NTIA's request federal wireless users assess their long-term spectrum needs (see 1811300046) is partly an attempt to plan for addressing continuing private-sector demand for access to government frequencies, said Administrator David Redl at Friday's Practising Law Institute conference. Nearer term, he voiced optimism about spectrum sharing and making prized mid-band spectrum available.

NTIA's request federal wireless users assess their long-term spectrum needs (see 1811300046) is partly an attempt to plan for addressing continuing private-sector demand for access to government frequencies, said Administrator David Redl at Friday's Practising Law Institute conference. Nearer term, he voiced optimism about spectrum sharing and making prized mid-band spectrum available.

A Tuesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing on implementation of the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (Ray Baum's) Act FCC reauthorization and spectrum statute is expected to emphasize the law's language to aid the broadcast incentive auction repacking process. The hearing also will likely be an opportunity for House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., to showcase the act as the committee's top telecom policy achievement this Congress, before the end of the GOP majority in the chamber, lawmakers and communications lobbyists said. The act's language was included in the FY 2018 federal spending law (see 1803230038).

Nexstar’s proposed buy of Tribune could complicate upcoming action on the national TV ownership cap, said broadcasters and their lawyers in interviews. The transaction (see 1812030055) doesn’t exert pressure on the FCC to act on the cap soon because it fits under current rules, but the deal could become the focus of negative attention if the FCC relaxes the ownership cap while it’s still pending. Since the deal’s designed to work under the rules, changes to them -- such as doing away with the UHF discount -- could also negatively affect it, experts said.

A Tuesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing on implementation of the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (Ray Baum's) Act FCC reauthorization and spectrum statute is expected to emphasize the law's language to aid the broadcast incentive auction repacking process. The hearing also will likely be an opportunity for House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., to showcase the act as the committee's top telecom policy achievement this Congress, before the end of the GOP majority in the chamber, lawmakers and communications lobbyists said. The act's language was included in the FY 2018 federal spending law (see 1803230038).

Commissioners voted to approve Assistant Counsel-General Ethics Jane Hinckley Halprin as the FCC administrative law judge, replacing Judge Richard Sippel, who retired Dec. 1. Thursday's announcement followed mounting speculation on Sippel's fate as a major deal saw no ALJ action. The speed of the appointment suggests the agency is expecting Halprin to act soon on the stalled Sinclair/Tribune proceeding, broadcast attorneys told us. “I'm sure she has a bunch of things to act on,” said one, Jack Goodman. Commissioner Mike O'Rielly this week said Sippel didn't appear to have taken any action on Sinclair/Tribune (see 1812040034).

The FCC's proposed communications market report is drumming up criticisms and fans. The agency on Wednesday also released a draft of appendices that includes data used in developing the report and some broadband speed data from years past. In a docket 18-231 posting Wednesday, New America's Open Technology Institute recapped a meeting with staffers in Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel's office at which it said until the report fixes methodological flaws and flawed assumptions about competition, commissioners shouldn't adopt it. OTI said Form 477 data "is fundamentally insufficient" for measuring broadband marketplace competition as it overstates the availability of broadband service. The group said the report contains "misguided and vague assumptions" about broadband competition, such as its assertion markets with two providers are competitive. The American Cable Association called the draft "thorough and comprehensive," recommending tweaks including addition of emphasis the cable franchise rulemaking should result in more investment in broadband and other services provided over cable networks. ACA pushed for addition of language making clear vertically integrated MVPDs have incentive and ability to raise costs on rivals like small cable systems, and existing rules can't fix such behavior. Comcast said the report should add Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data about prevalence of U.S. households relying on smartphones or mobile devices for internet access and of wireless-only phone service. CTIA, recapping meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly, lauded the report. The draft on the Dec. 12 agenda consolidates a variety of reports into one to fulfill Ray Baum's Act mandate (see 1811210032). In a public notice Wednesday about the report appendices, the agency said the broadband deployment data in the appendices reflect updated data received and processed after the release of the draft report, and that updated data will be used in preparing the final version. According to the broadband data, 94 percent of the U.S. has access to fixed 25 Mbps/3 Mbps speeds, 99.8 percent to mobile LTE 5 Mbps/1 Mbps speeds and 89 percent to mobile LTE 10 Mbps/3 Mbps speeds.

