Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is “pretty close” to finalizing a draft Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization bill, with an eye to bringing it up for a November committee markup. “I would hope we'd move very quickly” to bring a STELA bill up for Senate Commerce consideration, Wicker told us, confirming others' expectations (see 1910220058). The committee examined STELA last week, its hearing focused partly on whether there's an appetite to renew the statute for a term shorter than the traditional five years (see 1910230053). Wicker said his Tuesday meeting with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. (see 1910290064) increased his interest in inserting language from the Truth-in-Billing, Remedies and User Empowerment over Fees (True Fees) Act in a recertification package. S-510/HR-1220 would let customers end contracts with providers without early termination fees if the provider increases prices, and would prevent equipment fee increases unless providers improve the devices (see 1902140045). “We all want to get to the same result” to increase “transparency and the most information possible to the consumer,” Wicker said.
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
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., saw positive signs for moving forward on legislation to mandate an FCC-led public auction of spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band after all subcommittee Democrats and several Republicans showed a clear preference for such a plan during a Tuesday hearing. The panel also was a forum for castigating the C-Band Alliance's proposal for a private auction of the bandwidth, as expected (see 1910280040). All sides continued to meet with the FCC. Chairman Ajit Pai is expected to propose a private auction plan for a vote at commissioners' Dec. 12 meeting (see 1910100052).
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters Tuesday he's interested in including language from the Truth-in-Billing, Remedies and User Empowerment over Fees (True Fees) Act (HR-1220/S-510) in a Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization bill. Commerce examined STELA during a hearing last week, focusing on whether there's appetite to renew the statute for a term shorter than the traditional five years. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., during the hearing floated the idea of including HR-1220/S-510 language in a recertification measure (see 1910230053). “We're looking at” that language, Wicker said now. “Sen. Markey is on to something and I'm working with him and may even be meeting with him” Tuesday afternoon. The bill would require all telecom, cable and broadband providers include all charges in advertised prices (see 1902140045).
Tuesday's House Communications Subcommittee hearing on repurposing spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band (see 1910220070) is expected, like other Capitol Hill panels this year, to largely criticize the C-Band Alliance's proposal for a private auction of the bandwidth, communications policy-focused lobbyists said in interviews. House Communications, the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee examined the FCC's C-band proceeding in hearings since May (see 1910170038). The House Communications panel will begin at 10 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn. A consortium of major satellite operators affiliated with CBA ahead of the hearing upped what they said their private auction plan would clear, as expected (see 1910250062).
FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly appears to have the support of several top Republicans to remain for another term, a factor officials told us makes him strongly favored for renomination. One stumbling block appears to be the timeline for President Donald Trump to re-up him amid a souring confirmations atmosphere on Capitol Hill caused by the House impeachment inquiry and 2020 presidential campaign. O'Rielly's term expired June 30 (see 1412170031). He can remain until this Congress ends at the beginning of 2021.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., predicted Thursday that other Democrats will participate in the working group he and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., formed to write a bipartisan net neutrality measure (see 1903120078) after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit's Mozilla v. FCC ruling. The Oct. 1 decision largely upheld FCC rescission of 2015 net neutrality rules but said the federal agency can’t yet pre-empt states (see 1910010018). Wicker, Sinema and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai were among recipients of USTelecom's first “Broadband Heroes” awards, though Sinema didn't appear at Thursday's event. Wicker said the ruling is generally “good news” and will help improve chances for bipartisan consensus on net neutrality legislation. Lawmakers haven't shifted their views on rescinded rules since the ruling, which many see as a sign that movement toward a legislative deal's unlikely before the 2020 presidential election (see 1910010044). Wicker noted the importance of USTelecom member companies because they “will play a critical role in the deployment of 5G.” Pai emphasized the importance of career staff in shaping commission work, saying he's “simply pushing paper” in a Washington office.
Some media-focused officials testified in favor of a shorter-term Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization during a Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee hearing. The possibility has come into increasing focus as the law's Dec. 31 expiration nears (see 1910220058). Witnesses otherwise adhered to their existing STELA stances. Several Senate Commerce members later told us they're no closer to deciding what direction to go on the issue.
Communications sector lobbyists and officials say they will be watching during and after the Senate Commerce Committee's planned Wednesday hearing on Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization (see 1910160036) for any new signs of the direction committee leaders plan to go. Both Senate Commerce and the House Commerce Committee appear to be nearing decision on contours of their respective STELA bills, though they appear likely to differ on the time frame for renewing the statute, lobbyists told us. Senate Commerce also examined the recertification debate in June, as did the House Communications Subcommittee (see 1906050083). STELA sunsets Dec. 31.
Facebook and Amazon reported increases in Q3 lobbying spending over the same period in 2018 amid ongoing Capitol Hill antitrust interest in the tech sector. Disney, USTelecom and NetChoice were among those that said earlier Monday they increased spending (see 1910210077). Google reported a 50 percent drop to $2.98 million. Comcast, AT&T and NAB also had declines. Facebook said it spent $4.8 million, up nearly 70 percent. Amazon reported just over $4 million, an 11 percent increase. AT&T laid out $3.24 million, down almost 16 percent. Comcast reported just over $3 million, down more than 11 percent. NAB's dropped more than 12 percent to $2.98 million. NCTA increased expenditures more than 5 percent to $2.94 million. Verizon's spending increased 4 percent to $2.43 million. Charter's decreased 2 percent to $2.23 million. T-Mobile's increased more than 7 percent to $2.21 million. CBS' spending stayed level at $900,000. Fox upped expenditures almost 22 percent to $780,000. Dish Network increased 13 percent to $590,000.
Southern Pennsylvania community leaders and stakeholders said House Small Business Rural Development Subcommittee members should consider changes to federal broadband programs, during a Monday hearing in Gettysburg. Witnesses cited overlapping FCC and Department of Agriculture mandates on broadband funding and pointed to state-level initiatives as both a positive and negative development. House Communications Subcommittee leaders are working on a combined broadband mapping legislative package that's expected to be filed using Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (Data) Act (HR-4229) as its vehicle (see 1909250063).