Congressional Research Service Reports - 438 Matching Results

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The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape

Description: The report discusses the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-Related Congressional Actions in the 112th Congress. The policymakers, including some in Congress, have long called for varying degrees and types of reform to the FCC. Most proposals fall into two categories: (1) procedural changes made within the FCC or through congressional action that would affect the agency's operations or (2) substantive policy changes requiring congressional action that would affect how the agency regulates … more
Date: January 12, 2012
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape

Description: The report discusses the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-Related Congressional Actions in the 112th Congress. The policymakers, including some in Congress, have long called for varying degrees and types of reform to the FCC. Most proposals fall into two categories: (1) procedural changes made within the FCC or through congressional action that would affect the agency's operations or (2) substantive policy changes requiring congressional action that would affect how the agency regulates … more
Date: February 21, 2012
Creator: Moloney Figliola, Patricia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape

Description: The report discusses the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-Related Congressional Actions in the 112th Congress. The policymakers, including some in Congress, have long called for varying degrees and types of reform to the FCC. Most proposals fall into two categories: (1) procedural changes made within the FCC or through congressional action that would affect the agency's operations or (2) substantive policy changes requiring congressional action that would affect how the agency regulates … more
Date: February 21, 2012
Creator: Moloney Figliola, Patricia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Lifeline Program: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report discusses the Federal Lifeline Program established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1985. The program was originally designed to assist eligible low-income households to subsidize the monthly service charges incurred for voice telephone usage and was limited to one fixed line per household.
Date: May 2, 2016
Creator: Gilroy, Angele A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the availability of radio frequency spectrum that is considered essential to developing a modern, interoperable communications network for public safety. To resolve the debate and move the planning process forward, Congress may decide to pursue oversight or change existing law. Actions proposed to Congress include authorizing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reassign spectrum and changing requirements for the use of spectrum auction proceeds.
Date: January 29, 2010
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Satellite Television License of the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. Section 119) and the 1997 Rate Adjustment

Description: This report summarizes the basic features of the television satellite compulsory license of the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. 119), including the rate adjustment procedures; reviews the October 1997 rate adjustment setting the current 27-cent per signal per month per subscriber rate; and summarizes recent legislative proposals to stay further implementation of the 1997 rate adjustment, or to revise the section 119 license.
Date: September 28, 1998
Creator: Schrader, Dorothy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Telecommunications Act: Competition, Innovation, and Reform

Description: In 1996, Congress enacted comprehensive reform of the nation’s statutory and regulatory framework for telecommunications by passing the Telecommunications Act, which substantially amended the 1934 Communications Act. The general objective of the 1996 Act was to open up markets to competition by removing unnecessary regulatory barriers to entry. This report discusses the history of the law and examines current issues.
Date: June 7, 2007
Creator: Goldfarb, Charles B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Retroactive Immunity Provided by the FISA Amendments Act of 2008

Description: This report discusses the various retroactive immunity mechanisms that were proposed to be included in the FISA Amendments Act, one of which was ultimately adopted, and their likely effect on lawsuits facing telecommunications providers.
Date: July 25, 2008
Creator: Liu, Edward C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses pieces of legislation passed by Congress that are intended to help surmount failures in public safety radio communications such as (1) insufficient interoperability among radio systems, a problem that hampered rescue efforts on and after September 11; and (2) insufficiently robust networks, a shortcoming revealed after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.
Date: November 10, 2009
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses pieces of legislation passed by Congress that are intended to help surmount failures in public safety radio communications such as insufficient interoperability among radio systems, a problem that hampered rescue efforts on and after September 11; and insufficiently robust networks, a shortcoming revealed after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.
Date: October 14, 2009
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the availability of radio frequency spectrum that is considered essential to developing a modern, interoperable communications network for public safety. Also, other critical discussed are (1) building the network to use this spectrum and (2) developing and deploying the radios to the new standards required for mobile broadband.
Date: September 1, 2010
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bundling Residential Telephone, Internet, and Video Services: Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses bundling and public policy issues for Congress. The federal Universal Service Fund - the federal subsidy program that assures affordable telephone rates for high-cost (rural) and low-income telephone customers as well as for schools, libraries, and rural health facilities - is supported by an assessment on interstate telecommunications revenues only. But it is difficult to identify the portion of revenues generated by a bundled service offering attributable to the intersta… more
Date: February 17, 2004
Creator: Goldfarb, Charles B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public-Private Partnership for a Public Safety Network: Governance and Policy

Description: This report summarizes salient points of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) actions regarding the creation of a public-private partnership to build and manage a national communications network for public safety use.
Date: October 16, 2008
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public-Private Partnership for a Public Safety Network: Governance and Policy

Description: This report summarizes salient points of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) actions regarding the creation of a public-private partnership to build and manage a national communications network for public safety use.
Date: June 2, 2008
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress

Description: The availability of radio frequency spectrum is considered essential to developing a modern, interoperable communications network for public safety. Equally critical is building the radio network to use this spectrum. Opinions diverge, however, on such issues as how much spectrum should be made available for the network, who should own it, who should build it, who should operate it, who should be allowed to use it, and how it might be paid for. This report discusses potential paths forward for … more
Date: July 15, 2010
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Funding Emergency Communications: Technology and Policy Considerations

Description: This report covers U.S. efforts to find a solution that assures seamless communications among first responders and emergency personnel at the scene of a major disaster. Legislation in the 112th Congress includes the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act, the Broadband for Public Safety Act of 2011, the Broadband for First Responders Act, and the Strengthening Public-safety and Enhancing Communications Through Reform, Utilization, and Modernization (SPECTRUM) Act.
Date: June 23, 2011
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): Policies, Programs, and Funding

Description: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the Department of Commerce, is the executive branch's principal advisory office on domestic and international telecommunications and information policies. Its mandate is to provide greater access for all Americans to telecommunications services, support U.S. attempts to open foreign markets, advise on international telecommunications negotiations, and fund research for new technologies and their applications. NT… more
Date: December 14, 2011
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Siting of Wireless Communications Facilities: An Overview of Federal, State, and Local Law

Description: The siting of wireless communications facilities has been a topic of controversy in communities all over the United States. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 governs federal, state, and local regulation of the siting of communications towers by placing certain limitations on local zoning authority without totally preempting state and local law. This report provides an overview of the federal, state, and local laws governing the siting of wireless communications facilities.
Date: September 4, 2008
Creator: Ruane, Kathleen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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