Telecom

Congress Must Provide Clarity on America’s Wireless Future

November 29, 2022 | Evan Swarztrauber

This piece was originally published in Multichannel News. Ever since the Titanic sank, the U.S. government has regulated the airwaves within its borders. After the Titanic’s distress signal was drowned out by amateur radio operators, Congress passed the Radio Act of 1912, putting an end to the era of a “cacophony of competing voices, none of

October 27, 2022 | Jonathon Hauenschild

Click here to download a PDF of the paper. Click here to download the policy brief. Executive Summary Federal and state governments have been working for decades to close the digital divide—the gap between those who have access to broadband and those who do not. In recent years, governments have ramped up their efforts, with spending and the number

How (Not) to Waste A Crisis

April 21, 2022 | Evan Swarztrauber

In 2008, with the economy in free-fall, then-chief of staff to president-elect Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, told the Wall Street Journal, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” The line has become

January 31, 2022 | Luke Hogg

Following months of disagreement between federal regulators on 5G rollout in the C-Band, Congress has finally decided to step in. On February 3rd, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold a hearing to examine 5G deployment and aviation safety. Last November, I argued that this dispute was a prime area for Congress to

January 20, 2022 | Luke Hogg

The long awaited 5G rollout was once again delayed Wednesday due to ongoing disagreement between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over potential spectrum interference. Two weeks ago, it appeared that the disagreement had been resolved. But a last minute push by the airline industry to block the plan forced

November 17, 2021 | Luke Hogg

A disagreement between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on spectrum interference has hit a wall leaving plans to roll out a 5G frequency band in limbo. Wireless carriers had originally planned to begin rollout of 5G services on December 5th, but agreed to a one month delay as the FAA

July 26, 2021 | Joel Thayer

As telecommunications revenues decline, a tax to promote universal service – passed onto everyday consumers – continues to increase. The reason: That tax replenishes the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund’s annual budget of $5 billion to $8 billion. The fund is the commission’s primary tool to close the so-called “digital divide” by supporting four

Broadband Plan Needs a Lighter Touch

May 24, 2021 | Joel Thayer

Democratic legislatures and the Biden Administration are correct to focus on closing the so-called “digital divide”—a phenomenon that describes the disparity of those without broadband access. But propping up artificial competition, using European public-utility models, and having highly prescriptive technical mandates to achieve this goal have shown to widen the divide than close it. Last

Biden’s Bungling Broadband Plan

April 5, 2021 | Joel Thayer

The Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan is riddled with issues, especially when it comes to a broadband deployment strategy. The plan seeks to impose 20th century command-and-control government mechanisms, akin to that of an electric grid, to a thriving and diverse internet ecosystem. Sadly, this plan will only leave consumers with less competition and higher

April 1, 2021 | Joe Kane

Click here to download a full PDF of this Lincoln Policy Short. If you are tired of Zoom calls, spend too much time on TikTok, or are reading this on your computer screen, we have good news: The Internet still works. For most Americans, this is unsurprising. But three years ago there was an uproar

March 16, 2021 | Joel Thayer

In 2003, Tim Wu first coined the phrase “net neutrality” in his paper “Network Neutrality, Broadband Discrimination.” He defined a neutral network as “internet that does not favor one application over another.” Today, the Federal Communications Commission faces a choice: either regulate the entire internet ecosystem as a public utility or do not. The agency

February 16, 2021 | Joe Kane

Behind all those Super Bowl commercials about “5G” has been a years-long push to get the wireless frequencies needed for the next generation of wireless service ready for widespread use. One of the biggest recent steps in that direction is the Federal Communications Commission’s auction of licenses to operate in the lower portion of the

February 11, 2021 | Joel Thayer

Click here to download a PDF of the letter Lincoln Network (“Lincoln”) writes to the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or “Commission”) to provide its comments in the above-captioned proceeding. Lincoln is a non-profit organization that seeks to bridge the often-siloed discussions between policymakers in Washington, D.C., and technologists in Silicon Valley so as to advance

December 8, 2020 | Joel Thayer

The United States’ success in the race to 5G is critical, but enabling the Internet of things (IoT) ecosystem is equally important. This Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) in particular has made considerable efforts to expedite the deployment of 5G networks, either through reducing barriers to building infrastructure or through opening up key spectrum

October 20, 2020 | Joel Thayer

Based off of its recent Request For Information (RFI), the United States’ Department of Defense (DoD) intends to balkanize the internet by nationalizing the U.S.’s 5G networks. Make no mistake, the DoD’s plan in releasing this RFI is nothing short of an attempt to capture the 5G market. It makes clear that the DoD seeks

October 14, 2020 | Joel Thayer

After careful review of the docket, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) issued its Order on Remand that clarified its authority in the 2018 Restoring Internet Freedom Order (2018 RIF Order) with respect to public safety, pole attachments, and Lifeline. The FCC did so pursuant to a remand from the D.C. Circuit. Although the

October 8, 2020 | Zach Graves

Following the Department of Defense (DoD) Request for Information on a government-managed process for 5G development and action, Americans for Tax Reform led a group of 43 center-right organizations, think tanks, and policy experts in a coalition letter thanking U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) for his leadership and support for the American competitive approach to 5G deployment. Recently, Sen.

