A Wednesday House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on the FCC's fiscal year 2020 budget request is likely to provide a first glimpse at whether House Democrats live up to expectations they'll do more critical oversight hearings on the agency under their regained majority of the chamber (see 1811140055), lobbyists told us. The Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee paid only limited attention to NTIA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Patent and Trademark Office during Tuesday's hearing on the Commerce Department's FY 2020 budget request.

Pro-trade Democrats said that given the barrier of Section 232 tariffs, the fact that Mexico has not yet passed labor law reform, and other concerns, it's premature to be talking about the timing of a vote in the House of Representatives to ratify the new NAFTA. The president of the New Democrats, as well as two other trade leaders in the pro-growth caucus, talked to reporters April 2 after meeting with Canada's U.S. Ambassador David MacNaughton at the Capitol.

Industry lined up behind AT&T's BellSouth in a dispute with four Alabama 911 districts over what constitutes interconnected VoIP and whether the FCC should prohibit state and local governments from requiring interconnected VoIP customers pay more in total 911 fees than comparable non-VoIP customers. Madison County, Alabama, warned that requested relief would bring "chaos" to already short 911 funding, in comments posted Friday in docket 19-44. The Wireline Bureau sought comment, citing U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama’s primary jurisdiction referral on a dispute between BellSouth and the Alabama districts (see 1902260072).

Industry lined up behind AT&T's BellSouth in a dispute with four Alabama 911 districts over what constitutes interconnected VoIP and whether the FCC should prohibit state and local governments from requiring interconnected VoIP customers pay more in total 911 fees than comparable non-VoIP customers. Madison County, Alabama, warned that requested relief would bring "chaos" to already short 911 funding, in comments posted Friday in docket 19-44. The Wireline Bureau sought comment, citing U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama’s primary jurisdiction referral on a dispute between BellSouth and the Alabama districts (see 1902260072).

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen directed CBP's Office of Field Operations to "accelerate its planned reallocation of up to 750 officers to Border Patrol Sectors," DHS said in an April 1 news release. CBP is also directed to consider further shifts in the agency's port personnel to help handle illegal Southern border crossings. Nielsen's memo to CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan follows a March 27 CBP announcement that it would be redirecting 750 officers from Ports of Entry, which likely will result in slowed trade processing along the border (see 1903290035).

The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee apparently disappeared after 14 years, said to be caught up in administration politics. Former members and government officials said NTIA Administrator David Redl isn’t to blame. Redl had written a list of questions for a new CSMAC and sent names to the Commerce Department months ago, where the list ran into broader political concerns, the officials said. Redl declined to comment. Meanwhile, the administration is working on a comprehensive, long-term national spectrum strategy (see 1810250018).

After raising more than $500,000 on Kickstarter campaigns 2016-17, Como Audio is returning to crowdfunding, this time through equity platform Wefunder. In a Tuesday email, CEO Tom DeVesto and Vice President-Product Development Peter Skiera appealed to Kickstarter supporters to “be more than a backer and actually own a piece of Como Audio!” DeVesto emailed us Tuesday that the Wefunder campaign, made possible by a 2017 amendment to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, is a “great opportunity” for small investors to "own a piece of a company and determine its future.” Equity crowdfunding allows small companies, not traditionally attractive to venture capital firms, to raise “important amounts of money,” he said. On Como’s plans for the capital it raises through Wefunder, DeVesto said the goal is to raise $3 million, with a minimum target of $1 million, and to use the money to finish certifying its new turntables, bring Google Assistant products to market and convert all existing products to “Works with Alexa” skills. Como’s Wefunder page Tuesday showed $24,900 raised from 17 investors toward an initial goal of $100,000. Shares are $2.50 each with a $300 minimum investment, said the website. After the Alexa software update, Como radio owners will be able to ask Alexa to play “Neil Young on the Como radio in the bedroom” or to raise the volume, DeVesto said. “Many” of Como’s Wi-Fi-enabled speakers support Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer and Napster directly without requiring a mobile device app, he said.

The House Communications Subcommittee advanced the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) Tuesday on a party-line 18-11 vote, clearing the way for a likely full House Commerce Committee vote on the bill next week. HR-1644 and Senate companion S-682, filed earlier this month, would add a new title to the Communications Act that says the FCC order rescinding its 2015 rules "shall have no force or effect." The bill retroactively would restore reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1903060077).

The House Communications Subcommittee advanced the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) Tuesday on a party-line 18-11 vote, clearing the way for a likely full House Commerce Committee vote on the bill next week. HR-1644 and Senate companion S-682, filed earlier this month, would add a new title to the Communications Act that says the FCC order rescinding its 2015 rules "shall have no force or effect." The bill retroactively would restore reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1903060077).

Intel representatives told the FCC a market-based approach for the C-band is the best course and would get mid-band spectrum in play more quickly for 5G. “Because it is voluntary, it solves the holdout problem, avoids contentious disputes with the incumbents and harnesses competitive market forces to make the many difficult technical and business tradeoffs that must be addressed in this proceeding,” Intel said. “Compared to the alternatives, it will repurpose and assign this spectrum more efficiently and, most importantly, far more quickly.” Intel met Chief Don Stockdale and officials from his Wireless Bureau, the International Bureau and the Office of Economic Analysis, said a filing posted Monday in docket 17-183. Giving up FCC authorizations and moving to a compressed band "will be painful for all involved," which is the FCC should opt for a distribution and scoring model for however the sale is conducted, said small-satellite operators ABS Global, Hispasat and Embratel Star One, in a posting Monday renewing a push for their distribution model (see 1903110059). That would divvy up some of the proceeds among all satellite operators authorized to transmit in the U.S. C band, not just C-Band Alliance members, they said. They said T-Mobile's band-clearing plan runs afoul of the Communications Act with a reverse auction phase of earth station owners bidding against satellite operators when those parties aren't competing licensees. T-Mobile didn't comment. America's Communications Association said the FCC should determine to what extent the C-band can be refarmed before acting. T-Mobile claims 200 MHz is “insufficient to meet the needs of 5G service providers” and “CTIA has intimated that at least 300 MHz is needed for the U.S. to maintain its global leadership,” ACA said. “Without this information, the figures that are being floated in this proceeding, and that are gradually increasing, are shots in the dark, and any decision as to how much spectrum should, or can, be refarmed would lack foundation,” ACA said. The group said the FCC should also look at the effect in rural markets.