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Dialing Back Protections: The Battle for California's Lifelines - Episode 18 of Unbuffered

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In this episode of Unbuffered, Chris is joined by Harold Feld, Senior Vice President at Public Knowledge, and Arturo Juarez from NextGen Policy for a conversation about the high-stakes battle over California's Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) rules and what it means for the future of universal service.

Chris, Harold, and Arturo discuss AT&T's aggressive push to end its long-standing obligations to provide basic phone service across the state as telecommunications providers transition away from legacy copper networks. 

They examine AT&T's multi-front strategy—spanning state legislation, regulatory proceedings, FCC petitions, and federal lawsuits—and explore the potential fallout for vulnerable residents who rely on these lines for affordable, daily communication.

Along the way, they reflect on the critical role landlines continue to play during public safety emergencies like wildfires, when cellular networks frequently fail or overload. 

They also dive into the national context of telecom deregulation, how corporate pressures like stock market performance drive decisions to abandon less profitable areas, and why alternative solutions like satellite internet or chat apps cannot yet replace universal, highly reliable phone networks.

Throughout the episode, Chris, Harold, and Arturo emphasize that network modernization shouldn't come at the cost of public safety or consumer protection. It’s about ensuring that as technology evolves, no community is left behind or forced to accept lower standards of connection.

This show is 54 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes (formerly Community Broadband Bits) or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Whitedrift for the song Operator, licensed Creative Commons Attribution (3.0).

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AT&T vs California: The Life-and-Death Battle Over Landline Service

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California residents are engaged in a protracted, ugly battle with telecom giant AT&T over their ability to receive life-saving communications during an emergency. 

The battle comes as the telecom monopoly attempts to eliminate most meaningful oversight of the company’s communications networks, actively putting human lives – and state rights – at risk.

At the heart of the standoff is California’s Carrier Of Last Resort (COLR) obligations, which mandate that state residents maintain reliable access to voice calls, 911, toll free calls, deaf and disabled assistance services, customer service support, protection from unwanted charges, operator services, directory help, and flexible billing options.

AT&T lobbyists have worked tirelessly to eliminate such requirements in 20 of its 21 state service territories, falsely claiming the regulations stifled the company’s ability to install next-generation fiber access. In reality, AT&T has long been criticized for cheaping out on fiber investments, and is primarily interested in eliminating any dwindling oversight.

As COLR obligations are eliminated, customers are frequently shoveled from traditional copper-based landlines – which operate even during power outages – to frequently less reliable and significantly more expensive wireless alternatives. In many cases that results in California elderly residents losing access to essential lifesaving services entirely, particularly in areas where cellular connectivity is spotty or unavailable.

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Protecting Tribal Access to Spectrum - Episode 17 of Unbuffered

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In this episode of Unbuffered, Chris is joined again by Matthew Rantanen for a conversation about the future of Tribal spectrum policy and why access to wireless spectrum remains essential for Tribal self-determination.

Chris and Matt discuss the Federal Communications Commission's proposed changes to the Tribal Licensing Window, exploring why the policy has been an important tool for Tribal Nations seeking to build and operate their own broadband networks. 

They examine the concerns surrounding the current proceeding and what the changes could mean for future Tribal access to spectrum.

Along the way, they reflect on the history of Tribal spectrum policy, the unique legal and sovereign status of Tribal Nations, and the work that has gone into expanding broadband access across Indian Country. They also discuss why continued advocacy, education, and engagement are critical as new spectrum decisions are made.

Throughout the episode, Chris and Matt emphasize that Tribal broadband is about more than technology. It's about ensuring Tribal communities have the opportunity to shape their own digital future and continue building the networks their communities need.

This show is 32 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes (formerly Community Broadband Bits) or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Whitedrift for the song Operator, licensed Creative Commons Attribution (3.0).

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Too Easy to Reach Orbit? - Episode 16 of Unbuffered

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In this episode of Unbuffered, Chris is joined again by Douglas Dawson for a conversation about the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of broadband.

Chris and Doug begin by discussing the latest developments in the National Digital Inclusion Alliance's lawsuit against the Trump administration over the Digital Equity Act, examining what the case could mean for digital equity efforts and the communities working to expand access, affordability, and digital skills.

