November 18, 2022

House Passes Key Broadband Bill

On Thursday, November 17, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4275, the “Ensuring Phone and Internet Access Through Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program Act of 2022.” Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) lauded the bill’s passage, highlighting that the bill will “help maximize enrollment in these crucial programs by improving transparency around the number of low-income households enrolled in these affordability programs.” You can read more about H.R. 4275 here.

Sen. Warner Pushes for Broadband Tax Fix During Lame-Duck

On Wednesday, November 16 at an event held by USTelecom, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) urged that "it's critically important" to move forward on the “Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act” which would prevent tens of billions of dollars in federal broadband grants from being taxed. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) similarly urged the bill's passage at the event. NATE supports the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act and urges its passage. You can read more about the bill here.

Aviation Coalition Asks for More Time to Upgrade Radar Altimeters

On Tuesday, November 15 in a letter addressed to the National Economic Council, Commerce Department, Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a coalition of aviation interests asked for more time to upgrade radar altimeters on aircraft. The coalition, which included Airlines for America, GAMA, and Boeing, argued that the altimeters are not currently able to operate in 5G zones. You can read the letter here.

NTIA Announces Timeline for BEAD Funding Communication

Following the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) announcement that it would unveil an initial version of new broadband maps on Friday, November 18, the NTIA announced that it expects to communicate Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) allocation levels to eligible entities by June 30^th. “The FCC’s upcoming challenge process is one of the best chances to ensure that we have accurate maps guiding us as we allocate major Internet for All awards in 2023,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. You can read more about the announcements here.