Commissioner Brendan Carr promised more FCC action is on the way on changes to wireless infrastructure rules, in an interview on C-SPAN’s The Communicators recorded Wednesday. Carr said he's “actively looking” at ways to speed up siting decisions and steps the FCC can take “to make sure that we’re all moving in the same direction in terms of promoting the deployment of this new infrastructure.” The episode is expected to be televised this weekend and put online Friday.

The Commerce Department has launched an investigation into the need for tariffs on cars and auto parts in a move widely seen as an attempt to pressure Mexico to accept a NAFTA rewrite. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on May 24 that "there is evidence suggesting that, for decades, imports from abroad have eroded our domestic auto industry,” and the department will explore whether by damaging the U.S. economy and reducing research in auto-related technology, the decline of domestic auto and auto part manufacturing therefore is a national security issue. Currently, SUVs and trucks face a 25 percent tariff, while cars and auto parts face a 2.5 percent tariff outside the NAFTA region, or if a Canadian or Mexican vehicle fails to meet a 62.5 percent rules of origin quota.

Discussing bipartisan draft legislation that would direct a Department of Commerce study on the IoT, House lawmakers from both parties said Tuesday that Congress isn't paying enough attention to consumer privacy. The Digital Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing on draft legislation from Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said the State of Modern Application, Research and Trends of IoT (Smart) Act would produce for Congress a central source of information on how industry is integrating IoT devices and how the country is adapting.

Discussing bipartisan draft legislation that would direct a Department of Commerce study on the IoT, House lawmakers from both parties said Tuesday that Congress isn't paying enough attention to consumer privacy. The Digital Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing on draft legislation from Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said the State of Modern Application, Research and Trends of IoT (Smart) Act would produce for Congress a central source of information on how industry is integrating IoT devices and how the country is adapting.

Discussing bipartisan draft legislation that would direct a Department of Commerce study on the IoT, House lawmakers from both parties said Tuesday that Congress isn't paying enough attention to consumer privacy. The Digital Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing on draft legislation from Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said the State of Modern Application, Research and Trends of IoT (Smart) Act would produce for Congress a central source of information on how industry is integrating IoT devices and how the country is adapting.

The FTC’s recently named Consumer Protection Bureau Director Andrew Smith told us Thursday his new job shouldn’t differ much from the compliance work he did for Equifax and Facebook, though he understands concern from the two Democratic commissioners who voted against his appointment.

The FTC’s recently named Consumer Protection Bureau Director Andrew Smith told us Thursday his new job shouldn’t differ much from the compliance work he did for Equifax and Facebook, though he understands concern from the two Democratic commissioners who voted against his appointment.

Wireless emergency alerting has a ways to go, especially after the false missile alert that created panic in Hawaii in January (see 1801160054 and 1803160042), Chairman Ajit Pai said at an FCC panel Tuesday. “There's a lot of potential in the system, some of which consumers have come to realize,” Pai said. “We do have some improvements to make.” He expressed hope the lesson learned would inform other future changes to alerting systems. Others agreed there's a ways to go.

A Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing on intersecting telecom, national security and competition policy issues could give lawmakers an early opportunity to delve into T-Mobile's proposed merger with Sprint and ramifications of President Donald Trump's push for the Department of Commerce to re-evaluate its seven-year ban on exports to ZTE (see 1805140062), officials and lobbyists told us. A range of other issues could also come up, including the FCC national security NPRM (see 1804170038), U.S. competitiveness in 5G and a revamp of the federal government's process for reviewing foreign takeovers of U.S. communications sector companies, they said. Testimony released in advance of the hearing focuses on concerns about China and the need for further U.S. government work to secure the telecom infrastructure supply chain.

A Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing on intersecting telecom, national security and competition policy issues could give lawmakers an early opportunity to delve into T-Mobile's proposed merger with Sprint and ramifications of President Donald Trump's push for the Department of Commerce to re-evaluate its seven-year ban on exports to ZTE (see 1805140062), officials and lobbyists told us. A range of other issues could also come up, including the FCC national security NPRM (see 1804170038), U.S. competitiveness in 5G and a revamp of the federal government's process for reviewing foreign takeovers of U.S. communications sector companies, they said. Testimony released in advance of the hearing focuses on concerns about China and the need for further U.S. government work to secure the telecom infrastructure supply chain.