Utility companies, ISPs and advocacy groups sparred over the FCC's proposed revisions to its pole attachment and replacement rules, in comments posted Wednesday in docket 17-84. The FCC should abandon its Further NPRM, adopted in December with a related order and declaratory ruling and instead encourage greater communication between pole owners and attackers, some said (see 2312130044). Others sought greater oversight of the process and urged quick action.

Public interest and consumer groups urged the FCC take a more aggressive stance on a November Further NPRM about protecting consumers from SIM swapping and port-out fraud (see 2311150042). CTIA said the commission should “pursue a flexible and risk-based approach” toward customer account security and fraud deterrence. Reply comments were due this week in docket 21-341, and they largely mirror initial comments (see 2401180053).

The FCC's affordable connectivity program is a "true unicorn among public policies," USTelecom President-CEO Jonathan Spalter wrote in a Tuesday blog (see 2402120068). Spalter urged that policymakers consider "rolling the ACP into the Universal Service Fund." This would "bring greater accountability to Big Tech" and "create a stable, permanent source of funding." ACP's future "offers a telling gut check on whether our nation remains committed to our shared goal of connectivity," Spalter said: "Congress abandoning ACP funding a mere two years into its existence would be profoundly disruptive to the country’s digital affordability and equity goals."

Wireless carriers are concerned and have many questions about the administration's processes for proposed studies under the national spectrum strategy that will examine the future of five bands as part of a possible spectrum pipeline, industry and government officials said. Carriers are most concerned about two bands, the lower 3 GHz and 7/8 GHz, which they see as possible spectrum for full-power licensed use. Meanwhile, USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter urged the leaders of the House and Senate Commerce committees Thursday night to reach a deal on legislation to “unite behind a national spectrum strategy” and reinstate the FCC’s lapsed auction authority.

California could be first in the nation to codify the FCC’s definition of digital discrimination into state law. Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D) introduced AB-2239 on Wednesday, the California Alliance for Digital Equity said Thursday. “This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to adopt subsequent legislation that codifies a definition of ‘digital discrimination of access’ in state law that conforms to the definition adopted by the Federal Communications Commission,” said a legislative digest on the measure. In a November order (see 2311150040), the FCC defined “digital discrimination of access” as “policies or practices, not justified by genuine issues of technical or economic feasibility, that (1) differentially impact consumers' access to broadband internet access service based on their income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin or (2) are intended to have such differential impact.” Defining digital discrimination could help move a proceeding on digital redlining at the California Public Utilities Commission, said Shayna Englin, California Community Foundation director-digital equity initiative, in an interview. The proceeding stalled amid argument about the definition, said Englin. CPUC digital redlining rules would guide the agency in the years ahead as it distributes $8 billion state and federal broadband funding, she said. Englin predicted a fight between digital equity advocates and the telecom industry, which is expected to oppose AB-2239. The California Broadband and Video Association is reviewing the legislation, said a spokesperson for the state cable group. USTelecom declined to comment. The Los Angeles City Council passed a similar law at the local level last month.

Industry and state broadband officials encouraged engagement with local stakeholders and providers as states prepare to implement their plans for NTIA's broadband, equity, access and deployment program (see 2402060081). NTIA is "looking at 2024 as the year of execution" for the BEAD program, said acting Deputy Administrator Sarah Morris during a USTelecom webinar Wednesday.

