With Phase 1 of the incentive auction TV channel repacking beginning Friday (see 1809100033) and many TV channel changes imminent, the FCC, NAB and broadcasters are working on strategies to get the word to viewers. Efforts range from TV spots starring Dr. Phil to interactive websites to physical handouts at electronics stores. Congress included $50 million in its latest repacking reimbursement legislation for consumer education. Some broadcasters and industry officials worry nonetheless about whether the message will get out in time.
Proposed rate ceilings for small-cells application fees set for an FCC vote Sept. 26 may undercut caps set by one-quarter of the 20 states that made small-cells laws in the past two years. Proposed FCC ceilings for recurring access and attachment fees appeared to equal or exceed the state laws that specified limits on such fees. Commissioner Brendan Carr said last week the draft wouldn’t “disturb nearly any” of the provisions of small-cell bills that state legislatures enacted (see 1809040056 and 1809050029).
Stakeholders backed possible FCC creation of a "connected care everywhere" pilot program, diverging on some details such as the proposed focus on facilities-based projects and rural areas. Some telecom entities urged the agency to include resellers; some healthcare parties sought inclusion of projects in urban areas; and other pushed for consideration of their particular industry or patient interests. About 70 substantive comments were posted through Tuesday in docket 18-213 in response to a notice of inquiry adopted Aug. 2 (see Notebook at end of 1808020034).
The FCC made preparations for Hurricane Florence and has staff “in the field” in anticipation of the East Coast landfall, public notices and officials' tweets said Tuesday. “Staff are now in the field preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Florence, and here in DC we are working closely with our federal partners to get ready for response and recovery efforts,” tweeted Matthew Berry, chief of staff to Chairman Ajit Pai.
Though repurposing some of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band for 5G seems inevitable, the path via the Intelsat/Intel/SES band clearing plan remains littered with unanswered questions, an FCBA event heard Tuesday. Promised reimbursement of the cost of migrating incumbent users of the C-band to a different part would be useful but doesn't solve the problem of potentially higher operating costs year after year, said Michael Beach, NPR vice president-distribution. SES Senior Vice President-Global Regulatory and Governmental Strategy Gerry Oberst said the consortium is hammering out fine details, such as reimbursement.
Three Republican state attorney general offices -- in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas -- told us they are poised to collaborate with U.S. AG Jeff Sessions on tech industry antitrust concerns and claims of conservative bias (see 1809070042). Democrats from New York and Massachusetts and a North Dakota Republican office said they won't be attending DOJ's Sept. 25 meeting, with the latter citing a scheduling conflict. Of all 50 state AG offices queried, 17 of the 21 that responded said they haven't received an invitation. Justice didn’t comment.
Senate confirmation of Democratic FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks and Commissioner Brendan Carr for a full five-year term ending in 2023 under unanimous consent will be difficult before the November election, lawmakers and industry officials told us. The FCC would in that scenario remain a 3-1 Republican majority until Congress’ lame duck session at the earliest, with Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel the lone Democrat. It’s unlikely Starks as a successor to former Commissioner Mignon Clyburn would substantially affect upcoming proceedings, but the absence of a second FCC Democrat means the loss of an additional opposition voice, industry officials said.
From mandatory reporting of a satellite failure to revising the FCC's satellite licensing regime, satellite interests and others brought an array of must-dos in docket 18-251 comments due Friday regarding the satellite communications industry (see 1808170024). There were calls for protecting incumbent users of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band.
An incentive auction likely isn't appropriate for the 2.5 GHz band and county-based licensing makes more sense, T-Mobile replied on an NPRM looking at the future of the educational broadband service band (see 1809070048). Merger partner Sprint argued against changes to how the band is treated. Replies were due last week in FCC docket 18-120. Numerous comments posted Monday.
The Information Technology Industry Council, like CTA, questions whether President Donald Trump's "action" proposing a third tranche of 25 percent Section 301 tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports "is legal" under the 1974 Trade Act, emailed spokesman Jose Castaneda Monday. ITI has made no “final decision” whether to pursue “litigation” against the administration to block the tariffs from taking effect, he said.