Don’t adopt additional parameters for broadband maps, Verizon representatives told the FCC. The parameters adopted in last month’s order (see 2007160062) fully satisfy the requirements of the March broadband data law (see 2003240049), Verizon said. “Standardizing additional parameters such as [a reference signal received power] value or fade margin would make the maps less, not more, accurate,” the carrier said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-195: “The Order’s link budget and propagation model reporting requirements, together with the audit, crowdsourcing, third-party data, and challenge process provisions, already satisfy the Broadband DATA Act’s requirement for a verification process. At most, speed test data and infrastructure data should be used for case-by-case verification in small areas, when other verification methods have identified a potential issue.” The Verizon officials spoke with staff from the Wireless and Wireline bureaus and Office of Economic and Analytics. T-Mobile also raised concerns about the July order in calls with FCC staff. The carrier cited “the lack of confidential treatment of link budget information for mobile wireless providers while presuming that link budgets should be confidential for fixed wireless providers” and the requirement of a second set of maps for in-vehicle mobile usage. “Link budgets are highly proprietary and commercially sensitive,” T-Mobile said: The order “lacks any justification for arbitrarily treating mobile link budgets differently than fixed wireless link budgets.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and state legislators expect to talk broadband, after the governor set a goal of 100 Mbps download speeds through executive order Friday, said the governor’s office and an aide to Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D) this week. Legislators are weighing two bills to raise the state standard from 6 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload for the California Advanced Services Fund. The executive order put legislative negotiations in flux, said Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Legislative Counsel Ernesto Falcon.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and state legislators expect to talk broadband, after the governor set a goal of 100 Mbps download speeds through executive order Friday, said the governor’s office and an aide to Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D) this week. Legislators are weighing two bills to raise the state standard from 6 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload for the California Advanced Services Fund. The executive order put legislative negotiations in flux, said Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Legislative Counsel Ernesto Falcon.
The FCC’s approach to regulatory fees results in broadcasters paying for full-time employees in agency divisions such as the Office of Engineering and Technology that don’t work on broadcast issues, and the agency shouldn’t raise fees during the COVID-19 pandemic, NAB President Gordon Smith told Chairman Ajit Pai, according to an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 20-105 (see [Reg:2006300070]). “NAB cannot recall a case in recent memory where OET expended resources to work on an issue impacting the radio industry,” the filing said. The pandemic has “gutted” radio operations, NAB said. “Of all times, now is not the one for the Commission to turn its back on its duty to consider that the radio industry has not received any additional benefits from the work of the Commission during FY2020,” the filing said. “The NPRM continues to approach regulatory fees as if Congress never passed the RAY BAUM’S Act,” said the filing. That 2018 law in part addressed how the FCC calculates regulatory fees (see 2004220048).
The United Nations Security Council on Aug. 14 rejected a U.S. resolution to extend the Iranian arms embargo, raising the possibility of the U.S. invoking snapback sanctions under the Iran nuclear deal. Only the U.S. and the Dominican Republic voted in favor. Russia and China voted against; 11 members abstained, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom. All three previously said they would support an extension of the arms embargo (see 2006220020), which is scheduled to expire in October.
The FCC lacks authority to act on NTIA’s petition for a rulemaking on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (see 2008030025), Vimeo said in comments to the agency in RM-11862. The FCC received 177 comments by Wednesday afternoon, almost all from individuals. The Computer & Communications Industry Association, NetChoice and Engine told us they plan to comment in opposition to NTIA’s petition.
The FCC lacks authority to act on NTIA’s petition for a rulemaking on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (see 2008030025), Vimeo said in comments to the agency in RM-11862. The FCC received 177 comments by Wednesday afternoon, almost all from individuals. The Computer & Communications Industry Association, NetChoice and Engine told us they plan to comment in opposition to NTIA’s petition.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Qualcomm Tuesday in an FTC antitrust lawsuit against the company. In the minutes after the ruling, Qualcomm's stock rose, closing 2.3% higher at $108.83. The FTC is reviewing its options.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Qualcomm Tuesday in an FTC antitrust lawsuit against the company. In the minutes after the ruling, Qualcomm's stock rose, closing 2.3% higher at $108.83. The FTC is reviewing its options.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Qualcomm Tuesday in an FTC antitrust lawsuit against the company. In the minutes after the ruling, Qualcomm's stock rose, closing 2.3% higher at $108.83. The FTC is reviewing its options.