AT&T’s top FirstNet executive attacked, apparently targeting Verizon, during a meeting of the FirstNet board Thursday, accusing the rival of misleading first responders. Verizon has been actively recruiting public safety customers, seeking to maintain its hold on what has long been a Verizon market (see 1808140036). Chris Sambar, senior vice president-AT&T/FirstNet, didn't mention Verizon by name.
Given the high bar for reversing a facts-based district court ruling and the seemingly skeptical reception the agency received last week from a U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel (see 1812060015), antitrust experts told us it's likely AT&T will prevail in DOJ's appeal of the lower court allowing it to acquire Time Warner. Whether DOJ appeals again, either seeking a D.C. Circuit rehearing or petitioning the Supreme Court, is tougher to ascertain, they said.
Localities building municipal broadband networks are “flirting with a perverse form of socialism” and pose a “serious” threat to the First Amendment, said FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly in a 2,200-word blog post Thursday that responded to “hysterical outrage” from critics of remarks he made before the Media Institute. “I could retreat in the face of my critics’ attacks and misinformation, or I could continue to defend the First Amendment,” O’Rielly said. He previously wrote an equally long post against criticisms of FCC handling of the since-canceled Sinclair/Tribune deal (see 1805180072).
MARINA DEL REY, California -- U.S. over-the-top content services recently topped 240, said Parks Associates, creating a fragmented space that’s making it increasingly difficult for consumers to discover and find content they want to watch, said panelists at its conference Tuesday.
The FCC unanimously adopted an order to offer rural telcos more USF support in exchange for deploying more 25/3 Mbps broadband, as some expected (see 1812100052). The main elements appear largely the same as in a draft (see 1811210032). "Many more rural Americans will have access to high-speed broadband service," said Chairman Ajit Pai. A key lawmaker and RLEC groups praised the rate-of-return USF item -- which includes a reconsideration order and Further NPRM -- approved at commissioners' meeting Wednesday.
The FCC approved 4-0 an order on service rule changes for an auction next year of the upper 37, 39 GHz and 47 GHz bands. The first high-band auction, in the 28 GHz band, hit $683.5 million Wednesday after 62 rounds. Of 3,072 licenses, 2,918 had provisionally winning bids. The FCC will next auction 24 GHz spectrum.
The FCC voted 4-0 to create a reassigned phone number database to help combat unwanted and illegal robocalls to people with new numbers. Commissioners added a safe harbor, giving some protection from Telephone Consumer Protection Act liability to parties using the database, as some expected (see 1812110014). Also at the monthly meeting Wednesday, Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel announced she wrote major voice providers asking them to offer consumers free robocall blocking solutions. And the FCC classified wireless messaging as a Communications Act Title I service, with Rosenworcel dissenting and decrying agency "doublespeak" about robotexting claims (see 1812120043).
FTC Consumer Protection Bureau Director Andrew Smith’s potential recusals (see 1812060048) don’t affect agency deliberations because of an “absolutely terrific” career staff, but conflicts like Facebook and Equifax are a "problem," Chairman Joe Simons told reporters Wednesday. He answered questions after a Senate Antitrust Law Subcommittee hearing, during which Republican and Democratic lawmakers voiced Silicon Valley monopoly concerns.
Fault lines emerged on allowing point-to-multipoint (P2MP) operations in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band and auctions vs. the C-Band Alliance (CBA) plan, in the growing fight over opening the swath to terrestrial wireless. AT&T and small satellite operators made their own proposal. Docket 18-122 replies were due Tuesday, with early ones showing divisions (see 1812110054).
It's wrong for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to tie a labor strike to the state’s fight with Charter Communications over broadband deployment, state Sen. Robert Ortt (R) in a statement to us. Cuomo, elected last month to a third term, may be applying whatever pressure he can to make good on his policy goal of extending broadband statewide, academics said. The Public Service Commission revoked the Time Warner Cable buyout in July, but it’s unlikely the state will give the boot to Charter, they said.