DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim met with Senate Antitrust Subcommittee leadership, aides told us Thursday. Delrahim originally was to testify before the panel with FTC Chairman Joe Simons on Tuesday, the same day DOJ announced a broad review of the tech industry (see 1907230057). The oversight hearing was postponed until September (see 1907220047).
AT&T got more wireless subscribers but lost pay-TV and DirecTVNow internet TV service customers in Q2, it reported Wednesday. Other results were also mixed. CEO Randall Stephenson said the carrier is trying to work out carriage agreements with CBS and Nexstar. The company was the first of the four major wireless carriers to report. Stock closed at $33.24, up 3.58 percent.
Ligado urged the FCC to finalize rules for the 1675-1680 MHz band, in reply comments this week in docket 19-116. Weather interests oppose Ligado's terrestrial low-power service plans for the band and its proposed alternatives for delivering NOAA weather satellite data (see 1704130023). Commissioners launched an NPRM in May seeking comment (see 1905090041).
Facebook will pay $5 billion and install an independent privacy committee to oversee data compliance, the FTC announced Wednesday in its long-awaited settlement. The company deceived users about control they have over their data, effectively violating a 2012 consent order, the agency alleged in its complaint. Separately, the SEC fined Facebook $100 million.
T-Mobile and Dish Network are expected to announce a $5 billion deal Thursday that would give the MVPD 9 million prepaid subscribers through the carrier's divestiture of Boost, for $1.4 billion, plus 800 MHz spectrum from Sprint for $3.6 billion. Dish would get access to the new T-Mobile network as a mobile virtual network operator, said industry officials. T-Mobile is scheduled to release Q2 results Thursday, including a call with CEO John Legere.
Rural ISPs are optimistic on FCC plans to distribute up to $20.4 billion over 10 years through a Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Chairman Ajit Pai floated earlier this year (see 1904150066). Sectors asked for modifications to a draft NPRM on rules on how to distribute the USF subsidies through a two-step reverse auction (see 1907110031). Commissioners are expected to vote at their Aug. 1 meeting on the NPRM.
Major Senate 5G security advocates say they're eyeing potential legislative vehicles to advance the Secure 5G and Beyond Act (S-893) and U.S. 5G Leadership Act (S-1625). The Senate Commerce Committee advanced both measures and the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (Data) Act (S-1822) during a Wednesday markup, as expected (see 1907230048). The committee revised all three measures Wednesday. 5G and spectrum issues also came up during two Wednesday hearings on White House Office of Science and Technology Policy matters.
The cable industry and allies strongly disagree with public, educational and government (PEG) access interests and backers over whether FCC cable leased-access requirements can withstand First Amendment scrutiny changes in the video marketplace (see 1906060029), in docket 07-42 postings this week in response to the agency's Further NPRM.
MVPDs like AT&T are abusing the retransmission consent regime to trick Congress into using a possible Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization as a vehicle for rewriting the retrans system in their favor, said NAB President Gordon Smith at a Media Institute lunch Tuesday. STELA "has outrun its usefulness" and should be allowed to sunset, he said.
Rural healthcare providers and the telecommunications companies that service them raised concerns in docket 17-310 about a draft report and order on promoting telehealth in rural America that the FCC has on its agenda for its Aug. 1 meeting (see 1907120003). Some are asking the agency to include recommended revisions before the commissioners vote, while others want to delay the vote altogether, until the September or October meeting, to give stakeholders more time to weigh in.