FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is reassuring net neutrality advocates that Title II reclassification of broadband remains an option if proposed net neutrality rules aren’t enough. Industry observers said in interviews that Wheeler’s latest comments (WID April 30 p3) probably aren’t an idle threat, though it remains a big question whether reclassifying broadband is even possible in the remaining 33 months of the Obama presidency. Wheeler circulated a revised version of his net neutrality NPRM Tuesday, agency officials confirmed.

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America raised and donated more money for political donations through its Political Action Committee than ever before, said the group's in its 2013 report. While expectations remain low for legislative progress on issues of interest to the association, "there are signs that -- gradually -- change is on its way," it said. The group added 92 new members in 2013, up to a total of 896 members, said the NCBFAA.

Proposed spectrum aggregation rules for the TV incentive auction could mean as much as 50 percent of the spectrum offered for sale in some markets would be set aside for competitors to Verizon and AT&T and off limits to any carrier that already has a dominant sub-1 GHz spectrum position in that market, FCC and industry officials tell us.

Proposed spectrum aggregation rules for the TV incentive auction could mean as much as 50 percent of the spectrum offered for sale in some markets would be set aside for competitors to Verizon and AT&T and off limits to any carrier that already has a dominant sub-1 GHz spectrum position in that market, FCC and industry officials tell us.

NAB members are “at a complete loss” as to why and under what authority FCC staff continue to make changes to methodology set forth in OET Bulletin No. 69, NAB said Monday in a filing at the commission. The filing reflects arguments NAB members made in a series of meetings with commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly and various staffers. It lists the trade group’s leading concerns as the FCC takes up incentive auction rules. “Congress took a significant and purposeful step when it specified the manner by which the Commission should determine the coverage areas and populations served by each broadcast television licensee,” NAB said. The Spectrum Act says explicitly the “coverage area and population served of each broadcast television licensee” is to be “determined using the methodology described in OET Bulletin 69,” NAB said. “For the better part of two decades, the FCC has applied OET-69 routinely and consistently. So when Congress enshrined its use in the Spectrum Act, Congress was directing the Commission not to change its computation methods. Congress attempted to remove any uncertainty as to how those numbers would be derived.” NAB also raised concerns about wireless mics commonly used by broadcasters. “The Commission’s failure to include any exclusive spectrum for wireless microphones will not only harm the public interest generally (by limited the ability to provide breaking news), but will specifically threaten the public’s safety,” NAB said. NAB also asked the FCC to make sure enough money is available in the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund to pay the costs some broadcasters will face as a result of auction-related repacking. “The auction should not move forward unless the staff first determines its repacking headroom under the $1.75 billion budget and takes every step it can to minimize repacking in the context of a successful incentive auction,” NAB said.

The FCC plans to explore “how best to eliminate anti-competitive state bans and other barriers to broadband competition,” and Chairman Tom Wheeler will announce an approach for challenging bans on community broadband by mid-May, an agency spokesman told us. Wheeler “believes that communities should decide for themselves about whether to build community broadband networks for their residents,” the spokesman said Monday. A draft rulemaking on net neutrality rules (see separate report in this issue) doesn’t ask about the FCC preempting state and local laws barring publicly funded broadband network buildouts (CD April 28 p2).

The FCC plans to explore “how best to eliminate anti-competitive state bans and other barriers to broadband competition,” and Chairman Tom Wheeler will announce an approach for challenging bans on community broadband by mid-May, an agency spokesman told us. Wheeler “believes that communities should decide for themselves about whether to build community broadband networks for their residents,” the spokesman said Monday. A draft rulemaking on net neutrality rules (see separate report in this issue) doesn’t ask about the FCC preempting state and local laws barring publicly funded broadband network buildouts (WID April 28 p7).

Scholars and lawmakers were divided over the political implications of NETmundial, last week’s conference on Internet governance in Sao Paulo, Brazil (CD April 23 p19; April 24 p7; April 28 p13). NETmundial could generate interest among some Republicans in NTIA’s proposed transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, since some regimes, like Russia, expressed skepticism over the conference’s final outcome document (http://bit.ly/1nt0rA6), said Paul Rosenzweig, visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation and founder of Red Branch Consulting, which focuses on homeland security.

Scholars and lawmakers were divided over the political implications of NETmundial, last week’s conference on Internet governance in Sao Paulo, Brazil (WID April 23 p1; April 24 p3; April 28 p4). NETmundial could generate interest among some Republicans in NTIA’s proposed transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, since some regimes, like Russia, expressed skepticism over the conference’s final outcome document (http://bit.ly/1nt0rA6), said Paul Rosenzweig, visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation and founder of Red Branch Consulting, which focuses on homeland security.

AT&T wants Congress to consider turning the Spectrum Relocation Fund into a general fund, it said in comments to the House Communications Subcommittee. “Under current law, these funds will eventually disappear from the SRF,” the carrier said, suggesting a change wherein the auction fund revenue that remains be “available for agencies to explore whether other spectrum bands could be made available for commercial use.” Both AT&T and Verizon advocated for spectrum auctions free of limits and other tweaks to congressional spectrum law.