Broadband items drew some lawmakers’ attention Wednesday night and Thursday as Capitol Hill fully shifted into the week-plus Thanksgiving recess. A trio of non-Commerce Committee-affiliated senators weighed into the debate over expanding the USF contribution base, while leaders of the House and Senate Commerce committees sided along party lines on the FCC’s 3-2 Wednesday vote to adopt rules aimed at curbing digital discrimination (see 2311150040). President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is set to sign off before Friday night on a continuing resolution to fund the FCC, FTC, NTIA and other Commerce Department agencies at FY 2023 levels through Feb. 2 (HR-6363) after the Senate joined the House Wednesday night in passing the measure.
LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Congress should continue “lifeblood connectivity” provided through the affordable connectivity program (ACP), Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chairman Stephen DeFrank said in an interview at this week’s NARUC meeting. Expect broadband, universal service and pole attachments to be key issues for the state PUC in the year ahead, he said. Industry officials debated possible USF changes during a Tuesday panel.
DOJ’s effort to update U.S. antitrust policies with the FTC could have the opposite intended effect and undermine competition, party leaders on the House Antitrust Subcommittee said Tuesday.
Trade associations led by CTA offered a set of principles on a cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices, saying it should be voluntary and based on existing National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance. That message is consistent with industry responses in initial comments on an August NPRM (see 2310100034). “While significant operational details must still be determined before a program can launch, we are encouraged by the Commission’s intention to work collaboratively with industry in a way that helps consumers make more informed buying choices while encouraging device makers to meet established cybersecurity standards,” the groups said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-239. The groups also said the program “must be distinct from equipment authorization processes, including no requirement to complete the certification or authorization process before qualifying for the Mark.” Achieving certification “should indicate that a product is equipped with ‘reasonable security’ for purposes of liability protection,” the filing said. Manufacturers should be allowed to “self-attest with appropriate trust mechanisms that are based on meeting” NIST’s core baseline for consumer IoT products. The FCC should also “encourage international alignment of cybersecurity labeling practices and mutual recognition agreements” and the U.S. government should launch “a robust consumer education campaign … to drive awareness and understanding of the Mark,” said the filing. It was signed by groups including the Connectivity Standards Alliance, CTIA, the Information Technology Industry Council, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the Security Industry Association, the Telecommunications Industry Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and USTelecom.
USTelecom welcomed the FCC's draft order implementing the Safe Connections Act in separate meetings with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Brendan Carr, Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington. Commissioners will consider the order, which would provide survivors of domestic violence with access to safe and affordable communications services, during a Nov. 15 agency meeting (see 2310250070). The group sought greater flexibility in the deadlines for providers to update their copies of the hotline database, per an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 22-238. "Providers will need the additional time to perform the monthly updates if the process is technically complex," USTelecom said. The group also asked that survivors self-certify their eligibility for Lifeline to do so in the national verifier and that they can receive the benefit only for voice-only mobile wireless service.
America’s Public Television Stations names Michelle Shanahan, ex-NPR, general counsel … USTelecom names Mariah Wollweber, ex-National Association of Wheat Growers, as senior director-communications … NAB hires Karen Chupka, ex-Consumer Technology Association, to succeed Chris Brown (see 2307100054) as managing director-executive vice president, global connections and events, effective Jan. 1.
Broadband providers and allies are heavily lobbying the 10th floor regarding the pending digital discrimination order on the FCC's November agenda (see 2310240008), raising red flags and pushing for changes, per docket 22-69 filings Monday. Fans of the draft order are also calling for changes.
Officials affiliated with NATOA and other local government groups called on their supporters during a Monday webinar to lobby or otherwise communicate with House members in a bid to oppose the Commerce Committee-cleared American Broadband Deployment Act (HR-3557) ahead of what they view as chamber leaders’ impending bid to ram through passage of the measure without adequately consulting them. The measure, which House Commerce advanced in May without any Democratic support (see 2305240069), packages multiple GOP-led connectivity permitting revamp measures.
The U.S. shouldn’t implement new cyber regulations until the Office of National Cyber Director has completed its formal process for harmonizing regulations across the government, industry groups told the White House in comments posted last week. The ONCD requested comments to “understand existing challenges with regulatory overlap” and harmonize regulations across agencies. USTelecom urged the administration to halt the issuance of new cyber regulations until the review is completed, except for regulations already subject to statutory deadlines. “This temporary pause prevents the introduction of additional, potentially conflicting regulations,” said USTelecom. CTIA suggested the ONCD coordinate with agencies and hold off on any new regulations until the harmonization work is “mature.” Promulgating new requirements may hinder ONCD’s “efforts to harmonize the already vast cybersecurity regulatory landscape,” said CTIA. BSA | The Software Alliance noted the Biden administration’s national cyber strategy “prioritizes regulatory harmonization,” but agencies continue to add more cyber regulations. “To be clear, this is not a call to end the regulation of cybersecurity but to pause new regulations as the US Government gains a wholistic understanding of the regulatory landscape,” said BSA. NCTA suggested the administration can look to NIST’s cybersecurity framework “to achieve design, implementation, operational, and compliance-related efficiencies.”
NTIA released a conditional waiver of the broadband, equity, access and deployment program's letter of credit requirement Wednesday. More than 300 groups in September urged the agency to remove the requirement, citing potential limitations on small providers' participation (see 2309060022).