July 29, 2022

NATE Issues Statement on House Passage of the Spectrum Innovation Act

On Wednesday, July 27, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7624, the Spectrum Innovation Act of 2022. NATE issued a statement “applaud[ing] the U.S. House of Representatives for passing [the bill]” and thanking the leaders and cosponsors of the bill. H.R. 7624 ensures mid-band spectrum is made available for wireless broadband use for the public, which means faster speeds and more responsive networks for consumers. You can read more about the Spectrum Innovation Act here.

White House to Host Summit on Advanced Air Mobility

On Wednesday, August 3, the White House will hold a summit on advanced air mobility, which will feature senior Biden Administration officials and experts on airspace and aviation technology. Lisa Ellman, Executive Director of the Commercial Drone Alliance (of which NATE is a member), will participate in a panel discussing on exploring benefits of UAS/AAM to the public. You can register for next week’s summit here.

NTIA Announces Broadband Grant Awards to Minority-Serving Colleges

On Friday, July 22, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that it will award broadband grants totaling more than $10 million to five minority-serving colleges and universities. The funding will be distributed through the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, a $268 million initiative aimed at improving high-speed internet access at minority-serving institutions. The funding is meant to provide internet access, equipment, and train information technology personnel. You can read more about the grants here.

FCC Announces Over $70 Million in Additional Internet Access Funding

On Wednesday, July 27, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it will commit an additional $77 million for two new funding rounds through the over $7 billion Emergency Connectivity Program, which helps schools and libraries provide tools for remote learning. You can read more about the announcement here.

FCC Announces Agenda for August Open Commission Meeting

On Friday, August 5, the FCC will hold its August Open Commission Meeting. Among the items tentatively on the agenda for the meeting are the Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program, the ‘Your Home, Your Internet’ Pilot Program, and a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) related to space innovation. You can read more about the agenda here.