House Communications Subcommittee Vice Chair Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., led refiling Tuesday of the Blockchain Promotion Act. The bill, previously filed last year, would direct the Commerce Department to create a working group of federal and private sector stakeholders to establish a common definition of blockchain. The working group also would make recommendations on a joint FCC-NTIA study to, in part, examine blockchain's potential impact on spectrum policy. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., also signed on as lead co-sponsors. “Opportunities to deploy blockchain technology range from greatly increased transparency, efficiencies and security in supply chains to more-opportunistically managing next generation broadband networks,” Matsui said. “Blockchain has the potential to be a catalyst for sustained economic growth across all industries in America,” Young said. “If America leads in its development, we can ensure that it’s benefits will be shared far and wide.”
Majority House Communications Subcommittee Democrats are largely signaling initial disinterest in pursuing any of the three net neutrality bills House Commerce Committee Republicans floated earlier this month (see 1902070056). As Democratic leaders continue to decide what to include in their own legislation, lawmakers told us they hold a range of positions on whether a final bill must include the Communications Act Title II language that served as a legal basis for the FCC's rescinded 2015 rules. A full committee hearing earlier this month on net neutrality underscored the continuing divide between Democrats and Republicans over using Title II as an underpinning for future rules.
House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, Oregon, hires for Republicans Zack Roday, ex-Republican Attorneys General Association, as communications director; and keeps other staff including as expected (see 1811230027) Robin Colwell as chief counsel, Communications Subcommittee ... Center for Democracy & Technology promotes Brian Wesolowski to vice president-external affairs; Maria Villamar, controller; Liz Woolery, deputy director-Free Expression Project; Tim Hoagland, lead designer and digital strategist; and Becca Jackson, events specialist and office assistant ... Consumer Watchdog Consumer Advocate John Simpson retiring, succeeded by Adam Scow, ex-Food & Water Watch ... Robyn Greene leaving Open Tech Institute to become Facebook privacy policy manager-law enforcement access and data protection ... House Homeland Security Committee ranking member Mike Rogers, R-Ala., hires Nicole Hager, from Senate Finance Committee, as press secretary ... National Association of State Chief Information Officers taps Matt Pincus, ex-National Guard Association, as director-government affairs ... SpectraRep taps John McCoskey, ex-MPAA, as chief operating officer ... Discovery promotes Cindy Mori to vice president-global talent management and corporate talent development ... NIC's Robert Knapp resigns as chief operating officer ... Sinclair adds to board Benson Legg, ex-U.S. District Court in Baltimore ... Sckipio Technologies names Dan Artusi, ex-Intel, to board ... House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, New Jersey, names subcommittee vice chairs, including: Doris Matsui, California, Communications; Tony Cardenas, California, Consumer Protection; and Joseph Kennedy, Massachusetts, Oversight and Investigations ... House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California, names Democrats to new Modernization of Congress Select Committee: Chairman Derek Kilmer and Suzan DelBene, Washington; Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri; Zoe Lofgren, California; Mark Pocan, Wisconsin; and Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania.
Despite doomsday scenarios about artificial intelligence, useful data doesn’t exist to determine if the technology would harm U.S. jobs, GAO Chief Scientist Tim Persons told us Friday. “We’re worried about it taking over the world and still can’t answer some basic questions about it,” Persons said after speaking at a Software & Information Industry Association event.
Cooley expands global cyber-data-privacy and telecom practice with partner Travis LeBlanc, ex-Boies Schiller ... Womble Bond announces new partner and head of telecom team David Carter, ex-Innovista; also joining team from Innovista associates Ernesto Mendieta and John Nelson; senior counsel Howard Shapiro retiring; Erin Fitzgerald hired by FCC as Wireless Bureau attorney-adviser ... Computer & Communications Industry Association hires Keir Lamont, ex-Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, as counsel-privacy, security and emerging technology ... Harris Wiltshire promotes Shiva Goel to partner ... Wilkinson Barker adds Chris Bair, ex-FCC International Bureau, as associate-international and satellite communications.
Spectrum sharing and the gravity of the spectrum crunch generated disagreement Tuesday at the annual Americas Spectrum Management Conference. Federal officials touted spectrum sharing as “the new normal” while T-Mobile Senior Director-Technology Policy John Hunter called sharing policies “draconian.” “It's incredibly difficult to measure scarcity,” said FCC Wireless Bureau Assistant Chief Matthew Pearl.
FCC Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel and Congressional Spectrum Caucus co-chairs Reps. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Doris Matsui, D-Calif., urged the commission Wednesday to "do more" on unlicensed spectrum by "moving forward" on an NPRM on unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band or C-band uplink, which would open it "to more uses." An vote on the NPRM is expected at commissioners' Oct. 23 meeting (see 1808310026). "The nature of unlicensed spectrum is opportunistic and innovation-friendly," the officials said in a commentary on The Hill's website. Wi-Fi hot spots and other technologies "have been deployed in unlicensed spectrum and have varied applications, but each has generated significant economic growth. And an ever-growing amount of cellular traffic that will travel over Wi-Fi at higher-capacity networks, including 5G, are coming to market." Existing users "in the 6 GHz band must be sufficiently protected," the officials said. "These users provide critical services ranging from public safety to the control and coordination of railroad operations, pipelines, and electric grids, satellite distribution, and broadcast and cable relay services."
Public Knowledge appoints Charlotte Slaiman, ex-FTC Anticompetitive Practices Division, policy counsel ... Lauren Dart, ex-office of Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., joins office of Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., as communications director ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association names Philip Squair, ex-National Propane Gas Association, head-advocacy and lobbying initiatives ... ExteNet appoints Jim Hyde CEO, succeeding Ross Manire, retiring ... Open-IX taps Robert DeVita, ex-Mejeticks, as executive director.
The FCC is committed to getting a better picture of who's using the C-band, Chairman Ajit Pai said in a letter to Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif. Commissioners approved 4-0 an order and NPRM in July (see 1807120037). “I agree with you that our ability to intensify the use of this band is closely linked to gathering an accurate picture of how this spectrum is currently being used by incumbent earth stations,” Pai said. “That is exactly why Commission staff established a filing freeze on new applications for earth stations on April 19, 2018, and why stations have a 180-day window to register with the Commission and provide certain needed information (such as their locations) for us to proceed with this rulemaking.” Pai sent the same letter to Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky. The FCC also understands the importance of the 5 GHz band to unlicensed, Pai said in a second set of letters to the two members. “The most important way that the FCC facilitates innovation is by freeing up spectrum for wireless services and making it available for flexible use, and I appreciate your support for this concept," he said. Pai repeated in letters to Reps. Leonard Lance, R-N.J., and Billy Long, R-Mo., that the FCC is likely to address rules for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band in coming months (see 1807250055). All the letters were posted Tuesday.
Lawmakers following Google's appeal of the EU’s recent $5 billion fine alleging anti-competitive behavior linked to the Android mobile operating system's market dominance (see 1807180003) are considering next steps. “The EU just has a different regulatory environment, but … it potentially has impact on how we think about these issues here in America, too,” Senate Commerce Committee member Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told us.