Sprint, Twitter and three tech and telecom industry groups reported increasing Q3 lobbying expenditures over the same period in 2017. Cox and others said spending dropped. The filing deadline was Monday night. Outside firms reported substantial income from lobbying on behalf of other telecom and tech companies and industry groups.
FCC commissioners approved 4-0, largely as circulated by Chairman Ajit Pai, revised rules for public land mobile radio use of the 800 MHz band. The item was taken off the agenda for Tuesday’s commissioners’ meeting. Late discussions on the eighth floor concerned questions raised last week by APCO, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance and others about including in the rules a contour matrix developed by the Land Mobile Communications Council in 2015 (see 1810190056). But the order wasn’t changed substantially to address those questions, officials said Monday. Among the few tweaks, questions were added about low power in the UNII-5 and -7 bands and questions were also added on portable devices.
San Jose is finding early success speeding up permitting process for small-cell wireless infrastructure that will be used for 5G, city officials said in an interview. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and local governments have touted San Jose’s public-private partnerships with AT&T, Verizon and Mobilitie as a model that could be applied nationally, without pre-emption (see 1806280007). Verizon said its agreement with the city is meeting expectations.
NTIA officials organized private meetings this summer with at least 14 different groups representing tech, telco and other industry interests to discuss the Trump administration’s privacy principles (see 1810100057), according to documents we obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Of the 21 groups included in some 60 NTIA documents, four were consumer or privacy advocates. Industry representatives and a former senior-level FTC official defended the gatherings. Consumer groups said the process was skewed.
A draft on eliminating requirements broadcasters send hard copies of contract documents to the FCC hasn’t been subject of negotiation among eighth-floor offices, we're told. The order isn’t expected to change ahead of Tuesday's commissioners’ meeting, said officials Friday.
A potential blue wave in state legislative and gubernatorial elections (see 1810110031) could strengthen efforts to counter the FCC December order rescinding some net neutrality rules, said a state lawmaker and observers. But there’s no guarantee bills will pass even in Democratic-controlled states, and lawsuits against states could give lawmakers pause, some said. Flipping the state Senate is key to passing net neutrality in New York, said state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D), whose 2018 bill failed to pass. Adding Democrats may make less difference in other states that failed to pass bills last year, some said.
The FCC is thought likely to move forward on rules that bar use of money in any USF program to buy equipment or services from companies that “pose a national security threat” to U.S. communications networks or the communications supply chain. Commissioners approved an NPRM 5-0 in April (see 1804170038). CTIA and other carrier groups' comments raised concerns (see 1807050028), but industry officials said the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act may require FCC action.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will likely face a shift in Capitol Hill oversight scrutiny in 2019 if one or both chambers shift to a Democratic majority in November elections, lawmakers and communications sector officials told us. That appears unlikely to endanger Pai's ability to lead the FCC any more than it has for other chairmen who faced lawmakers amid changing electoral fortunes, former commission officials predicted. Capitol Hill Democrats have had a sometimes-tense relationship with Pai since his chairmanship began in early 2017 (see 1807250043). Democratic leaders are generally eyeing more rigorous oversight of President Donald Trump's administration if they win control of a chamber.
Industry groups are pushing the FCC to take more steps to limit the reach of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and particularly the definition of automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS), after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit earlier this year overturned key parts of a 2015 order and declaratory ruling (see 1803160053). FCC action addressing industry concerns is widely expected (see 1804160044). The agency sought further comment in an Oct. 3 public notice, and responses were filed Wednesday and Thursday in docket 18-152. TCPA bars ATDS calls only to cellphones.
An outspoken metropolitan New York specialty AV retailer confronted Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle during Q&A of an NAB Show New York ATSC 3.0 workshop Thursday by opining that the standard won’t fly with consumers unless broadcasters use it to beam live sports and other content in Ultra HD. “What people want from the owned and operated network stations is 4K HDR, and when you deliver that, it will be instantly successful to the many millions and millions of people who have sets waiting,” said Robert Zohn, president of Value Electronics in Scarsdale, New York.