ASPEN, Colo. -- DOJ likes its chances of prevailing with its structural remedies on T-Mobile's buy of Sprint and a divestiture to Dish Network, said Antitrust Division head Makan Delrahim in an interview after a Technology Policy Institute Q&A. About a dozen states sued to block the deal. Also at TPI, Delrahim confirmed his department and several states are probing tech issues. He wouldn't object to a look by others at Communications Decency Act Section 230.
The premium for 5G in smartphones is “dramatically exceeding expectations,” with a price premium as much as 29 times higher than consumers expect, said IHS Markit Monday. Nine of 10 survey respondents said they expect to pay more for 5G than 4G LTE phones, but three-quarters said they expect to pay a 10-25 percent upcharge for 5G, a range of $32-$80 based on the average selling price of a smartphone, blogged analyst Joshua Builta.
Those representing schools and libraries endorsed an FCC plan to update its rules on USF E-rate category 2 spending to make permanent a pilot program that was to expire at the year-end, and asked that it move to a districtwide vs. a building-level budget approach, add to its list of eligible services and lessen filing burdens for applicants, in comments to docket 13-184 posted through Monday (see 1907090074).
ASPEN, Colo. -- Difficulties measuring digital effects on the economy are unresolved, economists said Monday in a Technology Policy Institute discussion (see page 2) of challenges gauging productivity. Many contend government statistics aren't fully measuring productivity growth and other indicators because of problems with measurement methods and other shortcomings. Speakers agreed agencies need to do a better job, though federal statistics collectors are making some improvements.
France’s digital service tax (DST) is a radical departure from international norm, discriminates against U.S. companies and undermines efforts to reach global, multilateral consensus on the digital economy, tech companies and trade groups told U.S. officials Monday (see 1908140056). Witnesses from Facebook, Google, Amazon, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and the Information Technology Industry Council testified before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and officials from various federal agencies. Representatives from the departments of Commerce, State, Agriculture, Homeland Security and others questioned tech witnesses as part of the USTR’s Section 301 investigation of France’s DST.
ASPEN, Colo. -- Heightened policymaker and public scrutiny of the tech industry doesn't amount to a full-scale backlash, panelists generally agreed (see page 2). That may change as skepticism increases, one tech critic told a Technology Policy Institute audience. Since potential antitrust changes to perceived tech problems could take many years, if not a decade-plus, don't look for remedies there, TPI was told Monday.
ASPEN, Colo. -- Unfounded hype about 5G could have wide fallout, a longtime spectrum expert worried. Silicon Flatirons Executive Fellow Dale Hatfield isn't "so sanguine" about 5G wireless, which he nonetheless called interesting and exciting. Others on a Technology Policy Institute panel Monday conceded too much hype could pose harms but don't think it's being overhyped.
The FCC circulated a proposed "administrative clean-up" order and Further NPRM to address "serious and persistent" problems with waste, fraud and abuse in the Lifeline program, said agency officials Monday. If adopted, the new order would prohibit participating carriers from enrolling subscribers unless a national verifier database identifies the customer as living or the customer produces documentation demonstrating both identity and status as living. It would also prohibit telecom carriers from paying commissions to employees or sales agents based on the number of consumers who apply for Lifeline, and would require employees and sales agents to register with the Universal Service Administrative Co. before accessing any program databases.
The Commerce Department gave rural U.S. carriers that use Huawei equipment a 90-day reprieve Monday from a ban on doing business with the company. At the same time, the U.S. ratcheted up pressure on the Chinese vendor, adding 46 more of Huawei’s non-U.S. affiliates to a list of subsidiaries subject to export restrictions. Three months ago, the U.S. similarly gave U.S. carriers more time to deal with sanctions (see 1905210013). The delay means Huawei can continue to send updates to handsets and maintain existing networks and equipment.
NARUC, CTIA and consumer advocacy groups asked the FCC to postpone plans to change minimum service requirements for Lifeline until it can review a market study that's underway. That's per replies posted through Friday to docket 11-42. NARUC at the most recent meeting of state telecom commissioners asked the federal regulator to postpone such changes (see 1907230040).