Hill lawmakers' communications policy aspirations for a continuing resolution to fund the federal government past Dec. 20 took simultaneous steps forward and back Tuesday and Wednesday. Congressional leaders finalized an expected deal to attach language from two House-side Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization bills into the funding extension measure (see 1912090051). A contentious Senate Commerce Committee markup of the 5G Spectrum Act (S-2881) and other factors, meanwhile, raised doubts about the prospects of using the CR to weigh in on a planned FCC auction of spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band (see 1912100001).
The FCC’s NPRM on the 5.9 GHz band is expected to get a few changes from the draft circulated by Chairman Ajit Pai three weeks ago, when commissioners vote Thursday. The proposal in general has support from commissioners, concerned about providing more spectrum for Wi-Fi. Pai proposed (see 1911200055) that the lower 45 MHz of the 75 MHz chunk of spectrum be set aside for Wi-Fi, 20 MHz for cellular vehicle-to-everything technology and the FCC seek comment on assigning the remaining 10 MHz to C-V2X or dedicated short-range communications.
A major focus of the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council will be the move to 5G, as evidenced by preliminary reports as CSRIC met at the FCC. Reports are due next year. Leaders of the six working groups noted their work so far only in broad terms. First documents are due at a March 17 meeting.
Tech and business groups hailed the pact announced Tuesday between House Democrats and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on legislative terms to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on free trade. There’s “no question” USMCA is “much better” than the North American Free Trade Agreement, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “In terms of our work here, it is infinitely better than what was initially proposed by the administration.”
ICANN should delay the sale of the Public Interest Registry to a private equity firm until concerns about possible censorship, high domain name prices and other issues are addressed, more nonprofits are asking. The transaction, announced Nov. 13 (see 1911130029), involves the sale of PIR's assets to Ethos Capital. Despite assurances from the buyer and the seller, the Internet Society, opposition is growing. ICANN requested more information about the deal and urged the parties to act openly and transparently.
Apple and Google need to voluntarily provide better device access, or Congress will force them to alter encryption standards and accommodate lawful police searches, Senate Judiciary Committee members from both parties said Tuesday. The panel and representatives from Apple and Facebook debated end-to-encryption during a Tuesday hearing, at which law enforcement slammed Apple’s decision in 2014 to engineer devices in a way that effectively blocks police access.
Internecine clashes in the mental health crisis and social service communities over what three digits to use for a nationwide suicide prevention hotline are seemingly over. There's general acceptance -- sometimes grudging -- of 988, experts told us. Many see its selection as inevitable given the support on Capitol Hill and at the FCC. Commissioners vote Thursday on a draft NPRM proposing 988 (see 1911210049).
If Huawei equipment is enough of a threat to warrant barring USF funds to networks using it (see 1911220033), the FCC should look further into having that hardware removed even from networks where carriers aren't getting USF funds, Commissioner Brendan Carr said at Tuesday's Practising Law Institute conference. Legal issues could arise with that approach, but the topic should at least "be on the table," he said. He said the FCC is working "with other three-letter agencies" on such issues. Huawei didn't comment.
Judge Victor Marrero queried Deutsche Telecom's head on the viability of Dish Network as a competitor, a key part of DOJ's remedy to allow T-Mobile to buy Sprint, at trial Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. States sought to undermine T-Mobile's argument that its purchase shouldn't be viewed as moving from four to three competitors, showing through exhibits that T-Mobile and DT executives talked about it as four-to-three. DT didn't see Dish as a serious competitor before the DOJ remedy, states said.
Hill lawmakers are pushing to insert major telecom priorities into a continuing resolution to fund the federal government past Dec. 20, with some items appearing to be closer to the finish line than others. Leaders are nearing a deal to attach Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization language to the CR derived entirely from a pair of House-side measures. The House passed one of those bills, the Television Viewer Protection Act (HR-5035), on a voice vote Tuesday.