Clyburn, Other House Democrats Slam FCC on 2.5 GHz Band Rules Revamp
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., and Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., led a letter Monday with three other House Rural Broadband Task Force members to “express our strong disapproval” of the FCC’s 3-2 approval of revised rules for the 2.5…
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GHz educational broadband service band (see 1907100054). The other signers were Reps. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa; T.J. Cox, D-Calif.; and Ro Khanna, D-Calif. “While there are elements of the FCC’s action that benefit Tribal Nations -- which we support -- the disregard for the longstanding educational purposes” of the EBS-designated spectrum “is troubling and ill-advised,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Today, millions of Americans -- particularly those who reside in rural areas -- have access to the internet because of President John F. Kennedy’s 'vision' that led to the creation of what eventually became EBS." The lawmakers referenced a recent Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition study that found "compelling evidence in support of a policy that extends and modernizes the current [EBS] licensing regime” (see 1905150053). “Such modernization of the EBS system would have increased LTE penetration, created jobs, and reduced the homework gap across rural America,” the lawmakers said. “We implore you to reverse” the EBS decision and “rigorously pursue all options that reduce the rural-urban digital divide.” The FCC didn’t comment.