Relative to the epic battles preceding the FCC’s last two votes on net neutrality rules, in 2015 and 2017, things have been relatively quiet on net neutrality since Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced she would seek a vote on an NPRM Oct. 19 (see 2309260047). There have statements for and against, but nothing compared with the fights of the past, industry observers told us.
Google representatives defended their content moderation efforts Thursday amid congressional criticism of YouTube, Meta and X, formerly known as Twitter, for their handling of content about Hamas’ attack on Israel.
A current revamp of Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PDD-21), which could mean outer space being declared critical infrastructure, is expected to be done by year's end, infrastructure policy experts told us. Proponents of such a designation say it would be a path to streamlined space industry rules, while critics warn of potentially more regulation. Asked whether it has discussed such a designation with the Department of Homeland Security, the FCC didn't comment.
Experts see a shift in focus for wireless automotive technologies from a focus on driverless vehicles to features that make conventional cars safer to drive, experts said Wednesday during a Keysight webinar. Experts agreed getting more autonomous vehicles on the road is taking longer than expected a few years ago.
California Assemblymember Jim Patterson (R) will try again next session on a vetoed bill that would have expanded eligibility for federal broadband grants administered by the California Public Utilities Commission, a Patterson spokesperson told us Wednesday. Wireless industry groups lamented Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Sunday veto of AB-1065, though they applauded the Democrat for signing AB-965, a bill meant to streamline the broadband permitting process.
Broadband experts raised concerns about the future of the FCC's affordable connectivity program Wednesday during a Broadband Breakfast webinar (see 2310040072). With more than 20 million households enrolled in the program to date, panelists urged policymakers to replenish the generally popular program. Some also urged the FCC and Congress to consider longer term solutions to address broadband affordability and adoption.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated two NPRMs on the 10th floor that would seek comment on requiring MVPDs to refund subscribers affected by programming blackouts due to retransmission consent negotiations and report such blackouts to the FCC within 24 hours, said a news release Wednesday. MVPDs are likely to object to the proposals, which would likely increase pressure on them during retrans negotiations. “Enough with the blackouts,” said Rosenworcel in the release. “When consumers with traditional cable and satellite service turn on the screen, they should get what they pay for,” she said. “If the screen stays dark, they deserve a refund.”
With FCC commissioners set to vote Oct. 19, the Department of Transportation questioned whether the -27 dBm/MHz out-of-band emission limit allowed by the FCC for very-low power portable devices and mobile access points in the 6 GHz band will be harmful to cellular vehicle-to-everything operations in the adjacent 5.9 GHz band. The FCC’s draft order addresses the C-V2X concerns raised by DOT.
CTA urged the FCC to base its proposed voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices on existing National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance, in comments posted Tuesday (see 2308100032). Other commenters urged the FCC to proceed with caution and involve industry in developing the program. Products would be labeled with the "U.S. Cyber Trust Mark" logo, for which the FCC is seeking registration from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Comments were due at the FCC Friday on an August NPRM (see 2307180054).
Starlink is scaling quickly but doesn’t yet dominate the satellite marketplace, though it's putting increasing competitive pressure on geostationary orbit (GSO) operators, Northern Sky Research analyst Jose Del Rosario said Monday in an NSR webinar on SpaceX. Amazon's Kuiper in a couple of years could be even a bigger GSO threat than Starlink, he said.