FCC and FTC Formalize Enforcement Partnership for Protecting the Open Internet

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate consumer protection efforts following the FCC’s restoration of Net Neutrality. The FCC’s recent decision to reclassify broadband service as a Title II telecommunications service allows the FCC to protect consumers, defend national security, and advance public safety.

“Consumers do not want their broadband provider cutting sweetheart deals, with fast lanes for some services and slow lanes for others. They do not want their providers engaging in blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “If consumers have problems, they expect the Nation’s expert authority on communications to be able to respond. Now we can. In partnership with our colleagues at the FTC, we will protect consumers and ensure internet openness, defend national security, and monitor network resiliency and reliability. I thank Chair Khan and her team for their leadership and cooperation in protecting consumers.”

“The FTC is squarely focused on protecting Americans from illegal business tactics, from tackling AI-enabled voice cloning fraud to fighting the scourge of robocalls. We look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with the FCC,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “Effective law enforcement requires targeting the upstream actors enabling unlawful conduct, and having the FCC as a partner here will be critical.”

The FCC will return to its traditional position as the enforcer of essential rules as they apply to broadband service providers, a critical part of telecommunications infrastructure. This includes prohibitions against blocking, throttling and paid prioritization practices; transparency requirements; consumer protections related to internet service outages; and basic consumer privacy protections that have long applied to phone networks.

The MOU terminates the 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom FCC-FTC Memorandum of Understanding. It clarifies that commitments under prior MOUs, including the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding regarding Telemarketing Enforcement, as well as the 2015 FCCFTC Consumer Protection MOU, remain in effect and are not altered or invalidated by the new MOU. The FCC and the FTC will continue to share legal, technical, and investigative expertise and experience.

USDA Partners with Local Groups, Co-ops, Tribes to Support Rural Broadband Deployment

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week that it is partnering with rural cooperatives, local organizations and Tribes to support high-speed internet deployment in 11 states.

USDA is awarding $5.2 million in cooperative agreements through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, which is funded through President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will extend the reach of other high-speed internet programs to meet the Administration’s goal to connect every community in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. It also reflects the goals of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild the economy from the middle out and bottom up, and strengthen the nation’s infrastructure.

The Broadband Technical Assistance Program provides funding to cooperatives and organizations interested in receiving or delivering broadband technical assistance and training. This program promotes the expansion of high-speed internet into rural and Tribal communities by funding feasibility studies, network designs, hiring efforts, application development assistance and more.

The USDA’s announcement will help people living in Alaska, Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. A full list of projects from the announcement is available online.