While not as heated as in the U.S., the net neutrality debate hasn't entirely evaporated in Europe. Regulatory guidelines set by the Body of Regulators of Electronic Communications (BEREC) in 2015, now undergoing review, have drawn concerns from telecom and cable operators, while BEREC's decision to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Indian regulator sparked outrage from one telecom consultant. France, meanwhile, said it's unclear what U.S. net neutrality will look like in coming years, but in other parts of the world efforts to protect it "continue to make strides."
The Trump administration’s proposed Trade Act Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods imported to the U.S. under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule’s 8517.62.00 subheading targets equipment “critical for the build-out of high-speed broadband internet” and related IoT technologies, said the Telecommunications Industry Association in comments posted Saturday in docket USTR-2018-0026. The comments were filed July 27, when 10 percent tariffs were still on the table, days before U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced he will “consider” hiking the duties to 25 percent (see 1808010018).
The FCC received more mixed views on how to curb intercarrier compensation schemes that stimulate access charges, in replies posted in docket 18-155, mostly Monday, to conflicting initial comments (see 1807230034). Incumbent telcos tended to be more supportive of the agency's main proposal -- to attack financial incentives for arbitrage by giving "access-stimulating" LECs the option of either assuming financial responsibility for traffic or allowing direct connections -- albeit with disputes, particularly over direct connection terms. Some backed a more sweeping move to bill-and-keep arrangements under which carriers generally don't pay each other for exchanging traffic. Smaller providers opposed the proposals and offered alternatives.
LAS VEGAS -- APCO still views the 50 MHz 4.9 GHz band as important and will fight to keep it mostly for public safety agencies but is prepared to allow some use by critical infrastructure agencies, said Jeff Cohen, chief counsel of the organization, at the association's meeting Monday. APCO filed comments on the latest Further NPRM on the topic, approved 5-0 in March (see 1803220037), which broached the possibility that the band would be opened for commercial use.
The White House will work with Congress to develop online privacy legislation guided by a set of principles expected from the Commerce Department in September, officials and industry representatives told us. White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters emailed that the Trump administration aims to craft a consumer privacy protection policy that's the “appropriate balance between privacy and prosperity” through the National Economic Council. The administration looks forward to working transparently with stakeholders and Congress “on a legislative solution consistent with our overarching policy,” she said.
New York City told the FCC a voluntary wireless network resiliency cooperative framework isn’t enough to ensure network resilience. CTIA said it's working as expected. Both filed replies on a June Public Safety Bureau public notice in docket 11-60. The wireless industry developed the framework with an eye toward enabling carriers to work together to let customers roam on each other’s networks after a disaster like 2012’s Superstorm Sandy (see 1604270035).
Carriers are watching wildfires in northern California and Colorado but didn’t report major network problems Friday. Some wireless operators said they are providing free services or would waive fees. The California Public Utilities Commission said it plans to vote Thursday on making certain consumer protections permanent in case of future wildfires.
That Cox Communications is being sued again by music interests for alleged willful infringement of their copyrights is no surprise, given the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision earlier this year in BMG Rights Management's lawsuit against Cox (see 1802010026), IP experts told us. Whether Cox can see a different result in the new litigation, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, will depend on whether it can show it has changed, the experts said.
FCC “skepticism” about Dish Network’s ability to “execute” on its narrowband IoT buildout strategy by the March 2020 deadline possibly may have been one of the “motivations” behind the letter Wireless Bureau Chief Donald Stockdale sent the company last month seeking details about its network deployment plans (see 1807100062), said Chairman Charlie Ergen on a Friday earnings call. Though it was “unusual to receive a letter,” it’s always "an opportunity for us to continue dialogue with the regulators, and we always want to take advantage," he said.
The deal between songwriters and a performing rights organization (see 1808020053) could be the last major hurdle for passage of landmark music copyright legislation, industry representatives told us Friday. “We need to turn down the noise and try to get a bill passed right now,” said Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Executive Director Bart Herbison Friday. A day earlier, he announced a deal with the Songwriters of North America (SONA), SESAC and the National Music Publishers’ Association for the Music Modernization Act.