It’s clear Russian adversaries have gotten better at masking social media influence campaigns, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., told reporters after a hearing on foreign interference. A day earlier, Facebook announced it removed 32 pages and accounts potentially linked to Russian disinformation efforts there and on Instagram. Like Warner, Facebook suggested the account holders, who weren't identified as Russian, are using more sophisticated methods (see 1807310067) for manipulating the platforms than the malicious behavior during the 2016 election.
Critics are mobilizing opposition to the Trump administration’s third round of proposed tariffs on Chinese imports, which also drew Apple and other tech concern this week (see 1808010069). More than 300 people in various industries filed requests in docket USTR-2018-0026 by the Friday deadline to appear at Office of the U.S. Trade Representative hearings, virtually all to testify against the tariffs. USTR didn’t comment.
Despite Sprint complaints about its future as a stand-alone company if takeover by T-Mobile falls through (see 1806270068), the carrier said Wednesday it's on track to offer 5G in the first half of next year. Sprint also reported generally positive results in the quarter ended June 30. Sprint had postpaid net adds of 123,000 for its 12th consecutive quarter of growth. The company had profit of $176 million, its third profitable quarter in a row, and operating income of $815 million. Revenue was $8.13 billion. T-Mobile also reported, saying it had the best Q2 in company history.
The two 5G items set for a vote by commissioners Thursday are expected to get 4-0 votes, FCC and industry officials said. The items are expected to be approved largely as circulated by Chairman Ajit Pai last month (see 1807110053). The items address the 39 GHz band and lay out the rules for the FCC’s first high-band auctions. They are important but “mostly noncontroversial,” said a lawyer with wireless carrier clients: “The fireworks might be reserved” for the infrastructure item (see 1807260036). The FCC didn't comment.
Charter Communications probably will feel pressure to talk deal after the New York Public Service Commission took back OK of the Time Warner Cable buy, experts said in interviews. Some said the PSC probably lacks authority to undo the deal. A Public Knowledge attorney said the PSC is within its rights. Charter will defend itself in court, if necessary, CEO Thomas Rutledge said Tuesday (see 1807310062).
The FCC is considering some revisions to a draft order on one-touch, make-ready and other pole-attachment policies aimed at facilitating broadband deployment, an informed source said Wednesday. Commissioners are looking at making "tweaks" on "details" in response to a "laundry list" of industry requests, but the main parts of the combined OTMR/pole draft order and declaratory ruling against state and local moratoria are expected to stick, the person said. "It wouldn't surprise me if there are tweaks," said an FCC official, noting heavy lobbying on the 102-page draft (see 1807300040 and 1807260036). Other commission officials didn't comment.
Facebook and the Wi-Fi Alliance told the FCC a proposal by Radwin to allow devices in the 5.15-5.25 and 5.725-5.85 GHz bands to sequentially emit directional beams would mean steerable, active phased-array antennas in outdoor settings at higher power levels and would allow more intensive use of the key unlicensed spectrum. NCTA expressed concerns about interference with traditional Wi-Fi in the 5 GHz band as did the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council and Globalstar.
Cable leased access is either an anachronism in need of changes beyond what the FCC is contemplating or hampered by cable operators and at least some of rules in the in-limbo 2008 leased access order should be adopted. Those were competing narratives in docket 07-42 filings due Monday after the FCC in June approved a Further NPRM on a cable leased access rules update that included rescinding the 2008 order that never took effect (see 1806070021). Replies are due Aug. 13.
Developing an internationally applicable online privacy framework is a major hurdle, given fundamental differences among the U.S., the EU and adversaries like China and Russia, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., told us Tuesday. Industry representatives and a conservative scholar described during a Senate Internet Subcommittee hearing anti-business impacts of EU’s general data protection regulation.
Likely changes to the draft incubator order are being worked out, said FCC and industry officials in interviews. Requests from the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) that provisions on what constitutes a comparable market be restricted (see 1807260058) are seen less likely to be included. The item is to be voted at Thursday’s commissioners’ meeting, and forms the basis for a report to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals due Aug. 6 in Prometheus Radio Project’s challenge of a media ownership reconsideration order (see 1806290039).