DoJ and FCC approval of the Sirius-XM merger is considered likely but not a slam dunk, judging from early readings by analysts and lawyers who follow the satellite industry. DoJ is expected to give the merger the closest scrutiny. House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Markey (D-Mass.) said the merger deserves close review. At the FCC, the International Bureau, which rarely handles high profile orders, will take the lead under new Chief Helen Domenici.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
M2Z’s proposal to offer a 10 MHz national broadband network in the 2155-2175 MHz spectrum band is progressing as planned, and the future of the proposal now in the FCC’s hands, CEO John Muleta said Fri. “The status update is that the FCC accepted the application Jan. 31,” said Muleta, who spoke to a Progress & Freedom Foundation seminar on the proposal. “We think it’s a solid application and think it’s in the public interest and makes the best use of the spectrum. But I'm going to decline to make any predictions.”
Industry and environmental groups jointly asked the FCC to study the “conspicuity” of steady burning red obstruction sidelights, as the FCC contemplates new rules for wireless towers aimed at curbing bird deaths. Among the rules under consideration at the FCC is a requirement that celltower operators install white blinking lights to protect migrating birds. The groups ask the FAA to determine whether red steady lights can be eliminated altogether without compromising air safety.
A paper by Tim Wu of Columbia U. Law School, released Wed. but widely covered in advance, will reinvigorate debate at the FCC and in Congress on whether to apply net neutrality principles to wireless. The paper, published at an FTC summit on broadband competition policy, comes as the FCC considers reclassifying wireless broadband as an information service.
The American Bird Conservancy and the Forest Conservation Council failed to show a direct connection between bird deaths and wireless towers, a group of industry organizations told the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C. as it takes up the environmental groups’ case seeking a moratorium on Gulf Coast tower construction.
Verizon Wireless doesn’t have a proposal to offer a purported 12 MHz alternative to Cyren Call’s proposed 30 MHz public safety broadband network, Verizon Exec. Vp Public Affairs Tom Tauke said Mon. Tauke’s remarks confirm that while Verizon has floated a proposal, it was never fully developed into a working plan.
Wireless carriers, broadcasters and others seem to face little risk that the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C. will overturn the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) and with it the Feb. 2009 deadline for the DTV transition and 700 MHz auction, judging by the judges questions in oral arguments Fri. Public Citizen contends the law is unconstitutional because the House and Senate bills weren’t reconciled.
A N. American Numbering Council (NANC) working group trying to work out differences between wireless and wireline carriers on porting issues has deadlocked with little prospect of compromise, sources said. In Dec., T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel asked the FCC to rule that LECs can’t impose what they call unnecessary hurdles to number porting.
Wireless carriers have changed their Hill strategy on federal preemption of state controls. In 2006, carriers got then-Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) to fit telecom legislation with terms sharply curbing state control on wireless service (CD June 20 p3). The bill didn’t pass. This year, CTIA and its members will seek interim gains as different bills progress, sources said. And CTIA Pres. Steve Largent will sit with NARUC members at coming meetings in D.C. to talk about state regulation of wireless.
If Congress accedes to Cyren Call demands, providing 30 MHz of spectrum for public safety broadband, it could delay a 700 MHz auction by years, if not kill it outright, members of the High Tech DTV Coalition said Tues. The group voiced its concern in a letter to Senate Commerce Committee leaders, as well as a study making an economic case against the Cyren Call proposal.