State attorneys general sparred with T-Mobile and Sprint ahead of the Dec. 9 trial on the carrier’s proposed combination that would also establish Dish Network as a national wireless carrier. Plaintiffs and defendants filed pretrial memos Tuesday at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. “We are proceeding as planned and will be going to trial in less than two weeks,” a spokesperson for New York AG Letitia James (D) emailed Wednesday.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is “OK” with permanently reauthorizing USA Patriot Act Section 215, except one provision: the call detail records program (see 1911120042), he told us. President Donald Trump signed a short-term funding bill through Dec. 20 on Nov. 21, extending the law through March 15, three months after the original December expiration.
Led by Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, Wash., Senate Democrats Tuesday unveiled federal privacy legislation. It has a provision Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., regards as a nonstarter (see 1911250058).
Long the home of only one satellite operator, non-voice non-geostationary (NVNG) bands are getting increased commercial interest due to evolving small-satellite technology, satellite lawyers told us. The FCC completed an NVNG UHF band processing round last month and is expected to undertake a VHF one in response to a Myriota petition (see 1911190002), we were told.
FCC Media Bureau approval of Apollo Global Management-related Terrier Media’s buy of Cox Media Group and Northwest’s stations (see 1911220069) is another indication the FCC isn’t likely to approve deals with complications testing the limits of existing broadcast rules, attorneys, broadcasters and brokers said in interviews this week. “If it pushes the envelope, they’ll slow your deal up,” one broadcaster said.
House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden of Oregon is the most recent in a string of six Communications Subcommittee Republican members who say they won't seek re-election in 2020 (see 1910280020). At the least, just less than half of the subcommittee's GOP roster is leaving at the end of this Congress. That turnover could present opportunities for remaining Republican veterans like House Communications ranking member Bob Latta of Ohio to have even more influence over telecom policymaking beginning in 2021. Some officials and experts we interviewed question how that will change the process.
Report ISPs are deploying broadband to all Americans "in a reasonable and timely fashion," industry told the FCC in comments posted through Monday in docket 19-285 on a notice of inquiry for the 15th annual Communications Act Section 706 report (see 1910230065). Critics said the last report overstated broadband deployment (see 1905290017).
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker doesn’t think Democrats will insist on including a private right of action in bipartisan privacy legislation, he told reporters last week. The Mississippi Republican noted California’s privacy law limits private right of action. “I don’t think Democrats will insist on that in a final bill,” he said. “I don’t expect this Congress to move to the left of the California initiative.”
Texas and Nevada settlements with T-Mobile buying Sprint won’t stop state attorneys general from going to trial in less than two weeks, New York and California AGs said Monday. States challenging the takeover lost Texas' Ken Paxton, the only Republican colleague who had joined them in challenging the transaction. Democratic AGs from Colorado and Mississippi had made similar pacts to withdraw from the suit (see 1910210053). Fourteen AGs remain. Observers gave to us high odds to the trial opening Dec. 9 at U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines to issue an NPRM in FCC docket 19-308 on eliminating regulations on certain unbundling and resale requirements for ILECs to make parts of their facilities-based networks available to CLECs that want to use the unbundled network elements (UNEs) to sell voice and broadband services (see 1911190009). Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks dissented. The new rules would eliminate most requirements for ILECs to unbundle and resell certain voice-grade and DSL loops except for residential use in certain rural areas. The NPRM proposes a three-year transition.