The FCC must make certain universal service funding is “adequate and predictable” to support broadband in rural areas, said Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., at a hearing Tuesday on advancing rural IoT opportunities. To thrive, IoT technologies must have reliable and secure broadband services, Wicker said, urging the FCC to collect accurate information on broadband programs before making new funding decisions. Funding should be targeted to “communities in need,” he said.

The draft drawback CBP and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) “is considered a DRAFT and is subject to revision before a final version is provided,” a CBP spokesman said. “CBP has not issued a proposed rulemaking as of this date and cannot comment on the points raised by NCBFAA,” he said, referring to an update the trade group sent out Nov. 6 on ongoing discussions on ACE drawback (see 1711060043). “The CATAIR will be amended to reflect the policy decisions reflected in the published final rule after considering public comments. NCBFAA is correct that any decision to accept submission of claims as of February 24, 2018, will be separately announced to the public at a later date.” The NCBFAA had said that, beginning Feb. 24, CBP was considering not using accelerated payment for processing claims under the new procedures of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 until the date that the TFTEA drawback regulations become final.

The FCC approved CenturyLink's planned buy of Level 3 with targeted conditions aimed at addressing transaction-specific concerns. The Republican majority said the order clarified the standard of review for mergers and acquisitions by sticking to a statutory mandate and declining to impose unrelated conditions. But the Democratic minority said the order, plus one approving the sale of Securus to SCRS Acquisition, warped the standard by narrowing consideration of the public interest, and set the stage for undue M&A. Both orders were released Monday, with CenturyLink/Level 3 in the evening (see 1710300065).

The FCC approved CenturyLink's planned buy of Level 3 with targeted conditions aimed at addressing transaction-specific concerns. The Republican majority said the order clarified the standard of review for mergers and acquisitions by sticking to a statutory mandate and declining to impose unrelated conditions. But the Democratic minority said the order, plus one approving the sale of Securus to SCRS Acquisition, warped the standard by narrowing consideration of the public interest, and set the stage for undue M&A. Both orders were released Monday, with CenturyLink/Level 3 in the evening (see 1710300065).

Legislation to curb online sex trafficking could "unravel the internet," said a Medium post by groups including Demand Progress, Electronic Frontier Foundation, FreedomWorks, R Street Institute, Center for Democracy & Technology and Engine. The groups raised concerns over the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (S-1693) for creating unclear standards and opening internet content to laws from 50 states. "There’s no shortage of suggestions about how to make this bill better, but there is one thing that’s missing: recognition from Congress that this bill affects us all," the groups said. They said it will take the full power of the internet to stop sex trafficking, but policymakers need to understand that the internet isn't just a group of "powerful tech companies and government regulators -- it’s you and me and everyone."

Legislation to curb online sex trafficking could "unravel the internet," said a Medium post by groups including Demand Progress, Electronic Frontier Foundation, FreedomWorks, R Street Institute, Center for Democracy & Technology and Engine. The groups raised concerns over the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (S-1693) for creating unclear standards and opening internet content to laws from 50 states. "There’s no shortage of suggestions about how to make this bill better, but there is one thing that’s missing: recognition from Congress that this bill affects us all," the groups said. They said it will take the full power of the internet to stop sex trafficking, but policymakers need to understand that the internet isn't just a group of "powerful tech companies and government regulators -- it’s you and me and everyone."

Domain name abuse, a tussle between Amazon and two national governments, and data protection/privacy were among key topics set for discussion at the ICANN meeting in Abu Dhabi, said ICANN and stakeholders. The meeting was to begin Saturday and run through Friday. A research paper by the Internet Governance Project (IGP) seeks to spur debate on how the internet body and the domain name system (DNS) should deal with content regulation, said Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy researcher Brenden Kuerbis. The ICANN board is likely to act on a long-running dispute over Amazon's application for a .Amazon generic top-level domain (gTLD), Allen & Overy (London) intellectual property attorney David Stone posted on the firm's Digital Hub. And there will be talks on ICANN efforts to comply with new EU data protection rules effective next year.

The FCC would seek to spur advanced wireline broadband investment and deployment through further regulation of pole attachments and deregulation of telco retirement of legacy networks and services, under a draft item that Chairman Ajit Pai Thursday placed on the tentative agenda for a Nov. 16 commissioners' vote. The 109-page draft "seeks to accelerate the deployment of next-generation networks and services by removing regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment; to speed the transition from legacy copper networks and services to next-generation fiber-based networks and services; and to eliminate Commission regulations that raise costs and slow broadband deployment," said a summary.

Domain name abuse, a tussle between Amazon and two national governments, and data protection/privacy were among key topics set for discussion at the ICANN meeting in Abu Dhabi, said ICANN and stakeholders. The meeting was to begin Saturday and run through Friday. A research paper by the Internet Governance Project (IGP) seeks to spur debate on how the internet body and the domain name system (DNS) should deal with content regulation, said Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy researcher Brenden Kuerbis. The ICANN board is likely to act on a long-running dispute over Amazon's application for a .Amazon generic top-level domain (gTLD), Allen & Overy (London) intellectual property attorney David Stone posted on the firm's Digital Hub. And there will be talks on ICANN efforts to comply with new EU data protection rules effective next year.

The Senate Commerce Committee's main telecom policy priority for the remainder of this year is likely to be an amplified focus on broadband infrastructure issues before the long-anticipated release of a White House-backed infrastructure legislative package expected to include a broadband title, lawmakers and lobbyists told us. Other telecom-related issues also could command the committee's attention depending on a range of other factors, including advancement of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), they said. The committee remains unlikely to take up FCC reauthorization legislation even if the House is able to pass its own version this year, lobbyists said.