Smith Bagley Inc. (SBi), which serves tribal lands in the Four Corners region of the U.S., called for a tribal 5G Fund of at least $2.5 billion. Reply comments as the FCC considers a proposed 5G Fund (see 2310240046) were due Tuesday in docket 20-32. Other comments urged the FCC to move forward on a fund.
Aides to Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, are circulating a draft alternative to the House Commerce Committee-cleared Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act (HR-3565) that directs NTIA to identify within two years at least 1,500 MHz of spectrum for nonfederal and shared use but doesn’t propose using proceeds from sales of those frequencies to pay for other telecom priorities. The draft language we obtained was circulating last week, but there has been chatter for months about Cruz’s plans for a proposal different from HR-3565. Cruz’s opposition to HR-3565 is one of several factors that’s stalled talks on a compromise spectrum legislative package throughout 2023 (see 2308100058). Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., backs HR-3565.
Despite warnings that China's BeiDou global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is eclipsing GPS capabilities, a U.S. response isn't expected. The BeiDou ascendency comes as China is also seen making big strides in commercial positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) satellites.
While the FCC wants to end cable and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) early-termination fees and require prorated refunds for canceled MVPD service (see 2311210043), it also would seek state and local input about adopting something less than a total ban and allowing state and local variations, according to the draft NPRM for next month's meeting agenda. Meanwhile, an FCC order takes a big swing at robotexts, with rules that override recent objections filed at the agency. In addition, commissioners will vote on new data breach requirements in light of recent leaks at major wireless providers. The agency released the Dec. 13 open meeting's draft items on Wednesday.
The House Communications Subcommittee plans a Nov. 30 FCC oversight hearing that will scrutinize President Joe Biden’s “Broadband Takeover,” the Commerce Committee said Tuesday. The announcement's tone likely presages a major focus on the FCC’s pursuit of a new net neutrality rulemaking that largely mirrors the commission’s rescinded 2015 rules and a reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 2310190020), lobbyists told us. Meanwhile, two senior House Commerce members -- Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Bill Johnson, R-Ohio -- announced they’re not seeking reelection in 2024.
The World Radiocommunication Conference opened in Dubai Monday, with remarks by ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, who insisted global cooperation will benefit the many unserved and make the most of increasingly congested spectrum. The ITU said about 4,000 delegates and others are expected to attend the WRC, which runs through Dec. 15. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Anna Gomez are among those attending the start of the conference this week.
Early-termination fees for canceling cable or direct broadcast satellite service are joining "all-in" video service pricing in the FCC's cross-hairs for elimination with an NPRM on the agency's December agenda, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Tuesday. Also on tap for the Dec. 13 meeting are further efforts to crack down on robotexts, an area that could prove controversial and an update to data breach notification rules. In her note, Rosenworcel wrote the agenda would also include an NPRM about requiring smartphone compatibility with hearing aides, an order implementing provisions from the 2023 Low Power Protection Act to create a window to allow some LPTV stations to transition to Class A status, rules aimed at streamlining the approval process for pole attachment applications and administrative improvement to the Rural Health Care Program.
Telecom companies raised concerns about adding state USF goals on service quality and other issues in comments posted Monday at the Nebraska Public Service Commission. And as the PSC considers sweeping Nebraska USF (NUSF) changes, Charter Communications warned that it might be unlawful to support broadband with a fund designed for telecom services. Small rural companies said the fund should support ongoing costs that make networks expensive in remote areas even after they are deployed.
Broadcast attorneys don’t expect seismic shifts in the sports betting and cannabis advertising landscapes soon, according to two virtual sessions convened Monday by the Federal Communications Bar Association. FCC guidance on whether broadcasters can advertise recreational marijuana use “would offer some great clarity,” but the likelihood of the agency issuing it while cannabis is classified as an illegal drug “is absolutely zero,” Wilkinson Barker broadcast attorney David O’Connor said. Orrick attorney Behnam Dayanim said, “It’s looking grim, at least in the immediate future” for shifts toward legalizing sports betting in states that haven’t already done so, such as Texas and California. Dayanim represents sports betting company Draft Kings.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the company said Monday after it announced subpoenas seeking testimony from Snap, X and Discord about children's online safety. The committee also said it’s in discussions about potential voluntary testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.