Protecting Public Airwaves

March 21, 2019 On March 7, the Schools, Health & Library Broadband Coalition (SHLB) hosted a Capitol Hill briefing titled “Window of Opportunity: How EBS Spectrum Can Close the Digital Divide.” The event featured a variety of speakers who have successfully implemented Educational Broadband Service (EBS) programs or who want access to new EBS licenses.

February 20, 2019 The annual conference for the National Educational Broadband Service (EBS) Association (NEBSA), was held in Tampa this week. This year’s conference offered a variety of panels related to EBS regulatory policy, wireless technology, the wireless industry and the good EBS is doing. Voqal’s own John Schwartz participated in a panel titled “Washington

February 15, 2019 Voqal has long been an advocate for using Educational Broadband Service (EBS) to empower communities and connect the unserved and underserved. All Americans deserve an opportunity to participate in digital society. Unfortunately, far too many Americans lack true broadband access. According to the FCC’s 2018 Broadband Deployment Report, about 24 million Americans

February 6, 2019 In the last installment of our ongoing series featuring stories from Voqal’s FY 2018 Annual Report: Be Nimble, we take a look at our efforts to ensure the country’s telecommunications resources are benefiting the public. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a duty to the public – the airwaves belong to the

February 1, 2019 Last week, the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA) hosted an event titled “Can a Voluntary Auction of the 2.5 GHz EBS Spectrum Help Close the Homework Gap?” The event featured a fireside chat with FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who has advocated for conducting an incentive auction to recapture EBS licenses, sell them to

December 14, 2018 Below is an update on the current spectrum policy landscape from Voqal’s Director of Telecommunications Strategy Mark Colwell. Recently, telecommunications giant Ericsson released its annual Mobility Report examining the state of wireless communications across the globe. The report observes that global mobile traffic jumped 79 percent between 2018 and 2019, demonstrating a

November 14, 2018 Voqal believes telecommunications policy should be focused on ensuring the country’s telecommunications resources and infrastructure contribute to a socially equitable world for all. This goal of equity in telecommunications extends to those who control our nation’s electromagnetic airwaves or “spectrum” – a vital public resource that has been increasingly licensed and concentrated

September 12, 2018 In May, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed new rules that would substantially change Educational Broadband Service (EBS). The FCC created EBS to provide educators with an ability to better deliver on their mission. EBS is a successful program that is actively helping to close the homework gap and the digital divide.

August 29, 2018 Voqal, a collaboration of five nonprofits that hold Educational Broadband Service (EBS) licenses, filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking it to deny the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint as currently proposed. Voqal believes the proposed Sprint/T-Mobile merger raises numerous questions. But one that may not come immediately to

August 9, 2018 Voqal filed comments yesterday in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s Transforming the 2.5 GHz Band Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Voqal, filing on behalf of its five nonprofit owners and Mobile Citizen, welcomes the long-awaited decision by the FCC to revisit the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) rules. This rulemaking is a unique opportunity