In , the FCC imposed obligations on VoIP service providers, including the requirement that users had to be able to make and receive calls from the regular telephone network. This arose after some VoIP users had trouble reaching the emergency network. In December , the FCC approved rules that set new parameters on the size of the largest news and cable companies. In , the Senate voted to rescind the rule. The rules were fine-tuned in December In April , House Republicans passed a bill to repeal the rules, and federal courts are hearing several legal challenges.
The Federal Communications Commission FCC is an independent government agency responsible for regulating the radio, television and phone industries. The FCC regulates all interstate communications, such as wire, satellite and cable, and international communications originating or terminating in the United States.
Leading the FCC are five commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms. The President designates one of the commissioners to serve as chairperson.
Only three commissioners may be members of the same political party, and none of them can have a financial interest in any commission-related business. The FCC is organized into seven bureaus and ten staff offices. In general, the bureaus handle license applications and related filings, as well as analyzing complaints, developing and enacting regulations, conducting investigations and participating in hearings.
The seven bureaus are:. It handles outreach and education through its Consumer Center , which responds to consumer questions and complaints. CGB also collaborates with state, local and tribal governments to ensure emergency preparedness. Enforcement Bureau is responsible for enforcing the provisions of the Communications Act of , as well as FCC rules, orders, terms and conditions of station authorizations. This bureau helps to foster local competition and consumer protection, public safety and homeland security.
International Bureau IB helps to develop international telecommunications policy on issues such as allocation of frequencies and minimizing electromagnetic interference. Media Bureau develops and implements policy and licensing programs relating to electronic media, such as cable television, broadcast television and radio. Post-licensing for direct broadcast satellite services also falls within its purview.
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau is responsible for all FCC wireless telecommunications programs, policies and outreach programs. These services include amateur radio, cellular networks, pagers, personal Communications Service, Part 27 Wireless Communications Services and fixed, mobile and broadcast services in the MHz band.
Wireline Competition Bureau WCB assists in policy development for wireline telecommunications broadband to promote growth and investments in infrastructure, development, markets and services. Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau develops and implements communications for use during emergencies and crises.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, this bureau was added to make sure public safety, health, defense and emergency personnel, and consumers can communicate during times of greatest need. Mergers and Acquisitions. According to USASpending. AAC Inc. Computer Sciences Corp. TeleTech Holdings Inc. The FCC had previously relied on hearings and lotteries to select single licensees. Users dialed in to a call center and used FCC software to place bids. The study reportedly showed that greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage.
The conclusion was at odds with FCC arguments made when it voted in to increase the number of television stations a company could own in a single market.
Barbara Boxer D-California was dismayed when she heard the news of the report and sent a letter to the FCC demanding to know what happened. Then-FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, who was on the commission at the time that the report was written, said he knew nothing about it, nor did his staff. Spiked media-ownership study raises new concerns Associated Press.
FCC probe finds no suppression of media-ownership report Associated Press. Following the revelation that some of the largest phone companies in the United States had helped the Bush administration collect phone records illegally, the FCC was asked to look into the matter.
But if the FCC refuses to even demand answers, then the White House never has to block the enforcement agency from getting to the bottom of this. The American people deserve answers. Welch, USA Today. The FCC rejected long-distance telephone service competition in , banned Americans from buying their own non-Bell telephones in , dragged its feet in the s when considering whether video telephones would be allowed and did not grant modern cellular telephone licenses until —about four decades after Bell Labs invented the technology.
Along the way, the FCC has preserved monopolistic practices that would have otherwise been illegal under antitrust law. What it comes down to is whether the government can and should tell Internet service providers ISPs to charge all customers, big and small alike, the same amount of money, regardless of how much bandwidth they consume.
When it did try, Comcast went to court and won its case. The court said the FCC lacked the authority to tell telecoms how to run their operations. Advocates argue that net neutrality is about equal access to the Web, and that service providers should not be permitted to discriminate against competitors or content.
Opponents of net neutrality want a two-tiered system that would allow ISPs, including broadband providers, to charge a fee for faster service. They argue it is a fundamental part of doing business, that if you want better service for something, you have to pay more than for the basic standard.
