Free Republic

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted Thursday to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules. The agency voted 3-2 along partisan lines to revive rules barring broadband providers from blocking or throttling internet traffic to some websites and speeding up access to others that pay extra fees. The move brings broadband under the purview of the FCC by classifying it as telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. “Four years ago, the pandemic changed life as we know it,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said at Thursday’s commission meeting. “We were told to stay home, hunker down and live online. So...

Uh-oh, Amazon. Looks like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is not playing around when it comes to selling illegal signal jammers. The agency just went public with an investigation into Amazon and other major retailers for allegedly pushing these dodgy devices that can block your cell signal, GPS, and more. Typically advertised as “drone deterrents” or “privacy tools”, these nefarious gadgets are specifically designed to block radio frequencies. This has serious ramifications, cutting off cellular devices and GPS units and impacting emergency communication channels.

One of the great triumphs of the internet and smart phone revolution has been how rapidly access to these communication technologies have spread to nearly every office building, home, and school in America. It’s a miracle of private sector innovation and the magic of the free enterprise system that technologies that were only the play things of the super-rich a generation ago are now so ubiquitous that almost all of the poorest Americans have access — and even many of the poorest people in the most remote villages in Africa have smart phones. Consider the lightning speed of deployment: home...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking action to crack down on robocalls that use artificial intelligence-generated voices after a fake voice that sounded like President Biden was used in calls to voters ahead of the New Hampshire primary election. The federal agency on Wednesday issued a proposal to officially recognize AI-generated voices as "artificial" under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which would make it illegal to utilize voice-cloning technology in calls to consumers. "No matter what celebrity or politician you favor, or what your relationship is with your kin when they call for help, it is possible we...

In a recent turn of events, Brendan Carr, a US FCC Commissioner, has levied serious accusations against the White House and other government agencies, alleging the targeted harassment of Elon Musk and his companies. Carr’s dissenting statement, released today after the FCC’s decision to deny Starlink an $886 million subsidy, sheds light on what he perceives as a deliberate campaign against Musk. Carr asserts that Elon Musk became a target for federal agencies, receiving a “green light to go after” him following Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. The Commissioner’s official statement, published today, questions the FCC’s departure from the traditional framework...

The FCC voted today on a plan that gives the Federal government full control over the Internet. The plan passed by a 3-2 margin. A press release posted immediately after the meeting stated, in part, “Under the new rules, the Commission can investigate possible instances of discrimination of broadband access, work with companies to solve problems, facilitate mediation, and, when necessary, penalize companies for violating the rules. The FCC will review consumer complaints of digital discrimination of access through an improved consumer complaint portal and staff will meet monthly to assess trends in complaint patterns. Finally, the Commission adopted model...

Joe Biden’s administration has recently taken unprecedented action to exert influence over Americans’ digital lives, including broadband internet, net neutrality, social media and artificial intelligence (AI). The Biden administration is pushing for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to claim substantial control over the internet, pursuing a court ruling to gain the right to censor Americans and has issued a broad executive order to regulate AI. Such governmental dominance over the digital realm could have significant adverse effects on American consumers ... “These latest moves shift the balance between governmental oversight and individual freedoms heavily toward the government,” Internet Accountability Project...

It seems like hyperbole, but next week, the Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on adopting the Biden administration‘s plan for a sweeping takeover of the entire internet from the ground up. The plan is couched in the language of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, (DIE) under the auspices of providing broadband connectivity for the 42 million Americans without access to broadband, but FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr says it equates to little more than a hostile government takeover of the industry. https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-398244A1.pdf According to Carr, The text of the order expressly provides that the FCC would be empowered, for the...

Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr is calling the Biden administration's "digital equity" plan for all internet services and infrastructure an "unlawful power grab." Biden’s plan hands the Administrative State effective control of all Internet services and infrastructure in the country. Never before, in the roughly 40-year history of the public Internet, has the FCC (or any federal agency for that matter) claimed this degree of control over it. Indeed, Biden’s plan calls for the FCC to apply a far-reaching set of government controls that the agency has not applied to any technology in the modern era, including Title II...

Americans around the country will see their phones light up this week following a nationwide test of emergency alert systems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission are planning to test both the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Wednesday, October 4, at 2:20 p.m. Eastern. The test will be conducted in two parts, with one set to go to cell phones and the other to radio and TV stations. FEMA says the alert will have a unique tone and vibration to make the alert accessible to all recipients. Phones should receive the...

