FCC loses in court: judges overturn gutting of tribal broadband program

According to a report, a federal appeals court on 1 February overturned the decision by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to take broadband subsidies away from tribal residents. The broadband subsidies allow residents to obtain a US$25-per-month lifeline subsidy that reduces the cost of Internet or phone service. The FCC’s decision reached by a vote of 3 to 2 in November 2017, could not be implemented due to a stay order issued by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in August 2018. The follow-up ruling by the same court has now effectively halted FCC’s plans.