Expect a request to “hotline” Senate music copyright legislation this week in an effort to allow unanimous consent consideration on the floor, industry representatives told us Monday. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told us he supports hotlining his Music Modernization Act (see 1808170046).
ISPs seeking pole attachment expanded calls for the Maine Public Utilities Commission to adopt the FCC rate formula, after Consolidated Communications and other pole owners reported they would have to charge much less using the federal method. Maine reverse pre-empted the FCC. Now, the PUC is weighing adopting in docket 2018-00010 the FCC newer method for setting rates (see 1807240019). Consolidated wants the PUC to keep Maine’s Chapter 880 formula allowing higher rates, even though it actually sets rates by private contract like other pole owners there.
The deadline for C-band earth station registration is 30 days away and the broadcast industry and satellite operators are urging earth station operators to register with the FCC, even as it's unclear what ramifications might be for those who don't. Some broadcasters -- blanching at the $435-per-earth station registration expense -- decided they won't register "and will just roll with it and hope for the best," Society of Broadcast Engineers President Jim Leifer told us. The FCC didn't comment.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the FCC, Monday delayed a nationwide test of the emergency alert system and wireless emergency alert system until Oct. 3. The test was scheduled for Thursday but postponement was expected (see 1809140040) because of Hurricane Florence (see 1809170046) related problems. The WEA test is expected to get the most attention because this is the first time that system will be tested nationwide.
The FCC is considering delaying Thursday's first national test of wireless emergency alerts, followed by an emergency alert system test, because of Hurricane Florence, wireless industry officials said Friday as the storm was hitting. The agency granted some telecom leeway during the storm, and also released its first outage report.
Sprint CEO Michel Combes confirmed Friday that his company and T-Mobile have launched an “integration office” as they await what they hope will be regulatory approval of their deal (see 1809120017). The companies plan to be “ready on day one” when the transaction closes, Combes said at a Goldman Sachs conference. He stressed the importance of Sprint’s massive 2.5 GHz holdings to the company’s future.
Attorneys general of California, Nebraska, Washington and Wisconsin are among the 24 officials U.S. AG Jeff Sessions invited to a Sept. 25 discussion on social media (see 1809110041). Offices for Nebraska’s Doug Peterson (R), Washington’s Bob Ferguson (D) and Wisconsin’s Brad Schimel (R) told us Friday they were invited. Ferguson and Schimel are reviewing scheduling obligations to see if they can attend. We checked with all states' chief law enforcers.
With OneWeb seeing more pushback against its plans for additional satellites in its planned Ku- and Ka- and V-band constellations (see 1808080003), those challenges could face a hurdle as some experts see the FCC as likely to OK qualified non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) applications. Though it's inclined to approve the new constellations, the agency is going to be very conservative with handing out waivers and stretching the rules, a satellite lawyer told us. One example is the FCC apparently looking askance at Boeing's attempt to hand off two NGSO applications to SOM1101, which ultimately resulted in Boeing withdrawing that request and the applications (see 1808060005), the lawyer said. OneWeb didn't comment Friday.
With less than two weeks to a vote on a draft declaratory ruling and order designed to speed up infrastructure siting (see 1809050029), cities are mounting a campaign to get the FCC to rethink the order. Commissioner Brendan Carr, who crafted it, said in a speech to the Mobile World Congress Americas that the FCC needs to act to lead on 5G. Others at the Los Angeles Thursday conference also stressed the importance of making small cells easier to site (see 1809130043 and 1809120031). Elsewhere, Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) supported reducing small-cells application fees beyond what's required by this year’s Illinois law.
Verizon isn’t changing strategies despite change at the top, CEO Hans Vestberg said at a Goldman Sachs conference Thursday. He said Verizon is winning the race to 5G, also a centerpiece of a show in Los Angeles (see 1809130043). Vestberg took over as CEO from Lowell McAdam Aug. 1.