September 17, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

Lincoln Network submitted comments to the FCC on RM-11862, the NTIA’s petition to “clarify” Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Authored by Garrett Johnson and Zach Graves. Click here to view the full comment in PDF format. We write: The Commission has been asked to respond to the National Telecommunications and

July 6, 2020 | Dan Lips

States should expand absentee balloting but prevent ballot harvesting Forty-six states and the District of Columbia will allow all voters to cast their ballots by mail in November’s election. But a recent analysis from the Pew Research Center shows that most American have not voted by mail–increasing the risk that ballot harvesting will affect election

June 30, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

Today the Federal Communications Commission formally designated Chinese telecommunication firms Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation—and their parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries—as posing national security threats. This move prohibits the use of the $8.3 billion Universal Service Fund, to acquire or maintain equipment from these companies. The FCC’s move to finalize this designation is an important

June 16, 2020 | Joel Thayer

To ensure that I am behaving responsibly during this COVID-19 pandemic these past few months, I have mostly positioned myself on my couch where my live-in girlfriend and I exhaust all that online streaming services have to offer. Don’t believe me? Well, we are currently streaming ABC’s “Once Upon A Time.” For the unfamiliar, the

May 20, 2020 | Joel Thayer

WC Docket Nos. 17-287 The D.C. Circuit largely upheld the FCC’s 2018 Restoring Internet Freedom Order (“2018 RIF Order”) in Mozilla v. F.C.C., but the Court requested that the FCC seek comment on three aspects of its 2018 RIF Order (i.e, public safety, pole attachments, and Lifeline). After careful review of the docket, Lincoln Network

May 13, 2020 | Joel Thayer

We Shouldn’t Let Territorial Federal Agencies Override a Pro-Innovation Decision by the FCC Senator Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., gave a speech on the Senate floor yesterday attacking the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) unanimously approved Order granting Ligado’s application to modify its license. Sen. Inhofe argues: I think by now it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone

May 7, 2020 | Joel Thayer

To be competitive in the race to 5G, the U.S. must rely on and support its expert agency – the FCC…. If we have learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the importance of a united front from the government. This is especially true of the United States’ position on 5G, which requires government

April 23, 2020 | Lars Schönander

Today the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to adopt rules making 1200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band available for use by unlicensed technologies. There are tremendous benefits for both industry and consumers in making more available spectrum for use by unlicensed technologies, such as Wi-Fi, where it will permit more users to

April 20, 2020 | Joel Thayer

By Joel Thayer and Garrett Johnson Shelter-in-place America depends on an internet economy powered by tech company innovations. However, digital innovation relies on the existence of strong broadband networks. With the adoption of 5G, tech companies need priority access arrangements for essential services such as autonomous vehicles and telemedicine to operate successfully. That said, if

April 16, 2020 | Joel Thayer

More spectrum will help pave the way for IoT and 5G FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s announcement that he had circulated a draft order to approve Ligado Network’s application is a welcomed one. Granting Ligado’s application would modify its license to allow the company to deploy a low-power terrestrial network for 5G and IoT by leveraging

Comments of Lincoln Network to the FCC

April 8, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

WC Docket Nos. 17-108; 17-287; 11-42 Authored by Joel L. Thayer and Garrett Johnson. Today, we use broadband via 4G/LTE networks to enhance many innovative technologies, such as telemedicine, connected farming, and security platforms to ensure our Nation’s security. The Internet of today requires authorities, both federal and state, to exercise some regulatory humility. Now

Answering China’s Sharp Power

November 20, 2019 | Dan Lips

The Federal Communications Commission will soon consider a proposal to prevent U.S. companies from using Universal Service Fund dollars to purchase equipment or services from companies deemed to present a national security threat, including Huawei and ZTE Corporation. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai made the case for his proposal: “Thanks

October 1, 2019 | Will Upton

Today’s 2-1 ruling in Mozilla v. Federal Communications Commission from the D.C. Circuit largely reaffirms the FCC’s 2018 net neutrality framework, avoiding an innovation-crushing regulatory regime. However, as Lincoln Network co-founder Garrett Johnson argued, Congress still needs to step in to address the harmful regulatory uncertainty of the protracted fight over net neutrality: While some

Progress in closing the digital divide

August 6, 2019 | Garrett Johnson

The world has moved online. With just an internet connection, one can access a vast range of digital services, educational materials, and economic opportunities unimaginable by previous generations. Yet, many people who need these opportunities the most – such as low income people of color – have still been left behind. It’s clear that as

July 30, 2019 | Ryan Radia

Access to speedy, reliable broadband matters a lot to our economy, whether we’re at work, on our smartphone, or sitting on the couch. But it’s not always easy to measure how well we’re doing as a nation in terms of deploying speedy broadband. One sticking point is the gulf between speeds reported by Internet service

July 25, 2019 | Will Upton

Lincoln joined a coalition letter organized by the Institute for Liberty supporting the FCC’s efforts to curb excessive state and local cable franchise fees, as well as in-kind demands, that chill broadband deployment. The letter encourages the Commission to adopt the draft Third Report and Order on the implementation of Section 621 of the Cable Act during

April 12, 2019 | Ryan Radia

The following article by Lincoln Network senior policy counsel Ryan Radia originally ran at InsideSources: Telecom companies are beginning to overhaul their networks with the fifth generation of wireless infrastructure, known as 5G. In early April, Verizon Wireless launched America’s first commercial 5G network in Chicago and Minneapolis, offering markedly improved speeds compared to existing 4G networks—up

January 1, 2018 | Garrett Johnson

Lincoln organized a letter of tech founders and venture capitalists urging Congress to pass bipartisan legislation on net neutrality. Signatories include Joe Lonsdale, Trae Stephens, Joe Malchow, and many others. The letter argues: By codifying principles that have been in the public forum for some time, Congress can ensure that existing investments in internet infrastructure

January 1, 2018 | Garrett Johnson

I made the mistake of checking Twitter to see what people had to say about the vote tomorrow on net neutrality… If you haven’t been paying attention, it turns out that the FCC is about toabolish the internet, or at the very least outsource it to Portugal, and may or may not have commissioned an army of