Broadband Topics
Accessibility
The FCC is committed to ensuring that telecommunications are accessible to individuals with disabilities. To meet this commitment, the FCC takes guidance from the Access Board, an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities.
Complaints
The Federal Communications Commission regularly receives complaints from consumers on a wide variety of issues. Consumers are encouraged to always try to resolve the problem first with the company whose products, services or billing are at issue.
Online Privacy
Online privacy is a growing concern for consumers as more day-to-day transactions take place electronically. The FCC urges consumers to take basic steps to protect themselves and their private information online.
Online Safety
The FCC is committed to helping children keep safe when they are online, in and outside of the home. As a partner in OnGuard Online, a federal agency partnership maintained by the Federal Trade Commission, the FCC provides practical information about discusing online safety with children and teenagers, including social networking, cyberbullying, using mobile phones safely and protecting the family computer.
Parents
The FCC is a leader in encouraging the safe use of electronic media by children. From televisions to laptops to cell phones, electronic media have become our children's almost constant companions.
Phone Bills
The FCC's Truth-in-Billing rules require telephone companies to provide clear, non-misleading, plain language in describing services for which customers are being billed. The company sending the bill must identify the service provider associated with each charge.
Spam
Many consumers find unsolicited e-mail and text messages – also known as spam – annoying and costly. In 2003, Congress enacted the CAN-SPAM Act to curb spam.
Accessibility
The FCC is committed to ensuring that telecommunications are accessible to individuals with disabilities. To meet this commitment, the FCC takes guidance from the Access Board, an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities.
Closed Captioning
Closed captioning displays the audio portion of a television program as text on the television screen.It provides a critical link to news, entertainment and other televised information for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Disability
The FCC addresses a variety of disability-related telecommunications matters, including telecommunications relay service, access to telecommunications equipment and services for people with disabilities, access to emergency information and closed captioning. The FCC also provides expert advice and assistance to consumers, industry and others on issues relevant to people with disabilities.
Native Nations
Many residents of Tribal lands and native communities lack affordable access to modern communications tools and networks, and risk being left behind as these technologies quickly develop. The FCC is addressing this gap through regulatory action, consumer information and community outreach.
Relay Services
Relay services allow people with communications disabilities to interact with voice phone users through a keyboard or other input method. There are various types of relay service.
Rural Access
Rural and small-town Americans require access to 21st century communications tools and technologies to stay plugged in and competitive in the global economy. Bringing the benefits of mobile broadband to rural America is one the FCC’s top priorities.
Universal Service
The Universal Service Fund program -- or USF-- has helped connect virtually every American to our 20th century communications grid, first bringing basic telephone service to places where there was no economic case for service, and then extending the benefits of mobile phone service to rural and underserved areas. The FCC is pursuing initiatives that will modernize and streamline the Universal Service Fund program, preparing it for 21st century telecommunications and technologies.
Mergers & Acquisitions
The FCC reviews applications for the transfer of control and assignment of licenses and authorizations to ensure that the public interest would be served by approving the transaction.The commission's goal is a faster and more consistent review and analysis of applications.
Auctions
The FCC uses auctions (competitive bidding) as one of the primary means of choosing among two or more mutually exclusive applications for an initial license for most commercial services, including wireless, television and radio. In a spectrum auction, parties apply to become qualified bidders for one or more spectrum licenses and take part in an online auction for those licenses.
Competition
The competitive framework for communications services should foster innovation and offer consumers reliable, meaningful selections in affordable services. The FCC pursues removing regulatory, economic and operational barriers throughout the telecommunications sector.
Enforcement
The FCC enforces provisions of the Communications Act and the commission's rules, orders and terms and conditions relating to licenses. Areas of responsibility include broadcast, cable, satellite and wireless services, as well as common carrier services.
Equipment Authorization
The FCC oversees the authorization of equipment using the radio frequency spectrum. These devices may not be imported and/or marketed until they have shown compliance with the technical standards specified by the commission.
Licensing
The FCC is responsible for managing and licensing the electromagnetic spectrum for commercial users and for non-commercial users including: state, county and local governments. This includes public safety, commercial and non-commercial fixed and mobile wireless services, broadcast television and radio, satellite and other services.
Ownership
The FCC reviews applicants’ eligibility to ensure compliance with applicable ownership rules for licenses, including media licenses and other authorizations. For example, parties must disclose ownership structures when applying for a license or authorization.
Tower
While the siting of wireless facilities is generally a local matter subject to zoning ordinances and statutes, the FCC has some rules relating to the location and construction of communications towers. For example, to ensure safe air navigation FCC rules require the registration of towers or other structures that support antennas, such as water towers or buildings, that are more than 200 feet in height or located near an airport runway.
Education
Educators, parents and students meet major challenges in education through the use of broadband technology. Broadband lets teachers expand instruction beyond the confines of the physical classroom and the traditional school day.
Energy & Environment
Broadband plays an important role in solving the country’s energy and environmental challenges. Broadband and advanced communications can impact energy and the environment as the foundation of a smarter electric grid and as a platform for innovation in smart homes and buildings, especially if utilities unlock energy data.
Health Care
Broadband-enabled solutions have an important role in health information technology. There is potential to improve delivery of health care services, contribute to controlling costs, and extend the reach of health care professionals.
National Broadband Plan
The National Broadband Plan sets out a roadmap for initiatives to stimulate economic growth, spur job creation and boost America's capabilities in education, health care, homeland security and more. The plan includes sections focusing on economic opportunity, education, health care, energy and the environment, government performance, civic engagement and public safety.
Public Safety
During a major emergency, the FCC’s primary mission is to ensure continuous operations and restore critical communications systems and services. Reliable, effective communications are critical whenever life or property are in danger.
Open Internet
The “open Internet” is the Internet as we know it. It’s “open” because it uses free, publicly available standards that anyone can access and build to, and because it treats all traffic that flows across the network in roughly the same way.
Cable Television
Cable television is a video delivery service provided by a cable operator to subscribers via a coaxial or fiber optic cable. Other subscription video service distributors include direct broadcast satellite providers, home satellite dishes and local telephone companies.
Satellite
Satellite technology provides telecommunications service throughout the nation and the world. Because satellites orbit far above the Earth, their footprint, or service area, covers nearly every part of the United States, providing instant, ubiquitous and reliable coverage.
Smart Grid
Congress directed the FCC, in its development of a National Broadband Plan, to include “a plan for the use of broadband infrastructure and services in advancing... energy independence and efficiency.” Smart Grid technology is a promising way to use broadband and other advanced communications to promote energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage energy independence. Smart Grid applications are being deployed using a variety of public and private communications networks.
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a traditional phone line. VoIP service providers offer a range of capabilities. These include local, long distance, and international calling; calling via computer, mobile phone, dedicated VoIP phones, or VoIP adapters; and support for connections between VoIP and traditional phones.
Wireless
Wireless communications services include cellular telephone, paging, personal communications services, public safety, and commercial and private radio services. Cultivating growth and encouraging innovation in the wireless arena is a key FCC goal.
