CTA agrees with “elements” of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, including its efforts to update U.S. broadband (see 2103310064), “which we need now more than ever,” said CEO Gary Shapiro Thursday. “Rebuilding our infrastructure will better position the U.S. to compete with our biggest innovation rivals including China,” he said. “Extending apprenticeships -- critical to creating more pathways into tech and advancing diversity -- will strengthen the American workforce.” But CTA has “concerns” about the proposal’s plan to pay for infrastructure reforms by raising the corporate tax rate, said Shapiro.
The Commerce Department wants input by April 28 on how it should structure its internet and communications technology and services preclearance or licensing process. It said it won't have an ICTS licensing regime in place by May 19, as predicted by the previous administration. “While the Department understands that business decisions must often be made within tight timeframes, the Department may not be able to determine whether a particular ICTS transaction qualifies for a license or pre-clearance without detailed information and analysis," said Monday's Federal Register. "Considering this tension, should the Department issue decisions on a shorter timeframe if that could result in fewer licenses or pre-clearances being granted, or would the inconvenience of a longer timeframe for review be outweighed by the potential for a greater number of licenses or pre-clearances being issued?” DOC didn't comment Wednesday on when it might have ICTS rules ready.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon told acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Tuesday he’s “committed to working with you and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that investments in broadband are at the center of any comprehensive infrastructure bill.” Wyden and other Senate Democratic caucus members filed legislation last week to allocate $6 billion more to the FCC emergency broadband benefit program (see 2103110060 plus the earlier HR-1783 and HR-1848). Wyden called for “our country to state unequivocally that it is an American priority to make broadband in 2021 what electricity became eighty years ago: an essential service on which every household could count.” He wants “big, bold, timely action on broadband, patterned on the success of” the 1936 Rural Electrification Act, said his letter to Rosenworcel.
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker of Mississippi said Tuesday he’s seeking a panel hearing on the FCC's plans and timeline for releasing improved broadband coverage data maps, after the chamber returns April 12 from a two-week recess. Wicker and other Republicans pressed acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in early March to explain why the agency didn’t expect improved maps to be available until 2022. Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said later that Rosenworcel says a four-month timeline is possible (see 2103170068). Rosenworcel has since told the GOP leaders that the FCC now expects an initial data flow proposal for the new maps by April 12 and draft data architecture design by May 3 (see 2103290046). “These conflicting timelines clearly need to be resolved,” Wicker said in a letter to Cantwell. Rosenworcel’s response “simply gave a broad overview of the process of developing new maps, without any target completion date.”
The FCC expects Emprata to provide an initial data flow proposal for the new broadband data maps by April 12 and draft data architecture design by May 3, acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, in letters posted on the commission's site Monday (see 2103170026). Rosenworcel laid out the steps needed to create new maps, including a "framework for massive amounts of data" to "feed into a comprehensive, user-friendly dataset on broadband availability" and IT systems to collect and verify data (see 2103230071).
The U.S. Geological Survey didn’t follow best practices in “establishing schedules, milestones, and timeframes” for implementing its ShakeAlert earthquake warnings, which use the Integrated Public Alert Warning System, GAO reported Thursday. ShakeAlert has been implemented in California, Oregon and Washington state and is intended to provide notification of earthquakes and associated threats such as tsunamis and landslides. USGS hasn’t completed plans for coordination outreach with stakeholders, the auditor said. “By updating and completing its ShakeAlert outreach plan, USGS can better ensure all stakeholders have a shared understanding of how to communicate and educate the public on the ShakeAlert system.” The document recommended USGS “follow best practices for a comprehensive ShakeAlert cost estimate” and do “a staffing gap analysis.” USGS's parent agency the Department of Interior said it largely concurred with the GAO findings.
House Commerce Committee leaders urged nine ISPs and as many associations Wednesday to “raise awareness” of the FCC’s $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program. The FCC said Wednesday more than 200 providers say they want to participate. “It is critical that eligible customers know about the benefit, which providers are participating in the program, and how they can access the benefit,” said House Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J. Also signing: House Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa.; and Communications ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio. The letters went to: ACA Connects, Altice, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, the Competitive Carriers Association, Cox, CTIA, Frontier, Incompas, Lumen, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, NCTA, NTCA, T-Mobile, USTelecom, Verizon and the Wireless ISP Association. For EBB “to help the greatest number of people, it will require the cooperation and support" of ISPs. While “the FCC is working to establish the start date of the program, your company can play an important role in its success by proactively raising awareness of the program to your customers and the public, including households likely to be eligible,” they said. The agency is reviewing applications and “will eventually share the names of accepted providers,” emailed a spokesperson.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., refiled their Cyber Shield Act Wednesday to improve IoT cybersecurity. The bill, first filed in 2017 (see 1710270043), would form an advisory committee to create data security standards for certifying IoT devices. IoT “will also stand for the Internet of Threats until we put in place appropriate cybersecurity safeguards,” Markey said. The lawmakers cited endorsements from the Center for Democracy & Technology, Cybereason, Internet Association, Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, Massachusetts Tech Leadership Council and Rapid7.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., led refiling the Eliminate the Digital Divide Act Wednesday. The measure, first filed in October, would allocate $10 billion to states for broadband buildout in unserved areas, including $1 billion for high-cost locations. It would require the FCC update its maps to reflect the 2020 Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act. Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Roger Williams, both of Texas, are the measure’s lead GOP co-sponsors. NCTA said the plan “recognizes the importance of tech neutrality and includes important safeguards … to ensure accountability. The legislation also focuses on the need to remove barriers to broadband deployment, such as the [eligible telecom carrier] requirement.” Manchin told reporters he backs an “enormous” infrastructure package that he would like to see lawmakers pay for partly via “adjustments” to tax cuts enacted in 2017. He suggested instituting a value-added tax to help fund an “infrastructure bank.” Some Democrats floated using budget reconciliation without GOP buy-in (see 2103160001).
President Joe Biden will nominate Lina Khan to be an FTC commissioner, the White House announced Monday, as expected (see 2103170066). An associate professor at Columbia Law School, Khan previously was a staffer for the House Antitrust Subcommittee and FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra. Khan’s “creative energy, groundbreaking antitrust work, and passion for the FTC’s mission make her an excellent nominee,” said acting FTC Chair Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. “I wish her a speedy confirmation.”