A 12 percent year-on-year decline in Silicon Labs’ Q2 access business was partially attributable to the U.S. government’s ban on shipments to ZTE, said Chief Financial Officer John Hollister on a Wednesday earnings call. Since the ban's lifting this month (see 1807130048), the company is in talks with the Chinese telecom gearmaker “to determine their resumption of production activity and consumption rates,” said Hollister.
Initial subscriber response to the Android and iOS streaming apps that SiriusXM introduced in May, including launch of the company’s first Howard Stern video offering (see 1804250005), “has been excellent, with engagement climbing and strong ratings in the app stores,” said CEO Jim Meyer on a Wednesday earnings call. The apps are part of a “major push” to use streaming “to drive engagement with SiriusXM outside of the car,” said Meyer.
Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, Republicans from Texas, told us they’re working to amend music copyright legislation after concerns raised by Blackstone Group (see 1807240054). Two prominent songwriter groups accused the private equity firm and its music licensing entities of a greedy political play that could sink rare consensus music copyright change.
Senate Commerce Committee staff is eyeing ways to combine language from a set of bills on 5G and broadband deployments for potential committee action later this year, Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters after a Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing on fifth-generation. Lawmakers and industry witnesses invoked bills Wednesday they view as ways to help ensure the U.S. leads global development of 5G. Senate Communications members noted the race for U.S. dominance of the technology as a reason for the federal government to clear T-Mobile's proposed buy of Sprint and concerns that President Donald Trump's administration hasn't fully backed away from a proposal the U.S. build a nationalized fifth-gen network.
The FCC’s likely sinking of Sinclair buying Tribune is “disgraceful” and “so sad and unfair,” said President Donald Trump Tuesday evening in a tweet that angered Democratic lawmakers, but is considered unlikely to influence FCC policy, said boosters and critics of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “I don’t think the chairman would kowtow” to Trump, said Benton Foundation and Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy fellow Gigi Sohn, an aide to previous FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. “I’m sure he knows the FCC is an independent agency,” said Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, a friend of Trump’s and opponent of Sinclair/Tribune. “I would be very surprised if he ever tried to meddle with FCC policy.”
Key Republicans backed and Democrats attacked deregulatory FCC policies under Chairman Ajit Pai at a House Communications Subcommittee oversight hearing Wednesday. GOP leaders lauded commission actions to improve emergency communications, update media regulations and promote broadband deployment. Democrats blasted the agency's net neutrality rollback and other deregulatory moves as favoring big industry players and even complicating national security. Pai and other commissioners had provided prepared testimony (see 1807240056).
States joined local government officials sounding the alarm over an FCC plan to ban state and local moratoriums on new wireless and wireline facilities (see 1807240035 and 1807130045). The draft order also includes one-touch, make-ready rules and is set for vote at next Thursday’s commissioners' meeting. States’ interest in pole attachments is increasing as they look to spur broadband, state commissioners said in interviews. Pennsylvania sees a need to take a stronger role in pole attachment disputes as part of that effort, said Public Utility Commission member Norman Kennard.
Any plan for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band that doesn’t include census-tract-sized priority access licenses (PALs) likely faces a divided vote at the FCC. Commissioners indicated potential disagreements during a House Communications Subcommittee hearing Wednesday (see 1807250043). Chairman Ajit Pai said Commissioner Mike O’Rielly gave him analysis of proposed changes for rules for the band but no firm recommendations.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejection Wednesday (see 1807250002) of anti-consolidation groups’ petition against the restored UHF discount is seen as removing pressure on the FCC to raise the national cap and paving the way for TV station dealmaking.
The top two U.S. carriers reported quarterly results, with some mixed news as they concentrate on 5G and other initiatives.