DOJ should defer to Congress before potentially altering the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, broadcast and film associations commented. They joined consumer and tech industry groups in supporting preserving the decrees. Comments (see 1906050060) were due Friday night.
The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee is gearing up for its first meeting since being rechartered, likely in early fall, said CSMAC members and federal officials Monday. CSMAC last met in July 2018 (see 1807240057). “We are finalizing the topics and questions that we wish the CSMAC to address prior to our first meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for early October,” an NTIA spokesperson emailed: The location and exact time haven't been decided.
An FCC notice of inquiry for its annual national broadband deployment report could be released this month after it went on circulation with the commissioners in late July (see 1908020048). Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel has already voted in dissent, an aide said, because she wants changes such as new questions about whether the FCC should look at performance speed thresholds above the 25 Mbps upstream/3 downstream current minimum standard for broadband. The aide expects the NOI will go public once each commissioner casts a vote. Nothing material has changed in the language since last year's NOI on the same topic, the aide said. An FCC spokesperson didn't comment on the release date for the NOI or say Friday whether all the commissioner votes had been cast.
Congress should bring more transparency to data broker practices through the FTC, Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Martha McSally, R-Ariz., told us after introduction of their bill (see 1908010043) to require data brokers to register annually with the FTC for acquisition, use and protection of brokered personal data.
The FCC’s repacking plan is successfully relocating broadcasters to their new frequencies, but to meet deadlines many are relying on interim antennas that don’t necessarily reach all their viewers, said broadcasters and tower officials in interviews. “430 TV stations have moved off their pre-repack channels; 557 to go,” tweeted FCC Chief of Staff Matthew Berry Wednesday. “The process is going well, but a lot of work remains.” Success “is measured differently by the FCC,” said Ron Scalfani, logistics coordinator for tower company Precision Communications: “The FCC is reporting victory; we’re seeing a backup.” The transition's phase 4 ended last week; phase 5 has just begun and lasts until September.
President Donald Trump's administration appears to be slow-walking work to nominate a permanent NTIA administrator nearly three months after David Redl's abrupt departure from the agency (see 1905090051), lawmakers and lobbyists told us. Several telecom-focused Hill Republicans said they're pessimistic about confirming a nominee any time soon, with some admitting they haven't even recommended potential candidates to the White House. Lobbyists also were pessimistic on the chances for a confirmation before the 2020 presidential election, pointing to publicly aired views of spectrum policy confusion within the Trump administration (see 1907310033). Deputy Administrator Diane Rinaldo is acting administrator.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is weighing next steps after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reversed a key part of the FCC’s March 2018 wireless infrastructure order Friday (see 1908090021). The court said in United Keetoowah Band v. FCC, No. 18-1129, the FCC unlawfully excluded small cells from National Environmental Protection Act and the National Historic Preservation Act review. The court upheld other parts of the order. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hasn't heard oral argument in a challenge to other small-cell permitting rules the FCC approved last year (see 1906180022),
CenturyLink reported Q2 2019 revenue of $5.58 billion Wednesday, down from $5.9 billion in the same quarter last year, as it continues to expand its fiber network. The company's "guiding principle" is growing free cash flow per share, said CEO Jeff Storey during an earnings call (requires login). The company generated $956 million in free cash flow in Q2, excluding cash paid for integration and transformation costs and special items of $55 million, it said in an earnings report.
Government-supported internet connectivity, already an important market for geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite operators, is set to be a notable driver of business for non-geostationary systems as well, satellite industry officials and experts told us. Except for perhaps the poorest nations, government-backed connectivity is "everywhere and it's growing," said Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg. Telesat announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in July signed with Canada for the country to buy capacity on Telesat's planned low earth orbit (LEO) constellation as part of its universal service goal.
The C-Band Alliance told the FCC its proposal remains the best alternative for opening the band for 5G. Other commenters endorsed a proposal by America’s Communications Association, the Competitive Carriers Association and Charter Communications, or a study by Jeff Reed of Virginia Tech and Reed Engineering on sharing the band with fixed point-to-multipoint (P2MP) operations (see 1907020061). Industry officials said there's little consensus on the band. Comments were due Wednesday in docket 18-122.