Dozens of parties filed briefs supporting the FCC net neutrality order in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which is reviewing challenges in USTelecom v. FCC, No. 15-1063. Cogent and 24 other intervenors said the FCC order promoted the “virtuous circle of Internet growth and innovation” through an “open Internet platform,” counter to the arguments of telco/cable ISP “gatekeepers” seeking to overturn the order. The intervenors and separate parties that filed amicus briefs Monday defended the rules and reclassification of broadband as a Title II telecom service under the Communications Act. Among the defenders are 29 lawmakers who said (see 1509210058) that the Title II finding was backed by the Telecom Act and deserved deference on any ambiguity. (For more on the arguments of petitioners and supporters, see 1507310042 and 1508070058, and on FCC arguments see 1509150052.)

The weapon of choice in fights over LTE-U/Wi-Fi interoperability is increasingly short cartoons of playground bullies. The cable industry, in its opposition to LTE-U, "is "acting like the bully who got to the playground first and now won't let the new kid play on the playground," Media Freedom said in a YouTube video posted Monday in which "Big Cable" is depicted as a unibrowed lunkhead who is shown the value of sharing. The cable industry's opposition to LTE-U is all about fear of competition from a better wireless service under the pretext of worries about Wi-Fi interference, Media Freedom said in a companion blog Monday. "Tests clearly show that LTE-U coexists and 'plays nicely' with Wi-Fi," said the free-market advocacy group in part funded by the communications industry. "The cable industry claims otherwise, and is using every excuse in the book to delay its implementation, going so far as to urge the FCC ‘to act’ and ensure the ‘right standards’ are in place, basically regulating unregulated unlicensed spectrum where innovation has flourished." The "bully" tag and playground setting are almost identical to language and imagery language the WifiForward coalition used in a video it put out earlier this month (see 1509090046) as it raised concerns about Wi-Fi interference from LTE-U.

The weapon of choice in fights over LTE-U/Wi-Fi interoperability is increasingly short cartoons of playground bullies. The cable industry, in its opposition to LTE-U, "is "acting like the bully who got to the playground first and now won't let the new kid play on the playground," Media Freedom said in a YouTube video posted Monday in which "Big Cable" is depicted as a unibrowed lunkhead who is shown the value of sharing. The cable industry's opposition to LTE-U is all about fear of competition from a better wireless service under the pretext of worries about Wi-Fi interference, Media Freedom said in a companion blog Monday. "Tests clearly show that LTE-U coexists and 'plays nicely' with Wi-Fi," said the free-market advocacy group in part funded by the communications industry. "The cable industry claims otherwise, and is using every excuse in the book to delay its implementation, going so far as to urge the FCC ‘to act’ and ensure the ‘right standards’ are in place, basically regulating unregulated unlicensed spectrum where innovation has flourished." The "bully" tag and playground setting are almost identical to language and imagery language the WifiForward coalition used in a video it put out earlier this month (see 1509090046) as it raised concerns about Wi-Fi interference from LTE-U.

The weapon of choice in fights over LTE-U/Wi-Fi interoperability is increasingly short cartoons of playground bullies. The cable industry, in its opposition to LTE-U, "is "acting like the bully who got to the playground first and now won't let the new kid play on the playground," Media Freedom said in a YouTube video posted Monday in which "Big Cable" is depicted as a unibrowed lunkhead who is shown the value of sharing. The cable industry's opposition to LTE-U is all about fear of competition from a better wireless service under the pretext of worries about Wi-Fi interference, Media Freedom said in a companion blog Monday. "Tests clearly show that LTE-U coexists and 'plays nicely' with Wi-Fi," said the free-market advocacy group in part funded by the communications industry. "The cable industry claims otherwise, and is using every excuse in the book to delay its implementation, going so far as to urge the FCC ‘to act’ and ensure the ‘right standards’ are in place, basically regulating unregulated unlicensed spectrum where innovation has flourished." The "bully" tag and playground setting are almost identical to language and imagery language the WifiForward coalition used in a video it put out earlier this month (see 1509090046) as it raised concerns about Wi-Fi interference from LTE-U.

Former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt and others plan to back the agency's net neutrality order in court. Hundt will be joined by other former commissioners and current communications scholars in defending the commission's order on First Amendment grounds, said a notice submitted Wednesday of their intent to file an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which is reviewing the case (USTelecom v. FCC, No. 15-1063). The notice said the brief would respond to arguments raised by certain petitioners and other amici that the FCC violated free-speech rights in its order, which also reclassified broadband as a telecom service under Title II of the Communications Act. It also said their brief wouldn't likely be duplicated by other amicus briefs.

Former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt and others plan to back the agency's net neutrality order in court. Hundt will be joined by other former commissioners and current communications scholars in defending the commission's order on First Amendment grounds, said a notice submitted Wednesday of their intent to file an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which is reviewing the case (USTelecom v. FCC, No. 15-1063). The notice said the brief would respond to arguments raised by certain petitioners and other amici that the FCC violated free-speech rights in its order, which also reclassified broadband as a telecom service under Title II of the Communications Act. It also said their brief wouldn't likely be duplicated by other amicus briefs.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the Judicial Redress Act unanimously without amendments, during a markup Thursday. HR-1428, to give citizens of countries allied with the U.S. some but not all of the same privacy protections as Americans, will go eventually the House floor. Its chances of passage there are seen as good, but time is short for a vote. Committee members and industry applauded the bill's passage, calling it a common-sense piece of legislation to rebuild trust between the U.S. and European allies after the NSA surveillance revelations by former government contractor Edward Snowden. CEA was among the backers.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the Judicial Redress Act unanimously without amendments, during a markup Thursday. HR-1428, to give citizens of countries allied with the U.S. some but not all of the same privacy protections as Americans, will go eventually the House floor. Its chances of passage there are seen as good, but time is short for a vote. Committee members and industry applauded the bill's passage, calling it a common-sense piece of legislation to rebuild trust between the U.S. and European allies after the NSA surveillance revelations by former government contractor Edward Snowden. CEA was among the backers.

The FCC this year repeatedly delayed releasing information on proceedings to the public in the federal government's central repository, a Communications Daily review of Federal Register publications found. Net neutrality rules, processes ensuring that consumers can keep their phone numbers when they change service providers, USF provisions, rules on telemarketing calls and other proceedings affecting a wide array of consumers and industries were among those rulemakings subject to publication delays of more than a month and sometimes approaching a year.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the Judicial Redress Act unanimously without amendments, during a markup Thursday. HR-1428, to give citizens of countries allied with the U.S. some but not all of the same privacy protections as Americans, will go eventually the House floor. Its chances of passage there are seen as good, but time is short for a vote. Committee members and industry applauded the bill's passage, calling it a common-sense piece of legislation to rebuild trust between the U.S. and European allies after the NSA surveillance revelations by former government contractor Edward Snowden. CEA was among the backers.