This article is based on Carri Bennet’s April 9th presentation at the Palmetto Broadband Coalition Annual Convention in Greenville, S.C.
In December 2024, the White House’s Deputy National Security Adviser for Cyber and...more
4/25/2025
/ China ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
FCC ,
National Security ,
NIST ,
NPRM ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Supply Chain ,
Telecommunications
On January 27, the White House ordered a temporary pause, via an internal memorandum, on certain grants and loans disbursed by the federal government in order for each federal agency to review their federal financial...more
On January 29, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced that it had rescinded its earlier memo, issued on January 27, which ordered a temporary pause on certain federal grant and loan disbursements, creating...more
1/29/2025
/ Broadband ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Federal Grants ,
Federal Loans ,
Government Agencies ,
NTIA ,
OMB ,
Pending Litigation ,
Rescission ,
Trump Administration
On November 22, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court granted two petitions for certiorari to review the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s (Fifth Circuit) en banc decision in Consumers’ Research v. Federal Communications...more
11/26/2024
/ Administrative Agencies ,
Certiorari ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
En Banc Review ,
FCC ,
Lifeline Program ,
Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo ,
Mootness ,
Non-Delegation Doctrine ,
SCOTUS ,
Sovereign Immunity ,
Split of Authority ,
Sua Sponte
In order to update the FCC’s records, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) issued a Public Notice announcing the opening of a one-time information collection (Information Collection) regarding foreign...more
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has issued a waiver loosening its irrevocable standby letter of credit (LOC) requirements for the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment...more
In April, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to require telecommunications carriers to renew, every 10 years, their international section 214...more
Providing fast, reliable broadband service in 2023 is every bit as important as providing electricity was in 1933 in rural America. Without high-quality broadband, rural areas (many of which already face economic challenges)...more
The White House has provided updates on the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Act). Notably, the White House released fact sheets for providing detailed information about announced...more
President Biden has released a “Rural Playbook” for how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will invest billions in rural communities. This playbook identifies all of the programs and sources of funding set aside for...more
President Biden has signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (2022 CAA), which includes the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (Cyber Incident Reporting Act). The Cyber Incident...more
Last week, the White House and state community partners began hosting a series of “Building A Better America” sessions designed to preview the Biden administration’s priorities for rural communities. These overviews highlight...more
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has released a Request for Comment (RFC) seeking input on three broadband programs established through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which...more
In 1936, during the throes of the Great Depression, the federal government launched the Rural Electrification Act to provide electricity to the people living outside of cities and towns. While 90% of homes in urban and...more
Womble Bond Dickinson attorney Carri Bennet talks with Mark Henriques about how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will greatly benefit broadband expansion, particularly to underserved rural areas. This episode is...more
Takeaways -
..The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would provide $65 billion to upgrade US broadband coverage.
..Rural broadband providers using both fiber and wireless technology have an opportunity to expand...more
8/19/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Broadband ,
Federal Funding ,
Fiber Optic Cables ,
Fiber Optic Telecommunications Network ,
Infrastructure ,
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rural Areas ,
Telecommunications ,
Wireless Industry
Today, President Biden signed a sweeping Executive Order containing 72 directives for more than a dozen federal agencies to impose regulations, largely aimed at Big Tech and Telecom to reshape and promote competition within...more
7/16/2021
/ Antitrust Division ,
Biden Administration ,
Big Tech ,
Broadband ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Executive Orders ,
FCC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ,
Net Neutrality ,
Telecommunications ,
Transparency
This afternoon, President Biden signed a landmark executive order aimed at promoting economic competition by limiting the power of large corporations. The sweeping executive order includes 72 initiatives across more than a...more
7/16/2021
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Biden Administration ,
Broadband ,
Competition ,
Consumer Information ,
Data Collection ,
Executive Orders ,
FCC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ,
Net Neutrality ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Technology Sector
The breadth and scope of the Bankruptcy Code’s automatic stay and the potential cost a company may face for violating the stay made national news last week in a dust-up between two telecom providers, when the U.S. Bankruptcy...more
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Court) has held that a cyber-forensic investigation report was not protected by the attorney work product doctrine and ordered Capital One to produce it...more
6/15/2020
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
But For Causation ,
Capital One ,
Confidential Information ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cyberforensics ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Discovery ,
Document Productions ,
Master Service Agreement ,
Popular ,
Scope of Work ,
Work-Product Doctrine
The CARES Act (short for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) was approved by the United States Senate Wednesday night by a vote of 96-0 and by the House this afternoon. The final approval was not without...more
In this Client Alert, we provide a deep dive on the FCC’s recent Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order, that largely repeals the so-called “Open Internet” regulatory framework implemented by the prior FCC Chairman...more
2/6/2018
/ Broadband ,
Broadband Internet Access Services (BIAS) ,
Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) ,
Communications Act of 1934 ,
Competition ,
Data Security ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
FCC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Internet ,
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ,
Net Neutrality ,
NPRM ,
Open Internet Rules ,
Popular ,
Reclassification Rules ,
Repeal ,
Section 706 ,
Telecommunications ,
Title II ,
Transparency ,
Verizon ,
Websites
On January 9, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has released a fact sheet and draft Connect America Fund Phase II (CAFII) Auction Public Notice (Draft PN) – an item the Commission will consider at its...more