Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wants the FCC to "reckon with how rolling back regulations and not requiring back up power have made it harder" to communicate in natural disasters such as the recent California wildfires. She tweeted Friday that "phones are not working. It's time for the FCC to start investigating."
Letters Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sent Friday to executives from major broadcasters ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC added further fuel to ongoing chatter about the direction of Congress' debate on Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is continuing to eye circulating a draft renewal measure in the coming weeks (see 1910300055), but lobbyists are becoming doubtful it will be ready for an early November markup, as originally anticipated. The law will expire Dec. 31 absent recertification.
A letter from President Donald Trump to ITU helped rather than complicated U.S. outreach at the 2019 World Radicommunication Conference, Grace Koh, U.S. ambassador to WRC-19, told reporters Friday. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he was at WRC with a broad focus to advocate for U.S. positions. Also on the call was Douglas Kinkoph, acting NTIA deputy administrator. Friday was day five of the conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
A fight over states seeking to regulate interconnected VoIP could return to the Supreme Court if it reviews the 2017 FCC net neutrality repeal, some experts told us. The court last month denied certiori to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which appealed an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision that VoIP is an information service exempt from state regulation (see 1910210059). Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch’s concurrence said their court should address in an “appropriate” case an underlying question about if federal nonregulation can pre-empt state regulation. That's seen opening a new path of attack for states.
Data breaches made privacy a mainstream issue and industry's willing to go pretty far in terms of regulatory obligations, giving Congress unprecedented opportunity to pass legislation Brookings Institution's Cameron Kerry told the Multimedia Telecom and Internet Council. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks thinks the Expanding Broadcast Opportunities Act (HR-3957) sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., could get bipartisan support, and a similar approach might make sense for other industries such as tech. Butterfield talked up the bill Thursday.
The Senate Commerce Committee will consider multiple privacy proposals at a hearing expected after Thanksgiving, Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters this week. Wicker continues to negotiate with ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., on one: “I think we’re close. We’re working hard.” Divulging the exact proposals to be considered at the hearing would be “a bridge too far,” he said.
Terrier Media is restructuring its deal to buy most radio and TV stations from Cox Media and Northwestern's TV outlets to be in compliance with the 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals Prometheus ruling, said Terrier President David Sambur in an amendment (see 1910250006). “Applicants have agreed to make certain targeted changes to the Northwest Transaction and the Cox Transactions to address any concerns regarding compliance with the Commission’s current and possible future media ownership rules,” the amendment said. It posted this week in the FCC consolidated database system.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., believes President Donald Trump's administration and the FCC are finally unified on 5G strategy and related spectrum issues. That's despite misgivings ranking member Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel voiced during a Thursday committee hearing. The FCC released a draft proposal Tuesday to bar USF funding for the purchase of telecom equipment from companies “posing a national security threat to the integrity of communications networks or the communications supply chain.” The order is seen as targeted at Chinese equipment manufacturers Huawei and ZTE (see 1910300036).
The 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference almost immediately got down to business this week, with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai there. But officials at the WRC, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, said a letter that President Donald Trump sent Monday (see 1910280054) likely raised question. This is considered potentially the most important WRC because of its focus on 5G and harmonizing bands.
Examiners would benefit from more clarity on testing patent eligibility, Patent and Trademark Office Commissioner of Patents Drew Hirshfeld testified Wednesday (see 1909110066). He was responding to a suggestion from Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee ranking member Chris Coons, D-Del. He and Chairman Thom Tillis, R-N.C., are working on legislation for revising Patent Act sections 101 and 112 (see 1906050076).