From there, they turn to the results of a recent survey examining how rural Americans use the Internet, exploring what it reveals about changing consumer habits, growing bandwidth demands, and the ways AI and other emerging technologies are reshaping how people connect online.

The conversation then shifts to the practical realities of building broadband networks, including the rising cost of Fiber construction, permitting delays, make-ready work, and why better pole inventories could significantly reduce deployment costs and speed up network expansion.

Chris and Doug also take a closer look at the Federal Communications Commission's evolving approach to satellite broadband, discussing recent regulatory changes, what they could mean for the industry, and whether the agency's approach strikes the right balance as more companies look to launch satellite broadband services. They also explore how satellite fits alongside Fiber and other technologies as communities work to expand reliable Internet access.

Throughout the episode, Chris and Doug connect today's policy debates with broader questions about technology, infrastructure, and what it will take to ensure communities have reliable, affordable Internet in the years ahead.

This show is 48 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes (formerly Community Broadband Bits) or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Whitedrift for the song Operator, licensed Creative Commons Attribution (3.0).

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FCC’s Carr Eyes Dubious ‘Reforms’ To E-Rate, Broadband Mapping

Three students smiling gleefully while looking at computer screen in classroom while working on a science project
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Trump Federal Communication Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has announced vague potential changes to the FCC’s E-Rate program that could harm program funding, effectiveness, and the overarching goal of bringing affordable Internet access to long-neglected schools and rural communities trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide.

The reforms come as Carr also looks to make changes to the FCC’s broadband mapping efforts, something consumer groups say could harm the government’s ability to measure which communities need improved, affordable access, or suffer from a pronounced lack of broadband competition.

In an announcement to the FCC website, Carr stated the 30-year-old bipartisan E-Rate program, which costs $3 billion annually, was in dire need of reforms. The program is primarily funded by a small surcharge affixed to phone lines. With the steady erosion of copper-based phone lines, debates have arisen about how to best sustain the program.

But instead of focusing on issues like subsidy fraud by large telecoms, Carr’s announcement oddly focuses heavily on concerns about student “screen time” and what content students are allowed to view. It’s a problematic foray for an FCC boss recently under fire for unconstitutional censorship efforts targeting comedians and journalists.

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Critics Say Trump Administration Lifeline 'Reforms' Will Harm Most Vulnerable

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Consumer and civil rights groups last week told the Trump administration that their proposed “reforms” of the FCC’s Lifeline program would undermine efforts to ensure equitable, affordable access to the internet for all Americans, and are based on lies about immigrant fraud.

Last January, the Trump FCC under Brendan Carr proposed a series of “reforms” to the agency’s Lifeline program, which, as part of the broader bipartisan Universal Service Fund (USF) program, provides qualifying low-income US households with a modest $9.25 monthly subsidy for telecom services (which jumps to $34.25 for tribal homes).

At the time, Carr insisted that the reforms were necessary to improve government efficiency.

“The FCC has an obligation to be a good steward of federal dollars,” Carr said in a prepared statement. “And that is why the agency will be taking a comprehensive look at the FCC’s nearly $1 billion dollar a year Lifeline program, which subsidizes phone and Internet services for low-income Americans.”

To further sell his pitch, Carr made the false claim that the program was somehow awash with illegal immigrants who were exploiting U.S. taxpayers. To “prove” his claim, Carr stated that more than $5 million in Lifeline money funded 116,000 dead people across three states, with the heaviest “fraud” occurring in California.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on CSPAN

“Over 80% of those scams took place in California alone,” Carr said. “That type of waste, fraud, and abuse is completely unacceptable. It should go without saying that only beneficiaries that are both living and here legally should qualify for benefits under this program,” Carr said.

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Another Blow to Digital Equity: Court Kills FCC's Anti Digital Discrimination Rules

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In yet another bruising blow in the fight to ensure equitable access to high-speed Internet service, an appeals court struck down federal rules this week that aimed to combat digital redlining.

The ruling came despite a mandate from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed during the Biden administration that directed the FCC to develop “rules to facilitate equal access to broadband internet access service” that would prevent “digital discrimination of access based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin.”