It’s been six years since internet service providers were granted a boon allowing them to push and pull the levers of internet speeds for any website that may not want to pay a ransom. The end to limitations of what is called net neutrality has tugged at the heartstrings of many internet advocates According to unnamed sources who spoke to Bloomberg, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is just about ready to announce plans to bring back net neutrality rules. It comes just a few weeks after Congress finally approved new commissioner Anna Gomez, allowing for a 3-2 Democrat majority on...

Trading firms are asking FCC to open shortwave frequencies to greater commercial use Ham radio operators are sounding the alarm over the latest threat to their beloved hobby—and this time, it is coming from Wall Street. A group of high-frequency trading firms is asking the Federal Communications Commission to open shortwave frequencies to greater commercial use, so they can use radio to zip financial data around the world in milliseconds. Prominent members of the amateur-radio community say interference from traders’ broadcasts could ruin their hobby, which often involves tuning in to weak radio signals so they can chat with fellow...

Gigi Sohn — President Joe Biden's nominee for commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission — withdrew her name from consideration on Tuesday, the White House confirmed, after three successive unsuccessful nominating attempts by Biden. Sohn's decision ended some 16 months of attempts to secure enough support, and came just hours after U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that he "cannot support her nomination" and urged Biden "to put forth a nominee who can bring us together, not drive us apart." Biden first nominated Sohn in October 2021, but her initial bid to be FCC commissioner stalled after she testified before...

In a major victory for free speech in America, controversial Biden nominee Gigi Sohn has withdrawn her nomination to the FCC. Sohn was at the center of a firestorm that had lasted for nearly a year and a half. Her nomination initially failed during the less US Senate term because she was such a terrible candidate for the job. The White House then inexplicably renominated her in January of 2023, believing that the new one-seat larger Democrat majority would force her through. The Washington Post broke the news, though they did their best to present Sohn as a victim of...

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said he would oppose President Joe Biden’s FCC nominee, Gigi Sohn, saying that Sohn cannot rise above her “toxic partisanship.” “The FCC must remain above the toxic partisanship that Americans are sick and tired of, and Ms. Sohn has clearly shown she is not the person to do that,” Manchin said in a statement. Manchin’s opposition to Sohn could likely sink her nomination to serve at the FCC. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is still in the hospital being treated for clinical depression, and if one more Democrat opposes her, it could effectively tank her nomination.

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed what would be its largest fine ever - just under $300 million - against the biggest robocall company that it's ever investigated. The company made a staggering 5 billion scam calls over the course of three months last year, which the agency notes is enough to 'have called each person in the United States 15 times.' Since the robocallers met the definition for 'egregious violations,' the FCC decided to impose its largest fine ever: $299,997,000. Consumers were subjected to relentless calls that often began with something like: 'We've been trying to reach you concerning...

Twice-failed Georgia Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is now lobbying the Joe Biden White House to be the next nominee for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), according to a report. FCC nominee Gigi Sohn’s confirmation vote has been put on the back burner as Senate Democrats’ one-member majority has struggled to find a way to confirm her. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said that she will push to renominate Sohn, a radical progressive on technology issues, if Congress’s upper chamber cannot confirm her this congressional session.

A liberal group linked to billionaire George Soros has been cleared by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to purchase Spanish-language radio stations throughout the country, rekindling concerns that a "radical political agenda" will influence information provided to Hispanic voters. Miami’s iconic, Spanish-language conservative talk radio station Radio Mambi is one of the 18 stations the Soros-backed Latino Media Network will purchase from Televisa Univision for a reported $60 million. Radio Mambi, which is historically linked to the Cuban exile community and offers an anti-communism view, will be controlled by liberals once the deal is finalized. Latino Media Network, which is...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rescinded nearly $1 billion in rural broadband subsidies to Space X‘s Starlink satellite service. In a news release, the agency said that it determined that applications from Space X and another firm, LTD Broadband, failed to meet the requirements for government funding for its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program. The FCC previously awarded Space X nearly $886 million in 2020 in an effort to expand high-speed internet access to rural areas through its Starlink satellite service. The agency also awarded LTD Broadband $1.32 billion for the same purpose, but the Las Vegas-based business...

The FCC may have just advanced the industrialization of space. Commissioners have voted in favor of an inquiry that will explore in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM). The move would both help officials understand the demands and risks of current in-space production technology while facilitating new projects. This could help companies build satellites and stations in orbit, for instance, while finding new ways to deal with growing volumes of space debris. The vote helps open a new "Space Innovation" docket at the FCC. It also comes two days after the regulator updated its rules to create more breathing room for...