It’s amazing how quickly this year passed. It’s true what they say, time flies when you’re having fun. I could not have imagined that 2023 would be busier than 2022, but it certainly has been a whirlwind. 

In 2023, NCC continued work with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program rollout. NCC regularly met with NTIA staff to share the concerns, challenges, and the needs of member communities nationwide. The NTIA also released its National Spectrum Strategy this year, which promised to study over 2700 megahertz of spectrum across five spectrum bands for suitability for potential new uses. NCC engaged with the NTIA to explain the need for more unlicensed spectrum for use by communities undertaking wireless projects to serve their residents. I’ll echo my hopes from last year that the NTIA will continue to listen carefully to local feedback. Community input remains essential for making the BEAD program and National Spectrum Strategy a success.

The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has also been incredibly busy this year. With the confirmation of Anna Gomez as the FCC’s fifth Commissioner in September, the FCC has moved quickly to introduce new rulemakings on digital discrimination, net neutrality, minimum broadband speeds, and telehealth data collection. NCC’s filings on each of these issues document local perspectives that are often overlooked in federal policymaking. In some cases, such as the consumer broadband nutrition labels and digital discrimination, we already have rules and are waiting for implementation. For others, policy discussions will continue well into next year. 

Finally, in what may have been the largest issue of this year, the fight to secure more funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) continues. NCC has been working diligently to collect and share the stories that highlight the essential role the ACP plays in keeping some communities connected to the Internet. While the need for the program is clear, its future funding remains murky as budget deadlines continue to loom.

While there has been so much happening this year, we won’t truly get to see the effects until well into 2024. I’m very excited to continue NCC’s work on many of these issues, but also on issues that will resurface. For example, in May we are expecting the release of the first iterations of the Broadband Nutrition Label. The labels stand to be an incredible consumer transparency tool, but only if implemented properly. I’m hopeful that the FCC, NTIA, and Congress will continue to look towards communities for insights and inspiration on how to shape future policies in much the same way they have done this year.     

Ryan Johnston

Senior Policy Counsel, Federal Affairs