Signs are growing that the Senate is likely to move quickly on confirmation for a nominee to succeed FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn upon her expected departure, given Republicans’ strong interest in securing a second full term for Commissioner Brendan Carr and bringing on a full FTC slate, communications lobbyists told us. Clyburn isn't expected to announce her departure date until the White House nominates her successor (see 1803290043).
Any international space traffic management rules regime likely has to start with individual countries crafting STM rules governing the mushrooming of big smallsat constellations and of other commercial space missions and then standardizing those rules, space experts said Wednesday evening at an FCBA CLE. Oversize STM attention is being paid to the relatively unlikely collision of operating objects when the far bigger problem facing satellite operators is from orbital debris, said OneWeb Mission Systems Engineering Director Tim Maclay.
The FTC isn't strong enough to be the only consumer protection cop policing online platforms, Commissioner Terrell McSweeny said Thursday, while blasting as unjustified Congress’ 2017 decision to repeal FCC broadband privacy rules. Speaking at a New America event, McSweeny said it’s “100 percent the right question to ask” how Cambridge Analytica could have allegedly abused private data of 87 million Facebook (see 1804050024) users in spite of a 2011 FTC consent decree that the social network agreed to following privacy concerns.
TRENTON -- To end New Jersey 911 fee diversion, legislators from both parties committed to seek a constitutional amendment to guarantee revenue collected for the emergency network goes to that purpose. “Let’s do it,” said Assemblyman Jay Webber (R), agreeing with two Democrats at a Thursday hearing of the Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee. The FCC in February identified New Jersey as the nation’s biggest diverter, saying it used about 89 percent ($108.1 million) of the revenue for non-911 purposes in 2016.
The post-incentive auction repacking’s recent cash infusion, construction process and looming phase deadlines are expected to dominate discussions at the NAB Show, which begins Saturday, broadcasters and their legal representatives said in interviews. NAB expects attendance to approach 100,000, a spokesman said. Exhibitions will feature about 1,700 companies, including 244 first-timers, the association said.
Senate Communications Subcommittee member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and other members of the Hawaii congressional delegation during a Thursday field hearing touted a set of bills they say are aimed at addressing issues with the emergency alert system highlighted during a January false alarm about a possible ballistic missile headed for the state (see 1801160054 and 1803160042).
The FCC gave a few tribal-oriented telcos additional USF support for operating costs it said were well above average. The two Democratic commissioners partially dissented and the agency's chief partially concurred, citing changes he made to win OK. The commission Thursday released as expected (see 1804040056) a modified, long-pending order to relax 2016 operating-expense (opex) restrictions on rate-of-return telco high-cost support for carriers primarily serving tribal land. Broadband deployment and competition conditions were added to target the relief to an estimated five providers.
The District of Columbia and 19 other nearby jurisdictions tested the wireless emergency alert system Thursday morning through the Washington Metro Council of Governments (COG). Some didn’t get the alerts, even though they were well within the region. By afternoon, about 12,000 people responded to a survey, D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency acting Director Chris Rodriguez told us. The FCC also seeks some input.
An online sales tax case before the Supreme Court, South Dakota v. Wayfair (see 1803080066), has divided members of Congress and pitted online retailers against more than 40 states. Central to the case is whether online sellers can be required to collect the same sales taxes as local stores. The high court could decide whether to repeal 1992's Quill v. North Dakota decision, which established that sales tax laws were too complicated for retailers to know how much tax to collect unless they were physically present in the customer’s state. Oral argument will be April 17.
TVs imported from China would bear an especially heavy burden under the U.S. Trade Representative’s list of products targeted for 25 percent tariffs under President Donald Trump’s March 22 memorandum accusing the Chinese of unfair intellectual property practices (see 1803220043). CTA President Gary Shapiro called the administration wrong for having “singled out TVs as one of the largest proposed categories for a 25 percent tariff.” He urged "companies and consumers to take action, make their voices heard and tell the administration just how much damage this would do." Other industry players reacted negatively, and China plans to retaliate.