The Divide: Blair Levin on what the end of Chevron deference means for broadbandThe Divide: Blair Levin on what the end of Chevron deference means for broadband

This week: New Street Research analyst Blair Levin joins the podcast to discuss the Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down Chevron deference and what it means for broadband policy and the digital divide.

Nicole Ferraro, Editor, host of 'The Divide' podcast

July 15, 2024

At a Glance

  • Explanation of Chevron deference and what its demise may mean for the telecom industry (02:30)
  • What the Supreme Court's decision means for the FCC's Title II/net neutrality order (10:35) and the BEAD program (17:45)
  • How broadband and digital equity advocates can best effect policy in this new regulatory environment (27:52)

This episode features Blair Levin, analyst for New Street Research and former chief of staff at the FCC. We discuss the Supreme Court's June 28 decision striking down Chevron deference (a.k.a, the Loper Bright decision), and the implications for the telecom industry at large.

While some telecom industry groups are celebrating the decision, Levin suggests they "should go back and read history."

We get more into that. And we dive into the decision's impact on several issues pertinent to broadband policy and closing the digital divide – including the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, the Universal Service Fund (USF), digital discrimination rules and the FCC's Title II order.

We also discuss how broadband and digital equity advocates can best influence policy going forward in this new regulatory environment.

Here are some topics we cover in the conversation:

  • Explanation of Chevron deference and what its demise may mean for the telecom industry (02:30)

  • What the Supreme Court's decision means for the FCC's Title II/net neutrality order ... and why industry lobbyists' celebrations are premature (10:35)

  • What impact the end of Chevron deference may have on BEAD (17:45)

  • How the decision puts the FCC's digital discrimination order at risk (21:50)

  • How the Loper Bright decision could impact ongoing litigation around the Universal Service Fund (25:04)

  • How broadband and digital equity advocates can best effect policy in this new regulatory environment (27:52)

Related:Return of net neutrality rules unlikely to spark big changes at ISPs – Levin

For a lightly edited transcript, click the caption button on the podcast player.

Read more about:

The Divide

About the Author

Nicole Ferraro

Editor, host of 'The Divide' podcast, Light Reading

Nicole covers broadband's impact on society, with a focus on policy and the digital divide. She hosts The Divide on the Light Reading Podcast and tracks broadband builds in The Buildout column.

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