As broadband bills advance in states responding to the coronavirus, former acting and possibly next FCC Chair Mignon Clyburn said states will be at the “epicenter” of recovery work. Monday at the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities virtual conference, the Democrat sought an “uplifting and all-inclusive recovery” that would include a long-awaited USF contribution revamp and increasing Lifeline’s $9.25 monthly government-funded discount.
The House Armed Services Committee is eyeing potential legislative language to insert into the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to intervene against the FCC’s approval of Ligado’s L-band plan during a coming full committee markup after deciding against pursuing related amendments at the subcommittee level, committee aides told reporters. The Senate Armed Services Committee advanced its NDAA version earlier this month with language to bar DOD from using its funding to comply with the FCC’s Ligado order without further review by the secretary of defense and the National Academies of Science and Engineering (see 2006110026).
The International Bureau dismissed an application on Chinese language programming broadcast from a Mexican station because it didn’t include a company the FCC said Monday is a key participant in the enterprise and also tied to the Chinese government. “The broadcast programming subject to this application is supplied, created, and produced in a studio used, owned, and maintained by Phoenix Radio,” said a release. It alleged the Chinese government partially controls Phoenix Radio.
Clearing the 3.7-4 GHz band of incumbent satellite services for terrestrial use of the spectrum will cost about $3.53 billion, under estimates from satellite providers that were due Friday. The FCC C-band clearing order in February cited estimates of $2.8 billion-$6.1 billion. The agency didn't comment Monday.
The FCC is expected to consider vertical location accuracy for wireless calls to 911, and something on the digital opportunity data collection at the July 16 commissioners’ meeting, agency and industry officials said. Chairman Ajit Pai is expected to release a blog post on the meeting Wednesday, with drafts the following day.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and top lawmakers weighed in Thursday and Friday with additional broadband legislative proposals aimed at tying into COVID-19 aid legislation and broader infrastructure measures. House Democratic leaders announced plans Thursday to merge existing proposals into a $1.5 trillion Moving Forward Act infrastructure measure that would include $100 billion for broadband (see 2006180062). President Donald Trump’s administration is believed to be preparing a $1 trillion infrastructure proposal that will have funding for 5G infrastructure and rural broadband deployments (see 2006160049).
Expect “significant” proposed changes when the Senate Judiciary Committee marks up the Earn It Act, Sen. Richard Blumenthal told us Thursday (see 2006170063). “I’m ready for a markup, which will include some changes, some of them significant, to clarify the provisions in light of the feedback."
A House Communications Subcommittee briefing on Ligado’s L-band plan Thursday appears to have been a bid by Commerce Committee leaders to warn the chamber's Armed Services panel against attempting to advance language aimed at scuttling the FCC’s April approval, Capitol Hill aides and lobbyists told us. The company told members of the House and Senate Commerce panels Thursday it obtained emails showing the L-band plan previously had the backing of NTIA’s technical staff and the DOD Chief Information Office (see 2006180034).
While most associations have dropped plans for in-person summer conferences due to COVID-19, APCO is forging ahead with plans to meet Aug. 2-5 in Orlando. It's even offering a $100 credit to attendees, to be used at next year's conference. Infection rates are on the rise in Florida, and experts warned against holding the conference live.
ARRL asked the FCC to exercise caution in adopting new RF rules. The FCC logged more than 120 comments in docket 19-226 in the last two days, many from those concerned about the health effects of RF exposure. Others questioned the need for further regulation (see 2006170032). The comments respond to a December NPRM and were due Wednesday (see 1912040036).