As the FCC considers changes to its national broadband map, states are waiting to see what ramifications those changes have on their own maps. Minnesota's broadband map shares some of the same shortcomings as the FCC's Form 477-centric map, and it's worked with providers on improvements, emailed state Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Danna MacKenzie. "We will gladly give it up if and when the federal map improves and meets our needs."

Senate Judiciary Committee leaders expressed alarm during a Tuesday hearing about the rising leadership of Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei and other Chinese government-backed entities over deployments of 5G technology overseas and the U.S.' failure thus far to halt their momentum. 5G security and related policy questions about the technology have repeatedly drawn Capitol Hill interest this year, including at a Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on the FY 2020 budgets of the FCC and FTC (see 1905070072). It's also expected to come up during the House Communications Subcommittee's Wednesday FCC oversight hearing (see 1905140060).

Senate Judiciary Committee leaders expressed alarm during a Tuesday hearing about the rising leadership of Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei and other Chinese government-backed entities over deployments of 5G technology overseas and the U.S.' failure thus far to halt their momentum. 5G security and related policy questions about the technology have repeatedly drawn Capitol Hill interest this year, including at a Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on the FY 2020 budgets of the FCC and FTC (see 1905070072). It's also expected to come up during the House Communications Subcommittee's Wednesday FCC oversight hearing (see 1905140060).

As the FCC considers changes to its national broadband map, states are waiting to see what ramifications those changes have on their own maps. Minnesota's broadband map shares some of the same shortcomings as the FCC's Form 477-centric map, and it's worked with providers on improvements, emailed state Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Danna MacKenzie. "We will gladly give it up if and when the federal map improves and meets our needs."

Smartphones are the largest of eight classifications of consumer tech products that would bear the biggest brunt of the 25 percent Section 301 tariffs proposed Monday on $300 billion in imports not previously dutied during the U.S.-China trade war (see 1905130066), CTA’s top trade strategist told us Tuesday. “The import values of the products that hit our members are massive,” emailed Vice President-International Trade Sage Chandler.

CLECs want the FCC to protect their access to the business data services market by denying a petition from USTelecom to remove a mandate that incumbent LECs provide transport network services to CLECs as an unbundled network element (UNE). The latest smaller-carrier opposition to USTelecom's petition for forbearance from requiring ILECs unbundle and resell access to some of their networks came in responses posted in docket through Monday 18-141 to an April 15 public notice with supplemental business data services statistics. CLECs contend that BDS data is limited and there was insufficient time to comment.

The House Task Force on Rural Broadband is a positive step toward improving internet connectivity in unserved areas of the U.S., but will need to come up with concrete legislative recommendations to be an effective policy player, communications sector officials and lobbyists told us. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., led formation of the group, which he announced Monday. President Donald Trump in late April agreed with top congressional Democrats to pursue $2 trillion in spending on broadband and other infrastructure projects (see 1904300194). The task force is one of several Capitol Hill pushes on broadband legislation, though some remain skeptical about the prospects for an overarching infrastructure funding bill.

The House Task Force on Rural Broadband is a positive step toward improving internet connectivity in unserved areas of the U.S., but will need to come up with concrete legislative recommendations to be an effective policy player, communications sector officials and lobbyists told us. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., led formation of the group, which he announced Monday. President Donald Trump in late April agreed with top congressional Democrats to pursue $2 trillion in spending on broadband and other infrastructure projects (see 1904300194). The task force is one of several Capitol Hill pushes on broadband legislation, though some remain skeptical about the prospects for an overarching infrastructure funding bill.

State lawmakers backed telecom bills on the municipal right of way and caller-ID spoofing this week. The Texas House passed a bill meant to stop municipalities from charging telecom providers twice when they use the ROW for phone and video. The House voted 92-50 Wednesday after the Senate last month voted 26-5 for SB-1152, which would require a provider to pay the municipality only the greater of the two sums due. The bill needs the governor’s signature to become law. The same day in Maine, the Senate concurred with the House to pass LD-1192, a pole-attachments bill that exempts municipalities from pole expenses (see 1904220023). To stop robocalls that use fake phone numbers to trick consumers, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) signed LB-693 Wednesday. It unanimously cleared the legislature last week (see 1905030038). Wednesday in California, the Assembly Appropriations Committee unanimously cleared AB-1132 to fine spoofers $10,000 per violation. California senators Tuesday ordered the Consumer Call Protection Act (SB-208) to third reading. The telecom industry raised concerns about the Senate bill, which would set a July 1, 2020, deadline for providers to implement Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKENs (Shaken) and Secure Telephony Identity Revisited (Stir) protocols (see 1903270039).

The House Communications Subcommittee plans a May 15 FCC oversight hearing with Chairman Ajit Pai and the four other commissioners, as expected (see 1905010189), the House Commerce Committee said Wednesday night. The panel will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn. It will be the first House Communications FCC oversight hearing since Democrats gained a majority in the chamber after the November elections. Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said soon after the election that they intended to conduct more critical oversight hearings on the agency after Democrats regained the House majority (see 1811140055). House Commerce Democrats saw those efforts initially stymied by the 35-day government shutdown that ended in January and leadership's decision to fast-track consideration of the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) last month (see 1903270045). House Commerce will “examine past FCC decisions that have harmed consumers and question the Commissioners about proposals before the FCC that raise serious public interest and policy concerns,” Pallone and Doyle said in a news release. “Congress charged the FCC with regulating the communications sector to promote the public interest, competition, public safety, and protect consumers. Unfortunately, the current FCC has too often sided with corporate interests over the needs of the American people.” Pai already has testified before House and Senate appropriators since the beginning of this Congress about the FCC's FY 2020 budget request to (see 1904030082 and 1905070072).