Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Hearing: FCC and FTC
January 1, 2019
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The Frame
This hearing sets the stage for federal funding levels for the FCC and FTC, which directly impacts consumer privacy enforcement, the speed of deployment, and the availability of broadband internet in rural areas.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Consumers
Agency enforcement actions regarding privacy, location data, and broadband access directly impact consumer rights and service availability.
Rural Residents
FCC initiatives regarding rural broadband deployment determine the availability of internet access in these areas.
Telecommunications Companies
FCC regulatory processes and spectrum auctions dictate the operational environment for these companies.
Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.
Next step not available in the current record.
Summary
Key Facts
- The FTC requested $312.3 million for fiscal year 2020, an increase of $2.6 million.
- The President's budget proposes $335.7 million for FCC operating expenses in fiscal year 2020.
- The FCC identified four strategic goals: closing the digital divide, promoting innovation, protecting consumer/public safety, and improving regulatory processes.
- The FTC is establishing a new task force to monitor competition and technology markets.
- The FCC is prioritizing the expansion of rural broadband and the deployment of 5G technology.
- Senators expressed a desire for Congress to pass legislation regarding net neutrality to provide regulatory certainty.
- The FTC is facing scrutiny regarding its ability to protect consumer privacy given the rising costs of litigation.
- The FCC is under pressure to address the sale of consumer location data from mobile devices.
Why It Matters
This hearing sets the stage for federal funding levels for the FCC and FTC, which directly impacts consumer privacy enforcement, the speed of deployment, and the availability of broadband internet in rural areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money is the FTC asking for in 2020?
What are the main priorities for the FCC in 2020?
What is the status of net neutrality rules?
News Coverage
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift toward legislative action on net neutrality
Both the Chairman and Ranking Member expressed a rare bipartisan consensus that Congress, rather than the agencies, should resolve the net neutrality debate through legislation.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment15Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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