The FCC has issued a cease and desist letter and K4 order against Texas-based Lingo Telecom over robocalls to voters before the New Hampshire primary last month. The calls used voice-cloning tech and spoofed phone numbers to seem to be from President Joe Biden, urging recipients not to vote in the primary, said a news release. “What a bunch of malarkey. We know the value of voting Democratic when our votes count,” the calls allegedly said in Biden’s voice, spoofed to appear to come from a number connected with a Democratic super political action committee. “It’s important that you save your vote for the November election,” the deepfaked Biden voice said. Lingo “is alleged to have originated robocall traffic using AI-generated voice cloning to spread misinformation to voters,” said an FCC news release Tuesday. The cease and desist letter orders Lingo to stop supporting illegal robocall traffic on its networks and the K4 public notice “strongly encourages other providers to refrain from carrying suspicious traffic from Lingo,” the release said. The FCC is acting alongside the Office of the New Hampshire State Attorney General, which also sent a cease and desist Tuesday to another company involved with the calls, the Life Corporation. The Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force also sent a cease and desist letter to the Life Corporation. The New Hampshire letter targets Life over violations of voter suppression laws, the FCC release said. “Each of these parties have been warned about apparent illegal robocall violations in the past,” the FCC release said. “Consumers deserve to know that the person on the other end of the line is exactly who they claim to be,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in the release. “That’s why we’re working closely with State Attorneys General across the country to combat the use of voice cloning technology in robocalls being used to misinform voters and target unwitting victims of fraud.” Law enforcement and regulatory agencies “are working closely together to monitor and investigate any signs of AI being used maliciously to threaten our democratic process,” said New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella in the release. The action stems from an investigation launched last month by the New Hampshire AG, the FCC Enforcement Bureau, the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, and USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group, the release said. Lingo didn’t comment, but the FCC’s letter says the company didn’t dispute the calls' illegality.

The FCC is quickly following up on a November AI notice of inquiry (see 2311160028), with Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposing a ruling Wednesday that would make voice-cloning technology in robocall scams illegal. The draft proposes a declaratory ruling that voice-cloned calls violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The FCC recently finished a comment cycle on the NOI. Among the comments, attorneys general from 25 states and the District of Columbia asked the agency to use the proceeding to clarify that calls mimicking human voices are considered “an artificial voice” under the TCPA (see 2401170023). An FCC news release cites that filing. “AI-generated voice cloning and images are already sowing confusion by tricking consumers into thinking scams and frauds are legitimate,” Rosenworcel said: “No matter what celebrity or politician you favor, or what your relationship is with your kin when they call for help, it is possible we could all be a target of these faked calls.” If approved, the rules would give the AGs “new tools” to battle the “bad actors behind these nefarious robocalls and hold them accountable under the law,” the FCC said. Pennsylvania AG Michelle Henry said her office supports the ruling “to protect consumers from intentionally deceptive and manipulative marketing tactics.” The proposed ruling would “put the calling industry and provider community on notice that they need consent to make calls with AI,” a USTelecom spokesperson said in an email: “This important action will thwart prolific robocallers that want to use AI to deliver to consumers calls they never asked for and do not want. We encourage the Commission to quickly adopt the Chair’s proposal.”

NPR announces Web Summit’s Katherine Maher as president-CEO, succeeding John Lansing, effective March 25 … Alteryx, analytics cloud platform, appoints Chief Financial Officer Kevin Rubin interim CEO, replacing departed Mark Anderson ... USTelecom elects Kristi Moody, Windstream executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer, and Amy Holcroft, Twilio chief privacy officer, to its board, and adds Lightcurve President-CEO Anand Vadapalli to its leadership committee ... LG Ad Solutions, connected TV and cross-screen advertising platforms, restores Alphonso founders Ashish Chordia and Lampros Kalampoukas to the board after successful legal challenge to their December 2022 removal, and names Alphonso early investor Paul Falzone, managing partner-CEO of venture capital firm Manifest, as an additional director.

The FCC’s proposed cyber trust mark program for smart devices (see 2311130034) should remain voluntary, which will encourage broad participation, representatives of CTA and other groups said during a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington. Preemption and safe harbors “are critical to the Labeling Program’s success,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 23-239: The groups “urged the Commission to ensure that participation in the program operates as a safe harbor under federal law and preempts state law, both with respect to consumer protection laws and substantive cybersecurity standards.” Other groups in the meeting were CTIA, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, USTelecom and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.