A new round of generic top-level domain names is unlikely to happen before 2020, said ICANN President-Global Domains Division Akram Atallah in a Friday interview. The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) is working on recommending policies for further rounds, and other ongoing reviews will feed into the final board decision, he said. Many are eager for another tranche of gTLDs, but some question whether the 2012 round was a success.
Opposition to T-Mobile buying Sprint is starting to coalesce, with opposition filings having been due at the FCC Monday night in docket 18-197. Communications Workers of America said 28,000 jobs could be lost if the deal goes through. Other groups were lining up for or against. By late afternoon, no one filed a formal petition to deny.
Congress needs a formal position from law enforcement on whether to let the private sector hack back, a controversial concept exempting companies from prosecution in cyber self-defense, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told us. Though law enforcement mightn't have an appetite for this, Whitehouse said he heard from internet security companies and groups that depend on their services about the benefits of hack-back authority. “I’m sold on the notion that there should be some place that they can go to get a straight answer,” he said. “If the answer ends up being no, so be it. But I think it’s a mistake to answer serious questions by default without giving someone the chance to make their case.”
PHILADELPHIA -- Municipalities released an alternative model ordinance for 5G small cells, as local officials sought industry collaboration and resisted pre-emption at NATOA’s annual conference Monday. The National League of Cities and NATOA wrote the model local code, which follows a similar framework to the FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee code but is pitched as an alternative. Municipalities should plan for and develop policy on wireless small-cells deployment or risk pre-emption, NLC said in an accompanying guide.
The FCC Office of the Inspector General found “no evidence or suggestion of impropriety, unscrupulous behavior, or favoritism” in FCC actions toward Sinclair, said a statement issued Monday by Chairman Ajit Pai that was later confirmed by the original document. An investigation of Pai’s relationship to Sinclair was requested last fall by Democratic lawmakers (see 1802150031) and critics of Sinclair’s buy of Tribune -- including Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Opponents of the Sinclair/Tribune have said the Pai FCC’s moves on ownership deregulation appeared to give Sinclair special treatment, before he advanced the hearing designation order (HDO) that killed the deal.
Geopolitics could be a big hurdle for Doreen Bogdan-Martin's candidacy to be director of ITU's Development Sector, watchers and even supporters say. Since a representative of a developing nation, usually from Africa, always has held the seat, the odds of her being elected "are somewhere between zero and none," emailed Tony Rutkowski, who previously worked in the ITU secretariat. He said that history is one reason the U.S. and other developed nations generally haven't fielded candidates.
The FCC did all it needed to when it decided in June (see 1806070021) that toll-free numbers can be text-enabled only with the subscriber’s prior authorization, AT&T, CTIA and other commenters told the FCC last week in filings in docket 18-28. There's no need for further action in response to an NPRM the FCC approved with the declaratory ruling, those commenters said. Registry database manager Somos and its supporters instead backed a national registry for text-enabled toll-free numbers.
The Internet Association is committed to working with Congress as Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., looks to introduce privacy legislation (see 1808230046), Senior Vice President-Global Government Affairs Melika Carroll said Friday. The committee has been in discussions with Twitter, a member of IA, which also represents Google and Facebook, about testifying at a hearing in late September on the topic.
Two former Democratic commissioners stepped up criticism of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, slamming him on a range of issues including consolidation, net neutrality and transparency. The ex-FCC members, Mignon Clyburn and Gloria Tristani, laid into Sinclair for appearing not to be truthful with the agency during regulatory consideration of its now-dead plan to buy Tribune. They lamented administration involvement in FCC proceedings via President Donald Trump's tweets and in White House Counsel Don McGahn’s call to the agency about Sinclair/Tribune. But Clyburn said she might support or might not oppose T-Mobile/Sprint, which Tristani didn't support.
Verizon is revising its service plan for first responders and removed all speed cap restrictions for West Coast and Hawaii responders dealing with wildfires and Hurricane Lane, the carrier said Friday amid increasing criticism of the carrier for throttling traffic to Santa Clara County firefighters battling California’s largest-ever wildfire (see 1808230034). Verizon and the county firefighters testified Friday before California state lawmakers, who are weighing state net neutrality legislation and may introduce another bill on disaster throttling. Both sides of the net neutrality debate said the controversy is bad news for Verizon as it tries to fight the California bill and compete with FirstNet for public safety customers.