Several top Senate Armed Services Committee members appeared to side Wednesday with DOD officials on the department’s concerns with FCC OK of Ligado’s L-band plan. Others voiced skepticism about some Pentagon claims. Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and others have been exploring legislative options to intervene (see 2004230001). Ligado, which wasn’t represented at the hearing, defended its plan and the approval order.
Jimm Phillips
Jimm Phillips, Associate Editor, covers telecommunications policymaking in Congress for Communications Daily. He joined Warren Communications News in 2012 after stints at the Washington Post and the American Independent News Network. Phillips is a Maryland native who graduated from American University. You can follow him on Twitter: @JLPhillipsDC
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., told us ahead of the committee’s planned Wednesday hearing (see 2004300045) on DOD’s opposition to the FCC’s approval of Ligado’s L-band plan he's doubtful defenders of the proposal can alter his own concerns about the decision. Inhofe and other leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees earlier publicly opposed the decision and are exploring legislative options to intervene (see 2004230001). "Something could always change my mind" about Ligado's proposal, "but I don't think" that's likely to happen, he said in an interview. "I’m not going to talk about” whether an anti-Ligado bill is coming until after the Wednesday hearing. The panel begins at 3 p.m. in G50 Dirksen.
Michigan State University law professor Adam Candeub joined the Commerce Department as deputy assistant NTIA secretary (see 2005010060), making him the agency’s deputy administrator, NTIA said Friday. Doug Kinkoph remains acting administrator “performing the non-exclusive functions and duties” of the assistant secretary of commerce-communications and information, the agency said. Kinkoph has led NTIA since December, when former acting head Diane Rinaldo left (see 1912230065). There hasn’t been a permanent NTIA administrator since former head David Redl left in May 2019 (see 1905090051). Candeub in the past has focused on social media and First Amendment (see 1911150047). Last year, he represented Canadian blogger Meghan Murphy in a lawsuit against Twitter, which had permanently banned her because of tweets about transgender people. He previously worked in the FCC Media and Wireline bureaus. Candeub didn’t comment and referred us to NTIA. Former Charter Communications Group Vice President-Advanced Engineering Jim Medica joined NTIA as a senior adviser. He previously worked from Time Warner, Cisco, MCI and Skadden Arps. After we reported that industry officials believed that former Breitbart reporter Ian Mason joined the agency in a junior policy adviser role, Mason said that was incorrect. He had applied for a job there but decided against accepting a job offer, he said by phone on Sunday. The agency hadn't initially commented on reports of Mason’s appointment. Sunday, it confirmed he's not working there.
NTIA has filled at least two policy roles, the agency confirmed Friday afternoon. Michigan State University law professor Adam Candeub was named deputy assistant secretary of commerce for the agency and former Charter Communications Group Vice President-Advanced Engineering Jim Medica became senior adviser.
Top House Democrats said Thursday they see broadband affordability and access as a priority in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill, despite questions about the prospects for addressing such issues in future legislation. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey and other Democrats unveiled a revised broadband legislative proposal that draws largely from a January plan (see 2001290052) and other existing legislation. Senate Democrats plan to file a modified companion to the Emergency Educational Connections Act (HR-6563) in a bid for emergency E-rate funding. House Commerce ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., told us it may be possible to include some form of broadband funding in the next pandemic aid measure.
House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., says he’s not siding with lawmakers who opposed FCC approval of Ligado’s low-power terrestrial L-band network plans. “We need to trust the expert agencies who make spectrum decisions,” he said in a statement we obtained Tuesday. “This application has been tested, reviewed, revised, and tested again. We must accept the science and the fact that the expert engineers at the FCC took into account the positions of the engineers at the other agencies.” Leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees and House Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., are exploring legislative options to intervene (see 2004230001). “Both the private and public sectors have legitimate uses for spectrum,” Walden said. “We must stick to the facts and trust that engineers making spectrum allocation decisions are doing so for our economic and national security, with scientific data at the forefront of the process.”
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is getting a mix of criticism and defense for recent comments on Twitter and elsewhere about China and other topics. He has also drawn notice in recent months for his criticisms of Free Press’ emergency petition for inquiry into broadcasters airing allegedly false information about COVID-19 (see 2004060073) and the House Intelligence Committee’s subpoenas of call records during its inquiry on impeaching President Donald Trump. Some critics believe Carr is wading into political controversies in a bid to be appointed FCC chairman after current head Ajit Pai steps down, if Trump wins re-election.
CBRS Alliance President David Wright and telecom lawyers said Thursday they are hopeful the COVID-19 pandemic won't further affect the citizens broadband radio service auction. The FCC last month delayed it to July 23 (see 2003250052). Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel had noted concerns about further pandemic-related effects on the CBRS sale and other spectrum auctions (see 2003310049).
Lawmakers and groups drilled down Wednesday on tech and telecom provisions in an anticipated fourth major COVID-19 legislative package, including broadband funding and aid for local media. President Donald Trump renewed his interest Tuesday in including connectivity money in future pandemic-related bills (see 2004210060). He previously cited interest in pursuing $2 trillion in infrastructure spending as part of future aid legislation (see 2003310070).
President Donald Trump renewed his support Tuesday for efforts to include broadband funding in a fourth major COVID-19 legislative package, amid continued Capitol Hill interest in addressing broadband in future pandemic-related measures. The fortunes of broadband funding as part of future pandemic-related bills fluctuated in the weeks since Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the most recent aid bill (see 2003270058). Many tech and telecom entities listed proposals to include broadband funding in HR-748 and future aid legislation as one of the issues they lobbied the Hill on during Q1.