Grace Koh, who started working at the State Department Monday, was designated Tuesday to lead the U.S. delegation to the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference. The move was expected. Some feared it might not be automatic given White House personnel issues (see 1903040058).
NTCA objected to an FCC draft order on intermediate carrier standards the association said could increase rural call completion problems. The RLEC group urged the FCC to add to the draft's "flexible" service-quality standards and condition elimination of existing "covered" originating provider record-keeping duties. WTA backed NTCA, but some others supported the draft, tentatively scheduled for a vote at a March 15 commissioners meeting (see 1902220062).
Former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, now a consultant to T-Mobile/Sprint on their proposed deal, offered her first public defense during a Capitol Hill lunch sponsored by the Georgetown Institute for Tech Law & Policy Tuesday. The panel presented arguments for and against the transaction, now before the FCC and DOJ. T-Mobile acknowledged to lawmakers it spent $195,000 at the Trump International Hotel in Washington since announcing its proposed buy of Sprint in April (see 1903050044).
Sinclair will have a hard time buying TV stations until outstanding character questions affirmed in an FCC administrative law judge ruling Tuesday (see 1903050022) are resolved, said broadcast attorneys and media brokers in interviews. ALJ Jane Halprin dismissed the agency's Sinclair/Tribune hearing designation order but said the allegations against Sinclair “reasonably warrant a thorough examination,” and should be considered when Sinclair is seeking commission approval for a license transfer or renewal.
President Donald Trump's administration is facing resistance from Capitol Hill on communications policy issues, including on his re-election campaign's recent comments in favor of the government making spectrum being reserved for 5G available to carriers on wholesale (see 1903040058). Several top Senate Commerce Committee members told us they aren't convinced by the campaign's walk back of those comments amid perceptions the wholesale proposal conflicts with White House 5G policy. Democratic lawmakers indicated interest in launching a probe into reports Trump pressured two now-former administration officials to ensure DOJ filed a now-ended lawsuit to block AT&T's purchase of Time Warner.
The private sector is working on technology for tackling orbital debris problems, but it's not clear what the business case is to support that industry, space experts told us. Some said if anything drives commercial demand for such offerings in the next few years, it will be mandates such as could come from the FCC's orbital debris proceeding. The draft NPRM adopted in November (see 1811150028) includes questions about whether the FCC should require that satellite operators actively remove debris, acknowledging such operations "remain at the more experimental side" and "have significant costs."
West Virginia delegates nearly unanimously backed a small-cells bill meant to streamline 5G wireless deployment and extend faster broadband by pre-empting local governments in the right of way. The West Virginia House Monday voted 98-1, then 97-2 for it to become effective upon passage. Final passage looks imminent on SB-3, which now includes House language to reverse pre-empt the FCC on pole attachments and direct the Public Service Commission to study feasibility of broadband by electric power utilities, said Del. Daniel Linville (R). Georgia’s small-cells bill is also closing in on the finish line, state Sen. Steve Gooch (R) said in an interview.
An FCC proceeding on TV ratings isn’t likely to lead to agency action beyond its congressionally required report (see 1902260059) but could put public pressure on programmers, said attorneys and content-industry officials in interviews. Though the PN released last week seeks comment only on the ratings and ratings board, longtime rating system critic Parents Television Council wants the proceeding to lead to pressure on the programmers comprising the ratings board and possibly the FCC's dissolving the system. PTC’s influence is seen as a reason for the directive in the 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act ordering the FCC to report to Congress by May 15.
Despite concerns on lack of U.S. preparedness for the recent prep meeting for the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (see 1903010042), FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said Monday the U.S. will be ready and should win on the most important points. “Stay tuned” and concerns will be addressed soon, he said during a lunch speech at Wiley Rein: “Government being as it can be, it does take a little bit longer than you would like.” O’Rielly said emphatically the Trump administration will never launch a government 5G network.
Removing liability protections from Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act results in heavier content moderation, evidenced by impacts of a new anti-sex trafficking law (see 1806290044), Facebook Public Policy Manager Lori Moylan said at the Cato Institute Friday. Moylan said it’s likely some Conservative Political Action Conference attendees might argue that without Section 230 protections, Facebook “would no longer accidentally take down any conservative political speech,” which is “simply not true.”