Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., opened the committee's Wednesday FTC confirmation hearing quipping the agency's nickname is the “Federal Technology Commission,” and much of the hearing focused on tech and telecom policy under the commission's purview. Some nominees voluntarily highlighted changes in technology as a major challenge for the agency and lawmakers sought answers on related topics, including net neutrality, data breaches and market power in the tech sector, as expected (see 1802130046). President Donald Trump nominated antitrust lawyer Joseph Simons, whom he plans to designate chairman; former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Assistant Director Rohit Chopra; Noah Phillips, aide to Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas; and from Delta Air Lines Christine Wilson (see 1801250055 and 1801250066).
The House Commerce Committee passed the FCC Reauthorization Act (HR-4986), now renamed in honor of recently deceased committee Staff Director Ray Baum (see 1802090018), on a voice vote Wednesday, after reaching a compromise on a manager's amendment on language to authorize additional repack funding. The manager's amendment, from House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., renamed HR-4986 the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (Ray Baum's) Act. House Commerce removed anticipated language from the Senate-passed Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (Mobile Now) Act (S-19) spectrum bill (see 1708030060) before releasing the amendment's text Tuesday.
Pointing to FCC Section 25.159(b) rules aimed at preventing spectrum speculation, non-geostationary orbit satellite constellation operators oppose Boeing's ask to substitute OneWeb Chairman Greg Wyler and his SOM1101 for two of its pending NGSO applications (see 1801020007). A satellite lawyer said the FCC likely will dispose of the Boeing petitions quickly as it tries to move on the pending applications, with the agency highly unlikely to go along given how approval goes against rules and implications for other proceedings that involve attributable interest issues, like spectrum auctions. Boeing and Wyler didn't comment Tuesday. The company argued Wyler doesn't have attributable interest in OneWeb (see 1801020007).
Broadcasters need more information to start dealmaking after the 3rd U.S Circuit Court of Appeals’ rejection of a stay request (see 1802070053) for the FCC’s relaxation of broadcast ownership rules, said analysts, broadcast attorneys and TV brokers in interviews. Broadcasters aren’t likely to wait for the public interest challenge of the agency’s media ownership reconsideration order to be decided on the merits, but they want to see how the FCC and DOJ treat Sinclair/Tribune (see 1802090039) before pulling the trigger on transactions, said Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker. “Nobody wants to be the test case,” said Todd Hartman, vice president at TV broker Kalil & Co.
Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, who has led the FCC push to change 3.5 GHz communications broadband radio service rules, said Tuesday he's not convinced the agency should significantly reduce the geographic size of the priority access licenses (PALs) that will be sold in an auction. It was always clear the 3.5 GHz band has “great potential, but I do not believe we have the solution quite right yet,” said Joan Marsh, chief regulatory and state external affairs officer at AT&T, which held the event.
A Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Donald Trump's four FTC nominees is expected to touch on a wide range of issues, including the nominees' views on the agency's role in net neutrality, antitrust, cybersecurity and privacy issues, lawmakers and industry observers told us. Trump nominated Paul Weiss antitrust lawyer Joseph Simons, whom he plans to designate chairman; former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Assistant Director Rohit Chopra; Noah Phillips, aide to Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas; and former Delta Air Lines Senior Vice President-Legal, Regulatory and International Christine Wilson (see 1801250055 and 1801250066). The hearing is to begin at 9:30 a.m. in 216 Hart.
A modified Lifeline draft NARUC resolution urging the FCC to continue allowing resellers to receive low-income USF subsidies cleared the telecom committee unanimously Tuesday. The panel added recommendations from a rival draft backing FCC proposals to eliminate stand-alone Lifeline broadband provider designations and reinstate state regulatory authority over eligible telecom carrier (ETC) designations. It also added language to support firming up a $2.25 billion FCC annual Lifeline budget, and it OK'd a nationwide number portability (NNP) draft resolution, but withdrew a draft pole-attachment overlashing draft. The cleared drafts are expected to be approved by NARUC's board Wednesday.
CenturyLink Chief Operating Officer Jeff Storey argued for government and service providers to relieve consumers from some of the burden associated with privacy policy agreements, while also expressing “high confidence” in maintaining equal internet access for consumers across the world. Storey was asked Monday how companies can help consumers become more technologically literate, in a Q&A session at a Silicon Flatirons event. Storey answered from a consumer standpoint. When deciding how personal information from devices can be used, he said, government and providers should take on some of that privacy terms and conditions burden. Providers, he said, should have to adhere to uniform privacy standards so the consumers aren't expected to read a company’s “75-page document.”
Geostationary satellites likely soon will be made with mission extension features built in, and in-orbit servicing capabilities will likely be the first of a variety of in-orbit capabilities like swapping out of payloads, experts said at a Washington Space Business Roundtable talk Monday. Payload upgrade "is a game changer," said SSL Vice President-Space Infrastructure and Civil Space Al Tadros.
ISPs, wireline, wireless and cable are making major investment in broadband, industry representatives told state commissioners Monday at NARUC's meeting. They faced some tough questions. Carriers are spending totals on broadband that dwarf what was spent on the federal highway system or the race to the moon, said Jonathan Banks, USTelecom senior vice president-law and policy. Wireless carriers are planning for 5G, with the first of several standards released, said Scott Bergmann, CTIA senior vice president-regulatory affairs.