The FCC's proposed communications market report is drumming up criticisms and fans. The agency on Wednesday also released a draft of appendices that includes data used in developing the report and some broadband speed data from years past. In a docket 18-231 posting Wednesday, New America's Open Technology Institute recapped a meeting with staffers in Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel's office at which it said until the report fixes methodological flaws and flawed assumptions about competition, commissioners shouldn't adopt it. OTI said Form 477 data "is fundamentally insufficient" for measuring broadband marketplace competition as it overstates the availability of broadband service. The group said the report contains "misguided and vague assumptions" about broadband competition, such as its assertion markets with two providers are competitive. The American Cable Association called the draft "thorough and comprehensive," recommending tweaks including addition of emphasis the cable franchise rulemaking should result in more investment in broadband and other services provided over cable networks. ACA pushed for addition of language making clear vertically integrated MVPDs have incentive and ability to raise costs on rivals like small cable systems, and existing rules can't fix such behavior. Comcast said the report should add Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data about prevalence of U.S. households relying on smartphones or mobile devices for internet access and of wireless-only phone service. CTIA, recapping meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly, lauded the report. The draft on the Dec. 12 agenda consolidates a variety of reports into one to fulfill Ray Baum's Act mandate (see 1811210032). In a public notice Wednesday about the report appendices, the agency said the broadband deployment data in the appendices reflect updated data received and processed after the release of the draft report, and that updated data will be used in preparing the final version. According to the broadband data, 94 percent of the U.S. has access to fixed 25 Mbps/3 Mbps speeds, 99.8 percent to mobile LTE 5 Mbps/1 Mbps speeds and 89 percent to mobile LTE 10 Mbps/3 Mbps speeds.

The FCC's proposed communications market report is drumming up criticisms and fans. The agency on Wednesday also released a draft of appendices that includes data used in developing the report and some broadband speed data from years past. In a docket 18-231 posting Wednesday, New America's Open Technology Institute recapped a meeting with staffers in Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel's office at which it said until the report fixes methodological flaws and flawed assumptions about competition, commissioners shouldn't adopt it. OTI said Form 477 data "is fundamentally insufficient" for measuring broadband marketplace competition as it overstates the availability of broadband service. The group said the report contains "misguided and vague assumptions" about broadband competition, such as its assertion markets with two providers are competitive. The American Cable Association called the draft "thorough and comprehensive," recommending tweaks including addition of emphasis the cable franchise rulemaking should result in more investment in broadband and other services provided over cable networks. ACA pushed for addition of language making clear vertically integrated MVPDs have incentive and ability to raise costs on rivals like small cable systems, and existing rules can't fix such behavior. Comcast said the report should add Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data about prevalence of U.S. households relying on smartphones or mobile devices for internet access and of wireless-only phone service. CTIA, recapping meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly, lauded the report. The draft on the Dec. 12 agenda consolidates a variety of reports into one to fulfill Ray Baum's Act mandate (see 1811210032). In a public notice Wednesday about the report appendices, the agency said the broadband deployment data in the appendices reflect updated data received and processed after the release of the draft report, and that updated data will be used in preparing the final version. According to the broadband data, 94 percent of the U.S. has access to fixed 25 Mbps/3 Mbps speeds, 99.8 percent to mobile LTE 5 Mbps/1 Mbps speeds and 89 percent to mobile LTE 10 Mbps/3 Mbps speeds.

An FCC declaratory order to clarify wireless messaging as a Title I information service, rather than a more regulated telecom service, appears headed to a 3-1 vote Wednesday, with a dissent expected by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, industry officials said. Twilio sought Communications Act Title II classification for texting in 2015, after the FCC classified broadband as a Title II service (see 1510130040).