorders Center as well as the first...

Federal Communications Commission says Emergency Broadband Benefit Program enrolls over One Million Households | site |



FCC says "One Week After the Program’s Launch, More Than One Million Households Are Receiving Monthly Internet Discounts"


(Information contained in Federal Communications Commission [FCC] press release statement dated: May 20, 2021) Washington, May 20, 2021 - - Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel today announced the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program enrolled more than one million households in the first week of the program’s debut. Households in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa are benefitting from the subsidy program initiated by Congress. “The high demand we’ve seen for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program demonstrates what many of us already knew to be true – too many families are struggling to get online, even in 202...

Federal Trade Commission Sues Frontier Communications for Misrepresenting Internet Speeds | site |


FTC says Company failed to deliver DSL Internet speeds for which consumers paid and were promised


(Information contained in Federal Trade Commission [FTC] press release dated: May 19, 2021)

The Federal Trade Commission, along with law enforcement agencies from six states, sued Internet service provider Frontier Communications, alleging that the company did not provide many consumers with Internet service at the speeds it promised them, and charged many of them for more expensive and higher-speed service than Frontier actually provided.

In a complaint, the FTC and its state partners allege that Frontier advertised and sold Internet service in several plans, or tiers, based on download speed. Frontier has touted these tiers using a variety of methods, including mail and online ads, and has sold them to consumers over...

Federal Communications Commission to launch $7.17 Billion Connectivity Program | site |


New Program Provides Funding to Schools and Libraries Critical to Closing the Homework Gap


(Information contained in Federal Communications Commission [FCC] press release dated: May 11, 2021) Washington, May 10, 2021 - - The Federal Communications Commission today unanimously adopted final rules to implement the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program. This $7.17 billion program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, will enable schools and libraries to purchase laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, and broadband connectivity for students, school staff, and library patrons in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Far too often, students, teachers, and library patrons lack the access they need to broadband and connected devices. This need has become even more apparent during these unprecedented times,” said Jessica Rosenworce...

U.S. Department of Agriculture says Trump Administration Invests $4.6 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Georgia | site |


ReConnect Funding to Connect 1,326 Rural Georgia Households to High-Speed Internet e-Connectivity


(Information contained in U.S. Department of Agriculture press release: January 7, 2021)

Claxton, Ga., Jan. 7, 2021 - - The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $4.6 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Georgia. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program. “The need for rural broadband has never been more apparent than it is now – as our nation manages the coronavirus national emergency. Access to telehealth services, remote learning for school children, and remote business operations all require access to broadband,” U.S. Secret...

Remarks Of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai To The Hispanic Telecom And Technology Partnership Digital Inclusion Summit | site |


(Information contained in Federal Communications Commission release: December 3, 2020)

REMARKS OF FCC CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI
TO THE HISPANIC TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS PARTNERSHIP
DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT

DECEMBER 3, 2020

Hello everybody! Thank you to Alejandro and everyone at the Hispanic Telecom and Technology Partnership for inviting me to be a part of your first Digital Inclusion Summit. I look forward to today’s question and answer session. But before we get to that, I’ve been asked to deliver some brief remarks. I’d like to start off with a story. In November 2017, I visited Puerto Rico to survey the damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Although nearly two months had passed since the historic storms, the devastation was still u...

National Institute of Standards and Technology says Face Recognition Software Shows Improvement in Recognizing Masked Faces | site |


NIST says latest NIST test is the first to measure performance of software submitted after pandemic’s arrival.


(Information contained in National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST] release: December 1, 2020)

A new study of face recognition technology created after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shows that some software developers have made demonstrable progress at recognizing masked faces.

The findings, produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), are detailed in a new report called Ongoing Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) Part 6B: Face Recognition Accuracy with Face Masks Using Post-COVID-19 Algorithms (NISTIR 8331). It is the agency’s first study that measures the performance of face recognition algorithms developed following the arrival...

Federal Communications Commission to Host Webinar on Virtual Volunteerism on Dec. 2 | site |




(Information contained in Federal Communications Commission [FCC] release: November 24, 2020)

The FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau will host a webinar on Virtual Volunteerism: leveraging broadband to match individual volunteers with nonprofit organizations and provide services. The free webinar will begin Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. ET.


Editor's note: The FCC Public Notice detailing the webinar may be viewed at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachme...C-368347A1.pdf or press HERE

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Federal Communications Commission Modernizes 5.9 GHz Band for WI-FI and Auto Safety | site |


New Plan Makes Additional Spectrum Available Immediately for Improved Indoor Wi-Fi Connectivity While Authorizing Market-Driven Transportation Safety Services


(Information contained in Federal Communications Commission [FCC] press release: released November 20, 2020) WASHINGTON, November 18, 2020—The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules for the 5.9 GHz band (5.850-5.925 GHz) to make new spectrum available for unlicensed uses, such as Wi-Fi, and improve automotive safety. Specifically, the new band plan designates the lower 45 megahertz (5.850-5.895 GHz) for unlicensed uses and the upper 30 megahertz (5.895-5.925 GHz) for enhanced automobile safety using Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology. Increasing the amount of spectrum available for unlicensed operations is critical for meeting our nation’s connectivity needs...