Today, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Public Knowledge’s appeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s November 2017 Order, “Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment,” on the grounds that Petitioners lacked standing. The case is Greenling Institute, et al. v. FCC, Case No. 17-73283.

Public Knowledge will present oral arguments requesting repeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s November 2017 Order, “Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment,” before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday, August 27.

Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Public Knowledge worked closely with the Federal Communications Commission and in the states to put regulations in place to prevent recurrence of the large scale, long term communications blackouts that followed the storm. Over the last two years, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has repealed these rules. Public Knowledge has challenged this deregulation in court.

Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission announced that the agency will consider a Second Report and Order on “Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment” to further eliminate consumer protections previously adopted by the Commission to ensure phone carriers provided notice and access to replacement services when discontinuing legacy services.

Today, Rep. Leonard Lance (NJ-R) and Rep. Mike Doyle (PA-D) introduced the Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum, or “AIRWAVES,” Act. The AIRWAVES Act is the House companion to S.1682.

Yesterday, Public Knowledge and Center for Rural Strategies filed comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s recent Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on dismantling the agency’s consumer protections established in the 2015 and 2016 Technology Transitions Orders. The FCC voted to roll back a multitude of these consumer protections last fall.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order to roll back consumer protections established in the agency’s 2015 Technology Transitions Order.

Today, Public Knowledge joined Communications Workers of America and 20 rural, consumer, civil rights, labor, and other groups in a letter urging Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to retain the agency’s tech transitions rules that protect consumers while providers like Verizon transition from copper to fiber networks. The agency plans to roll back these consumer protections on November 16, effectively downgrading rural America.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to adopt a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking aimed at “Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment.” It proposes reforms to pole attachments, and begins examining preemption of local and state barriers to broadband deployment. Bundled among these smaller issues, however, is an effort to potentially reverse the FCC’s Technology Transitions Order adopted in 2015.

Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission confirmed the agency’s July 14 Open Meeting agenda, including an item on the phone network’s technology transition. This digital or “IP” transition involves all carriers transitioning the phone network from copper lines to fiber cables. Public Knowledge, which has long spearheaded efforts to ensure this massive phone network upgrade remains an upgrade for all Americans, commends the FCC on its progress.