Not adopted until 2023 after a lengthy rulemaking process and public comment period, when the FCC published its final digital discrimination rules it gave the agency the authority to penalize Internet Service Providers (ISPs) whose policies resulted in “disparate impact,” even if the agency couldn’t prove deliberate discriminatory intent.

Among the real-world “disparate impact” examples advocates presented to the FCC were instances such as when residents of Hope Village, a mostly Black neighborhood in Detroit, experienced a 45-day Internet outage during the height of the pandemic lockdowns – as well as studies that found many large providers charge poor, minority neighborhoods significantly more money for slower broadband access than their more affluent, less diverse counterparts.

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New Law Would Force FCC To Restore Communications Equity And Diversity Council

Front entrance of FCC building
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Lawmakers are pressuring the FCC to restore a council dedicated to ensuring that broadband availability is both equitable and affordable, especially for marginalized communities that have historically been overlooked and overcharged when it comes to Internet access.

A cornerstone of the Trump administration has been the wholesale (and at times illegal) termination of any and all digital equity initiatives aimed at making broadband more uniformly available and affordable for those long stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide.

That included last year’s dismantling of the federal Digital Equity Act, which mandated the creation of three different grant programs intended to shore up equitable, widespread access to affordable Internet, while providing the tools and digital literacy education needed to help neglected U.S. communities get online.

It also included the Trump FCC’s dismantling of the Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC), which has operated in some capacity since 2003 under multiple partisan administrations to make the communications sector more equitable and reduce digital discrimination. Until FCC Chair Brendan Carr arbitrarily disbanded it in January 2025.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on CSPAN

Carr has historically been allied with the nation’s biggest telecom giants, consistently siding with regional monopolies on nearly all policy initiatives. But he’s also dutifully loyal to President Trump, who has targeted efforts to combat systemic racism.

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Telecom Then, AI Now — Rethinking the FCC’s Role - Episode 2 of Unbuffered

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In this episode of Unbuffered, Chris is joined again by longtime guest Blair Levin for a conversation that spans decades, from the origins of modern Internet policy to the uncertain future shaped by artificial intelligence.

They begin by revisiting the legacy of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the lesser-known policy decisions that helped shape today’s communications landscape, including spectrum auctions, number portability, and the push to make wireless a mass-market service. 

Along the way, Blair offers a candid look at what policymakers got right, what they got wrong, and how technocratic decisions quietly transformed competition and access.

From there, the conversation turns toward the future. As AI rapidly reshapes the economy, Chris and Blair explore what role the Federal Communications Commission should play in an AI-driven world and whether it is equipped to do so. 

They discuss the need for better data, long-term thinking, and a renewed focus on the public good in policymaking.

But this episode goes beyond infrastructure and regulation. In the closing segment, the discussion shifts to trust, power, and civic responsibility, reflecting on recent community actions in Minneapolis as an example of collective courage and local solidarity. 

It’s a reminder that while technology and policy matter, the choices people make for one another may matter even more.

This show is 70 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes (formerly Community Broadband Bits) or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Riverside for the music. The song is Caveman and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Is the Internet Still a Public Good? - Episode 1 of Unbuffered

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In the first official episode of Unbuffered, Christopher Mitchell is joined by a powerhouse roundtable: Karl Bode, Gigi Sohn, Doug Dawson, and Sean Gonsalves. Together, they have a wide-ranging conversation on broadband policy, media consolidation, and the systems of power shaping both.

They unpack how decades of telecom mergers and inconsistent oversight from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have concentrated control over our media and reshaped how these issues are covered and understood. 

The group explores the erosion of local journalism, the growing influence of large corporations and billionaires, and how regulatory decisions continue to shape competition, affordability, and accountability.

The conversation also steps back to wrestle with a bigger question: is today’s Internet and technology ecosystem still serving the public good? From algorithm-driven media to infrastructure decisions that prioritize profit over people, the group reflects on how technology can both empower communities and reinforce existing inequities.

This show is 57 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes (formerly Community Broadband Bits) or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Riverside for the music. The song is Caveman and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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