The record-setting AWS-3 auction, in which the FCC sold off federal spectrum for commercial use, can be a model for other auctions, said Maj. Gen. Robert Wheeler, deputy chief information officer at the Department of Defense. Wheeler said Thursday at a Center for Strategic and International Studies conference that he gets that DOD spectrum will be under continuing pressure.

Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Tom Udall, D-N.M., took credit Wednesday for the Spectrum Relocation Fund provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act, signed into law this week. The compromise deal was revealed Oct. 26, and Moran and Udall introduced S-2211 Oct. 27 to accomplish similar changes to the fund, many at the administration’s behest. Similar bipartisan legislation was in the drafting stages in the House (see 1510260044). "With the growth of smart phones and other wireless technologies, spectrum is a scarce and increasingly valuable resource,” Udall said in a statement. “These smart policy changes not only raise revenue, they will help our nation’s wireless and technology sectors continue to innovate and bring new products and services to consumers.” CTIA President Meredith Baker praised the Moran/Udall legislation as “an important step toward achieving needed process and research reforms that will improve federal spectrum management.”

Wi-Fi advocates hope the FCC will take a closer look at whether automakers need the entire 75 MHz of spectrum allocated by the agency to dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) systems designed to curb accidents. Skeptics said automakers need only three 10 MHz channels for anticollision systems and are looking at ways to monetize the spectrum that they don’t use directly for public safety. The FCC approved the DSRC allocation in 1999, setting aside the entire 5850-5925 MHz band for auto safety.

Wi-Fi advocates hope the FCC will take a closer look at whether automakers need the entire 75 MHz of spectrum allocated by the agency to dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) systems designed to curb accidents. Skeptics said automakers need only three 10 MHz channels for anticollision systems and are looking at ways to monetize the spectrum that they don’t use directly for public safety. The FCC approved the DSRC allocation in 1999, setting aside the entire 5850-5925 MHz band for auto safety.

NTCA raised questions about a possible FCC “bifurcated approach” to rural telco USF reform under which prior expenses would be recoverable through existing mechanisms while new investments and some stand-alone broadband expenses would be recoverable through new mechanisms. “While it is important to get reform done quickly, it is more important to get reform done right,” NTCA said in a filing posted Monday in docket 10-90 on a meeting with a senior FCC staffer. The rural telco group asked what the bifurcated approach's objective is, given that it believes FCC-articulated reform principles are more likely to be achieved by “already-proposed measures,” such as “budget controls and reasonable limits on operating expenses and prospective capital investments." Plus, NTCA said existing high-cost loop support (HCLS) and interstate common line support (ICLS) mechanisms have "shortcomings," but they have worked "better than any other system" to encourage and enable sustainable rural broadband investment. It's “essential that any reforms strike a careful balance toward both a reasonable opportunity to recover costs in accordance with the rules in place at the time the relevant investments and associated expenses were incurred and the need to provide sufficient and predictable support for future broadband deployment and operations; neither can or should be sacrificed for the other,” NTCA said. The group also voiced concerns about any “artificial cut-off” of HCLS/ICLS support that would move all associated costs “to the new mechanism as of a future date certain.” NTCA said HCLS and ICLS support should “continue for the useful life of networks used to deliver supported services; even after those networks are fully depreciated, rural rate-of-return-regulated local exchange carriers ('RLECs') will continue to incur expenses to deliver voice and broadband services over them.” NTCA also noted the “time sensitivity” of a request for commission review of a Wireline Bureau denial of a petition for reconsideration of an HCLS rate floor, which rural telcos believe was flawed. Rural telcos aren’t substantively challenging the application of the rate floor to HCLS support, but its methodology, and the FCC should act “well in advance of June 2016" to set "a more reasonable methodology,” the group said.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, introduced the Stingray Privacy Act (HR-3871) Monday to codify the legal guidance of the Justice and Homeland Security departments on the use of cell site simulators. It would limit the use of the devices by state and local authorities. “The abuse of Stingrays and other cell site simulators by individuals, including law enforcement, could enable gross violations of privacy,” Chaffetz said in a statement. "That law enforcement agencies, and non-law enforcement agencies such as the IRS, have invested in these devices raises serious questions about who is using this technology and why. These questions demonstrate the need for strict guidelines that carry the weight of the law." He posted a copy of the bill text, labeled discussion draft. Co-sponsors include Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. This legislation follows a recent Oversight IT Subcommittee hearing on the federal guidance (see 1510210060).

Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., praised the spectrum provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act, encompassed in a section called the Spectrum Pipeline Act (see 1510270063). The compromise deal was signed into law Monday. “The Spectrum Pipeline Act will help us prepare for the economy of the future, an economy in which many of our business transactions and personal communications will involve wireless devices such as smartphones and tablet computers,” Clarke said in a statement this week. “We must have a sufficient capacity of wireless spectrum for these transactions and communication. By auctioning these airwaves the [FCC] can help provide the additional capacity required, as well as raise a substantial amount (more than $50 billion has been estimated) to fund critical programs such as Head Start and Pell Grants.” Clarke called the deal's section “an excellent start” but said she wants to find other “ways to free up more spectrum.” Her office helped write a draft bill also called the Spectrum Pipeline Act, circulated earlier this year. Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld also sent a letter Tuesday to Commerce Committee leadership in both chambers pressing for further spectrum legislation. The group wants “the opportunity that comprehensive spectrum legislation presents to expand the availability of spectrum for unlicensed uses,” Feld said. “Public Knowledge proposes two, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms to increase the amount of unlicensed spectrum: 1) direct the FCC to allow for a non-interfering unlicensed underlay of all federal spectrum, with exceptions for sensitive national security and public safety uses in critical bands; and 2) designate that whenever federal spectrum is made available for commercial use, an equivalent amount [of] spectrum shall be allocated for license-exempt use.” He said the spectrum provisions in the budget bill amount to “baby steps.”

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, introduced the Stingray Privacy Act (HR-3871) Monday to codify the legal guidance of the Justice and Homeland Security departments on the use of cell site simulators. It would limit the use of the devices by state and local authorities. “The abuse of Stingrays and other cell site simulators by individuals, including law enforcement, could enable gross violations of privacy,” Chaffetz said in a statement. "That law enforcement agencies, and non-law enforcement agencies such as the IRS, have invested in these devices raises serious questions about who is using this technology and why. These questions demonstrate the need for strict guidelines that carry the weight of the law." He posted a copy of the bill text, labeled discussion draft. Co-sponsors include Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. This legislation follows a recent Oversight IT Subcommittee hearing on the federal guidance (see 1510210060).

Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., praised the spectrum provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act, encompassed in a section called the Spectrum Pipeline Act (see 1510270063). The compromise deal was signed into law Monday. “The Spectrum Pipeline Act will help us prepare for the economy of the future, an economy in which many of our business transactions and personal communications will involve wireless devices such as smartphones and tablet computers,” Clarke said in a statement this week. “We must have a sufficient capacity of wireless spectrum for these transactions and communication. By auctioning these airwaves the [FCC] can help provide the additional capacity required, as well as raise a substantial amount (more than $50 billion has been estimated) to fund critical programs such as Head Start and Pell Grants.” Clarke called the deal's section “an excellent start” but said she wants to find other “ways to free up more spectrum.” Her office helped write a draft bill also called the Spectrum Pipeline Act, circulated earlier this year. Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld also sent a letter Tuesday to Commerce Committee leadership in both chambers pressing for further spectrum legislation. The group wants “the opportunity that comprehensive spectrum legislation presents to expand the availability of spectrum for unlicensed uses,” Feld said. “Public Knowledge proposes two, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms to increase the amount of unlicensed spectrum: 1) direct the FCC to allow for a non-interfering unlicensed underlay of all federal spectrum, with exceptions for sensitive national security and public safety uses in critical bands; and 2) designate that whenever federal spectrum is made available for commercial use, an equivalent amount [of] spectrum shall be allocated for license-exempt use.” He said the spectrum provisions in the budget bill amount to “baby steps.”

John Malone is increasingly in the spotlight as part of the review of Charter Communications buying Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable, as was expected (see 1508140001). The chairman of Liberty Media -- the single largest Charter shareholder -- came up repeatedly in comments posted Tuesday in docket 15-149 after the Monday deadline for replies to any comments in opposition to the $89.1 billion deals. Meanwhile, the Media Bureau requested information from Liberty Broadband, Liberty Interactive and Liberty Media (see here, here and here) as part of its review, including details on any involvement by Malone or other company officers in decisions by Discovery, Starz or any other programmer on what programming is presented and whether to distribute any video programming to a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) or online video distributor (OVD). Malone is also chairman of Liberty Broadband and Liberty Interactive.