In the News
Lead Republican lawmakers’ recent charge that the FCC was “deeply misleading” about the affordable connectivity program’s efficacy (see 2312150068) has solidified perceptions on and off Capitol Hill that it will be extremely difficult to reach a deal allocating additional money before the initiative's funding runs out next year, lobbyists and observers told us. Estimates peg ACP as likely to exhaust its initial $14.2 billion tranche from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act during the first half of 2024 (see 2309210060).
Lawmakers are beginning to talk about how to pivot from the House Commerce Committee-approved Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act (HR-3565) text as Capitol Hill continues digesting findings of DOD's study about the potential effects commercial 5G use of the 3.1-3.45 GHz band will have on incumbent military systems (see 2311290001), lawmakers and lobbyists told us.
Republican condemnation of the FCC’s actions since it shifted to a Democratic majority in late September -- and Democrats’ defense of the commission’s recent record -- dominated a Thursday House Communications Subcommittee hearing on agency oversight, as expected (see 2311290001).
DOD’s recent transmission to Congress of its study of the potential effects of commercial 5G use of the 3.1-3.45 GHz band on incumbent military systems likely means spectrum policy will be a larger focus during the House Communications Subcommittee’s Thursday FCC oversight hearing than earlier thought given Republican opposition to some agency actions since it gained a Democratic majority in September, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews.
In a statement Monday, Congresswoman Doris Matsui issued a statement calling for a temporary negotiated ceasefire to ensure the release of hostages held by Hamas and to protect Palestinian civilians.
The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) recognized a significant milestone on November 8, 2023, with the celebration of the Light Rail Modernization Project and groundbreaking ceremony for Folsom 15-minute light rail service. This groundbreaking marks the beginning of construction for the passing track near Glenn/Robert G. Holderness Station, a pivotal step in enhancing the transit experience for Folsom area riders.
The White House’s long-awaited artificial intelligence executive order falls short of protecting innovation while simultaneously establishing guardrails for AI, the top lawmaker on the House Energy & Commerce Committee said during a Communications & Technology subcommittee hearing Tuesday.
The Biden administration released its long-awaited national spectrum strategy and a presidential memorandum on modernizing U.S. spectrum policy at a White House ceremony Monday. The plan identifies the 3.1-3.45, 5.03-5.091, 7.125-8.4, 18.1-18.6 and 37.0-37.6 GHz bands for further study by NTIA over the next two years for potential repurposing (see 2311130007). But the plan omits other bands thought to be in the federal cross-hairs. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr slammed the strategy.
A Sacramento man is among five U.S. servicepeople killed when a military helicopter crashed Friday over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a training mission.
More than 114,000 Americans are on the national wait list for an organ transplant. In 2022,
although 42,000 patients received a transplant, over 68,000 additional patients were added to the
list.