Three telecom-focused GOP leaders believe more than the departure of any particular official within President Donald Trump's administration will be needed to solve the FCC-Commerce Department quarrel over U.S. spectrum strategy. Those comments came before and after reports surfaced about the potential pending departure of Commerce Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director Earl Comstock. He's seen as a central player in this infighting (see 1905090051). Discussion about the fracas became the dominant topic at a Tuesday House Communications Subcommittee on spectrum policy (see 1907160067).
It should be “no surprise” that people “have different views about repair restrictions,” said Lois Greisman, associate director of the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, in closing remarks Tuesday at the commission’s Nixing the Fix workshop (see 1907160058). The agency organized the event to examine whether manufacturer repair restrictions undercut the consumer protections in the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
Analysts warned against “overhyping” of 5G, during a teleconference Wednesday by Recon Analytics. They predicted the first such handsets that operate across multiple bands won’t be available for about a year.
A dearth of good radar data about debris in low earth orbit and a lack of congressional action on establishing a civil space situational awareness (SSA) operation were among concerns of space experts at an International Astronautical Congress briefing Wednesday about monitoring the growing orbital debris problem. “This is problem ripe for disruption,” said Commerce Department Office of Space Commerce-Director Kevin O’Connell.
Calibra head David Marcus on Wednesday avoided committing Facebook to a moratorium on its cryptocurrency plans (see 1907150051), despite repeated calls from House Financial Services Committee Democrats at a hearing. Afterward, Chairwoman Maxine Waters, D-Calif., told us Marcus would leave Capitol Hill understanding her committee is serious about blocking the project until concerns are resolved. “We have oversight responsibility, and we’re going to live up to our responsibility,” she said.
The Enterprise Wireless Alliance is questioning why the FCC quietly stopped processing applications for Part 90 license renewals for the T band. A provision in the 2012 spectrum law mandates public safety agencies move off the 470-512 band by 2021 (see 1808020051). EWA complained the FCC won’t contingently renew the licenses and never released a notice saying it won’t renew licenses. The agency didn’t comment.
State commissioners hope the FCC takes note of coming NARUC resolutions (see 1907100028) on delaying some further changes to a billion dollar federal subsidy for poor people to get phone and broadband services. In interviews before their Sunday-Wednesday meeting to consider two such draft proposals, some expressed optimism the federal regulator might make changes midway through program revisions begun under the last presidential administration. Another telecom resolution, advocating no overall USF budget, lacks a sponsor and won't move forward unless it adds one, stakeholders noted this week.
House Commerce Committee leaders are eyeing a potential House vote as soon as next week on the compromise Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (HR-3375) after successfully advancing the measure out of the committee Wednesday. House Commerce voted 48-0 for the bill. Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., meanwhile, told us he's now more optimistic about the chances Capitol Hill negotiators will be able to reach a conference agreement to marry HR-3375 and his Senate-passed Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (Traced) Act (S-151).
The right-to-repair debate “underscores the evolution” of device “ownership,” Walter Alcorn, CTA vice president-environmental affairs and industry sustainability, told the FTC’s “Nixing the Fix” workshop Tuesday. The commission organized the workshop to probe whether manufacturer restrictions on third-party repairs can undercut the consumer protections in the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
Facebook’s cryptocurrency project Libra provides more incentive for Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, told reporters Tuesday, after testimony from Facebook Calibra Head David Marcus. The platform won’t offer Libra until it receives proper approvals from U.S. and foreign regulators, Marcus told the committee, as expected (see 1907150051). Libra’s goal is to offer a secure, safe and low-cost way for people to transfer money internationally, he said, arguing a U.S. company should lead the push.