Satellite operators remain divided on the FCC assessing satellite application and regulatory fees on foreign-licensed satellites with U.S. access (see 1912090053), in docket 19-105 replies posted Tuesday. The fees are proposed as part of the FY 2020 fee schedule. A broadcaster urged changing the methodology for calculating VHF regulatory fees.
LAS VEGAS -- CES formally kicked off Tuesday with a keynote by CTA President Gary Shapiro reassuring attendees that the “roaring 2020s” will be huge for tech. Shapiro repeated the theme (see 2001060028) that the IoT now means the “intelligence of things.” Every company “has to be a tech company,” Shapiro said.
LAS VEGAS -- FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Tuesday the U.S. will lead in 5G. He didn’t offer any update on when the FCC would act on the C band for licensed and 6 GHz for unlicensed use. Pai said the FCC is evaluating the latter band and plans action this year. FTC Chairman Joe Simons called for a new federal privacy law, noting that the FTC must use one that's 100 years old. As is the tradition at CES, both answered questions in a sit-down with CTA President Gary Shapiro.
TV stations that must change frequencies following the incentive auction continue (see 1908090050) to make their phase deadlines by shifting their signal to interim antennas that don’t reach all viewers, said broadcasters, FCC officials and antenna manufacturers in recent interviews. Phase seven -- out of 10 -- of the post-incentive auction repacking ends Jan. 17.
LAS VEGAS -- New technologies and apps are creating excitement among manufacturers and other businesses, said CTA Vice President-Research Steve Koenig during an annual trends to watch presentation Sunday. “It’s not because it’s cool and fun,” he said: “It’s because it’s a very competitive marketplace, and businesses around the world are looking for an edge. Technology provides that.”
LAS VEGAS -- Enthusiasm for smart cities has been scaled down at recent CESs as cities encounter hurdles, said Brian Collie, Boston Consulting Group senior partner, on a panel Monday. Enthusiasm has also waned for autonomous vehicles, he said. Speakers agreed that to be a success, smart cities need a push, starting at the federal level.
FTC antitrust staff is right to scrutinize the consumer welfare standard, experts said in interviews. If the agency ultimately delivers related antitrust guidance, as Chairman Joe Simons suggested, some expect it in 2020. Critics claim the standard contributed to lax antitrust enforcement, but one expert said that narrow discussion is distracting from broader antitrust doctrine concerns, which led to enforcement failings. The FTC didn’t comment Monday.
The FCC is moving forward to clear spectrum in the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band for 5G and to take other actions to speed deployment, as leadership changes at other agencies raise questions about whether spectrum policy disarray continues elsewhere in President Donald Trump's administration. Trump recently moved Robert Blair from the State Department to oversee the administration’s 5G push under National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow (see 1912240015). Blair is the latest in a line of advisers to fill that role.
ISPs serving rural communities are helping to facilitate telemedicine expansion through hospitals, healthcare providers and directly to the home, stakeholders said in interviews in recent weeks. After much talk about such opportunities, experts said they now expect more deployments. Industry is partnering with academics, hospitals and others in the rollout. Government has a role, too.
Don't expect big, transformative mergers and acquisitions in entertainment and media this year, experts said in recent interviews. Instead, companies are focused more on direct-to-consumer offerings and on integrating and rationalizing the properties they have, analysts and lawyers said.