The U.S. is in the race to lead the world on 5G, but he’s not predicting victory, NTIA Administrator David Redl said in a taping of C-SPAN's The Communicators. “We have competition,” he said. “China and South Korea are absolutely trying their best to be first.” Redl declined to comment on a White House 5G plan, saying he won’t get out in front of President Donald Trump. NTIA earlier Tuesday released a request for comments on privacy principles (see 1809250049).
A Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee on the 911 Fee Integrity Act (HR-6424) and other public safety telecom-related bills will likely be focused on whether there's a path to potentially move those bills later this year, lawyers and lobbyists told us. The hearing will begin at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn. HR-6424 would bar states from engaging in 911 fee diversion and give the FCC the power to decide on “acceptable” uses for the money. FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly is a backer of the bill but won't testify on its behalf (see 1808170023).
SiriusXM's agreeing to buy Pandora for $3.5 billion in an all-stock deal means they would pay close to $2 billion on royalties next year combined, said Sirius CEO Jim Meyer on a Monday conference call. “The two companies have a tremendous respect for what artists bring to our business, what songwriters bring to our business. We obviously fully endorse models that compensate them for what they bring. I think this merger will be good for everyone in music for one simple thing, and that is, if we’re successful, we will begin to shift share from those channels that are not paying performance rights to musicians.”
The ways the FCC and antitrust agencies like DOJ evaluate deals can diverge widely, said experts Saturday at American University-hosted annual Research Conference on Communications, Information and Internet Policy. Steptoe & Johnson's Jon Sallet said the FCC's big question is often what range of policy options are "reasonable" under the Chevron doctrine of judicial deference to agencies, and what record would support a decision made within that range, while at DOJ the focus was on how does one convince a judge, with the burden of proof being on government to prove its case.
Judges questioned a Sandwich Isles Communications attorney's assertions the FCC backed the carrier's Hawaiian Island undersea cable project before reducing its related access charge revenue. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit also questioned FCC and AT&T attorneys extensively in oral argument Monday. SIC is challenging a 2016 FCC order that prospectively disallowed all but $1.9 million of its annual access collections from a National Exchange Carrier Association rural telco pooling mechanism (see 1612060032).
The launch of long-anticipated sharing in the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band could be slowed by interagency conflicts, industry and government officials told us. Use of the band depends in particular on Navy cooperation, but questions were said to have been raised within the powerful Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee. IRAC looks after the interests of government spectrum managers. NTIA and DOD didn’t comment Monday.
Supporters of a House version of the Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval aimed at rolling back the FCC 2017 order to rescind 2015 net neutrality rules (House Joint Resolution-129) are eyeing a likely focus on pushing for floor action during the lame-duck session amid acknowledgement there’s no time to bring it up before the November elections. House leaders initially projected the chamber would be in session the first two weeks of October. It's now expected to recess at the end of this month if a majority of members agree to pass a combination of FY 2019 minibus federal spending bills and a continuing resolution authority aimed at extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security through Dec. 7.
Focus on antitrust and consolidation in tech continued Friday. As the FTC held a competition hearing (see 1809210056), C-SPAN posted video of a critic seeking to break up platforms. A blogger said that won't help solve problems such as what some see as a tilt against conservative views.
EU antitrust enforcers have different standards, but monitoring their activity helps U.S. regulators decide if changes are needed here, FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said Friday during the agency’s second round of hearings on antitrust and consumer protection policy (see 1809130057). She cited Chairman Joe Simons’ call for regulators to keep an open mind as the agency fields policy suggestions through this year.
Rethinking how the FAA authorizes rocket launches and staying competitive internationally with nations increasingly becoming space regulation specialists are on the nation’s long to-do list to promote the growing private sector interest in space, regulatory experts said at a Nebraska College of Law space law conference Friday.