October 2020 – Next Century Cities

NCC Files an Ex Parte With Allies Urging FCC to Keep AT&T Customers Connected

Blog Entry, By Ryan Johnston, NCC News, News / nextcentury

Recently, AT&T announced that it would begin to phase out its Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) internet service across the nation. The decision will leave an unknown number of current DSL subscribers without a fixed or terrestrial broadband alternative. The Federal Communications Commission has reasserted in a draft order that the repeal of the 2015 Open […]

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Updating Legacy Systems: Good for Security Good for Privacy

Blog Entry, By Ryan Johnston, News / nextcentury

By Ryan Johnston, Policy Counsel Ensuring that every resident and municipal government is able to benefit from digital access also means that new stockpiles of data are being collected on each user. Too often, it is the decades-old server at city hall that collects and records much of the personal information the city is required

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Protecting Data is an Essential Service of Good Local Government

Blog Entry, News / nextcentury

By John Breyault Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud at the National Consumers League in Washington, D.C. In Flint, Michigan, the failures of the municipal government to safeguard the safety of the water network did not only put tens of thousands of residents’ health at risk, it poisoned citizens’ faith in their local

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Privacy is a Critical Component of Digital Literacy

Blog Entry, News / nextcentury

By Amie Stepanovich, Executive Director, Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Privacy is hard. A person may spend more than half of their day staring at a computer or smart device screen, wandering through an endless maze of social media, news, messaging, apps, and online stores. And that’s before you factor in the

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A Spotlight on Provo, Utah

Blog Entry, By NCC Staff, COVID-19, News, Spotlight City / nextcentury

Provo, Utah What are some of the major concerns that residents have about broadband access or connectivity? Dixon Holmes: One of the concerns that we have, especially now in this era of COVID, is they may have the access, but do they have the other tools? Broadband connectivity is great, but you also have to

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Next Century Cities Responds to California Governor Newsom’s Executive Order on the Digital Divide

Blog Entry, By Brittany-Rae Gregory, NCC News, News, Press Releases / nextcentury

View a pdf of this press release here. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Brittany-Rae Gregory brittany-rae@nextcenturycities.org Next Century Cities Responds to California Governor Newsom’s Executive Order on the Digital Divide Washington D.C. (October 12, 2020) – On August 14, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-73-20, which instructs California agencies to employ specific measures

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NCC Reiterates the Importance of a Nationwide Strategy to Expand Broadband Access

Blog Entry, By NCC Staff, COVID-19, NCC News, News / nextcentury

As part of the Moving Underserved Communities Forward event series, ALLvanza, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC), and OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates invited policy experts to discuss closing the digital divide, particularly in low-income and rural communities that still do not have the necessary digital resources. This partnership ensures that diverse

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NCC Submits Recommendations to the California Public Utilities Commission and Reiterates the Importance of Supporting Local Connectivity Solutions

Blog Entry, By NCC Staff, News, State Policy / nextcentury

On August 14, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-73-20, which instructs California agencies to employ specific measures to bridge the existing digital divide among residents. Weeks later, on September 18th, the California Public Utilities Commission’s (“CPUC”) issued this Order Instituting Rulemaking to identify the short and medium-term actions required to accelerate broadband

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The FCC Adopts Items Increasing Available Mid-Band Spectrum

Blog Entry, By NCC Staff, News / nextcentury

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has recently accelerated the rate at which it makes spectrum available. Whether it be spectrum allocated for use in 5G applications, for unlicensed use, or to provide wireless internet service providers with the resources to increase their capacity, the Commission has sought to ensure that no spectrum goes

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Next Century Cities Joins SHLB Coalition Allies in Broadband Mapping Call with FCC Bureau Staff

Blog Entry, By NCC Staff, News / nextcentury

On October 1, 2020, Next Century Cities, as part of the Schools, Hospitals, and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) coalition met with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staff to discuss reclassifying anchor institutions in broadband mapping data sets. SHLB members raised several issues with Wireless Competition Bureau staff including: Data related to broadband access via anchor institutions should

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