Charging more is essential, given the impact that video, image, and audio files have on Web communications, critics of net neutrality say. The FCC in approved controversial new rules allowing large media companies to expand their ownership of television and radio stations. I know that there is no elision with French possessive adjectives. So what's the deal with: Qui est ton artiste favorite? Do you have any tips? In Spanish how do I know when to use de, del, a and al?
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FCC fines can tally as high as the tens of millions of dollars for some violations, which can affect the value of some companies. The FCC's rulemaking and regulation process is established through what's called the "notice and comment" process. The agency provides the general public with notice, allowing people to submit comments before any rules are established, amended, or developed.
These procedures may have wide-ranging effects on the competitive balance in the communication market. While this approval process is designed to protect consumers and prevent monopolies , it occasionally creates uncertainty for companies and investors while FCC approval is under review.
Some don't actually receive approval, which can result in uncertainty for these companies. The FCC has long wielded significant regulatory powers with radio, television, and telephone providers.
In , the commission extended its reach to include broadband internet service providers ISPs by classifying the companies as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act. The commission's decision to list broadband providers as common carriers occurred via a vote that was along party lines. This vote highlights the potential effect the political affiliation of appointed commissioners can have on the regulatory interpretation of the commission. Prior to her appointment, Rosenworcel worked in communications policy and public service.
She worked as the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation as senior communications counsel and practiced communications law. Under her leadership, the commission is expected to undertake several key initiatives. There is a great expectation the agency will take a different direction under the Biden administration than it did when Donald Trump was president.
This includes:. Issues surrounding broadband privacy, the agency's transparency , industry mergers and ownership, and enforcement of penalties and regulations may also be addressed. This is one of the major issues that the administration is expected to explore. The framework for the nation's net neutrality policies was laid out by the Obama administration.
In effect, ISPs were required to give "equal and non-discriminatory access" to content that is available online. Put simply, the policies prohibited corporations from slowing down and blocking content from users. These policies were eliminated under the Trump administration in Biden hinted that the agency could penalize providers who go against these policies by blocking or prioritizing content to "create artificial scarcity and raise consumer prices.
As of June , the commission remained deadlocked, following the resignation of Ajit Pai, who served as chair under then-President Donald Trump. Two Republicans and two Democrats serve as commissioners:. Lawmakers and advocacy groups continue to urge the president to nominate someone to fill the remaining open seat in order to allow rules to be established and advanced by the commission, especially those surrounding net neutrality.
The broadcast media, primarily radio and later television and cable, were seen not only as content carriers, but also, because of the nature of the airwaves like public property such as water , as embodying a public interest. However, the scarcity of frequencies led to a monopoly-like condition that required regulation.
After an era of regulation of monopolies and quasi monopolies, the FCC changed gears during the Reagan administration to become a conduit for deregulation of both common carriers and the broadcast media. During the early years of the FCC, it largely limited its regulation of telephone services to profits. In time, however, the agency began to promote competition. The courts ruled that there was no compelling public interest in a long-distance monopoly.
Recent regulatory issues have centered on the entry of telephone companies into other communications services. In the FCC removed restrictions on their foray into computer communications, and the Telecommunications Act of allowed telephone companies to enter the cable communications market by relaxing cross-ownership limits. Because communications frequencies are scarce and the airways are public by nature, the FCC has been given and has taken some broad powers in regulating the broadcast media.
In its early years, the FCC enforced limits on ownership, chain broadcasting, and content regulation. Among other things, it ordered the breakup of the NBC Blue radio network because of excessive monopoly control.
In National Broadcasting Co. The regulation of ownership has, however, loosened in recent years, because the FCC, in a deregulatory mood, has allowed concentration of station ownership. The Telecommunications Act of raised the limits on station ownership and in several amendments since increased the limits and loosened the rules on media cross-ownership.
However, these developments have not been without controversy. Consumer and other interest groups have protested that the increasing corporate concentration of power violates the public interest and excludes minorities from ownership. Some critics contend that the FCC has fallen short on content regulation.
Driven by commercial interests, it often has failed adequately to insist on the presentation of diverse viewpoints. By contrast, free-market champions often argue that FCC regulation stifles diversity by restricting competition.
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