Several House and Senate lawmakers are introducing legislation aimed at permitting cellphone users to unlock their phones so they can be used on different networks, they said this week. Momentum to amend U.S. copyright law on cellphone unlocking surged after top telecom officials in the administration advocated this week for legislative fixes to give consumers greater control over their devices (CD March 5 p1).
Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., praised the FCC for its NPRM approved Wednesday (CD Feb 21 p3) on increased unlicensed use of the 5 GHz band. “There is no doubt that America’s Wi-Fi industry is rapidly growing in both communications and innovation,” Matsui said. “The unlicensed economy has a multiplier effect that will only continue to grow as Americans rely more and more on their tablets, smartphones, and devices for everyday use."
The federal government’s broadband initiatives must continue, said FCC commissioners Thursday at the Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services. But such programs need more accountability and a sharper focus, they said. Panelists emphasized the importance of digital literacy, and telco executives promoted a message of grassroots outreach in encouraging broadband adoption. “We are going to approach adoption with a little more nuance than we have in the past,” Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, the conference’s new federal chair, told the summit. The FCC will be looking at “how to quantify how much can be saved when services migrate online and how citizens and consumers can help by sharing in those savings,” she said, describing an intention to look at the accountability of sustainable broadband programs to find out which are “truly sustainable” and strengthen the successes.
Internet policy makers are girding themselves for future fights with those in the international community who seek to impose new restrictions and regulations on the Internet. While lawmakers Tuesday commended the work of U.S. delegates to oppose new international regulations at the recent World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), they said at a joint Congressional hearing on the topic they must redouble efforts to combat further restrictions on the Web.
The NTIA concluded Friday that more work must be done to understand the challenges to federal agencies with operations in the 5350-5470 MHz and 5850-5925 MHz bands before the agency can conclude that they can be safely reallocated for Wi-Fi or other unlicensed use. The NTIA report comes after FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced plans at CES for a proceeding on the two bands (http://xrl.us/bn953e). NTIA had no comment beyond the report.
Four House Commerce Committee Democrats sought more interoperability in the lower 700 MHz band, in a letter sent Monday to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “A single lower 700 MHz band with nationwide scope would benefit all customers because it would enable consumers to use the same devices across multiple carrier platforms as well as roam to and from networks inside and outside of the 700 MHz band,” it said. The letter was signed by House Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo of California, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, and Doris Matsui of California. The lawmakers said reducing the number of bands in the lower 700 MHz would assist first responders by adding value, reducing costs and creating “more redundancy options for public safety broadband capabilities.” The FCC approved an interoperability rulemaking notice at its March meeting. Genachowski said at the time regulation may not be needed and encouraged industry players to come up with a voluntary, industry solution (CD March 22 p2). AT&T Executive Vice President of Federal Relations Tim McKone said the letter “fails to address the main issue: the interference caused from the adjacent Channel 51 television stations.” That interference “is the main reason there has been such little deployment to date by A Block license holders,” McKone said in an email statement. “Forcing carriers to place interfering radios in their smartphones will result in less efficient spectrum utilization and, importantly, a poor consumer experience.” AT&T has been the leading opponent of an interoperability mandate.
The FCC will provide broadband for nearly 75,000 low-income people who lack service, in 14 projects across 21 states and Puerto Rico as part of its Lifeline broadband adoption pilot program. It'll run 18 months, start Feb. 1 and subsidize service for a year, the Wireline Bureau said Wednesday (http://xrl.us/bn68f8). The bureau will collect and analyze data in the final three months, it said. The variety of projects will include five wireless broadband projects, seven wireline broadband projects and two that'll offer wireline or wireless, the FCC said. Seven will test discounted service in rural areas, including two on tribal lands, and seven in urban and suburban areas. Tested variables will include use of digital literacy training, equipment types, subsidy levels, speed ranges and usage limits, the bureau said. Lifeline has saved more than $210 million in 2012, the bureau said, saying that’s higher than its target. The FCC reiterated its Lifeline reforms, such as eliminating Link-Up subsidies and putting in place measures to limit one Lifeline subsidy per household. The broadband adoption pilot will cost $14 million, to come from the overall Lifeline savings, the commission said. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., said in a separate news release she was pleased with the FCC’s expansion of the Lifeline program for universal broadband adoption. “We must close the digital divide in this country and the FCC moving forward today to establishing a broadband adoption pilot program through the USF will move us closer to that goal,” she said.
The FCC on Friday approved a notice of proposed rulemaking that will establish rules for an incentive auction of broadcast spectrum for wireless broadband, to take place as early as 2014. The NPRM moves the FCC a step closer to what is already the most anticipated auction since the 700 MHz auction four years ago. Commissioner Ajit Pai concurred only on parts of the NPRM, saying the commission leaves too many critical questions unasked.
House Republicans and Democrats differed over the best way to ease what both sides say is a looming commercial spectrum crunch, at a House Communications Subcommittee hearing Thursday. Majority members on the subcommittee urged federal agencies to relinquish more federal spectrum for commercial use, while Democrats cheered the administration’s across-the-board approach to sharing and clearing spectrum. A Defense Department official said federal users are working hard to achieve the administration’s goal of freeing 500 MHz of federal spectrum by 2020. Spectrum experts said that goal can only be achieved by employing sharing scenarios. Industry groups said that clearing spectrum for commercial use, rather than sharing, should be the ultimate goal.
The Democratic Party got it right in its 2012 party platform on Internet freedom issues, Democratic House members said in statements on Wednesday. “A free and open Internet is critical to the freedom and economic prosperity of all Americans,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California. “This platform reaffirms our strong commitment to protecting free expression, privacy, and our fundamental right to assemble online free from centralized government control as we do in our everyday lives.” Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado credited the language’s inclusion to “an outpouring of grassroots support and the leadership of a small group of remarkable colleagues in Congress who have never stopped fighting to prevent the passage of harmful legislation like SOPA and PIPA and other assaults on Internet freedom.” Rep. Doris Matsui of California said the party’s stance reflected its commitment to the economy. An open and free Internet is “a key component in promoting innovation and growth in the American high-tech sector” as it “encourages new entrepreneurs to start their businesses in our country, creating jobs and economic growth,” she said. Rep. Anna Eshoo of California referenced her district. “Representing Silicon Valley in Congress, it’s especially gratifying to see a national party recognize that over the last 15 years venture capital funds have invested approximately a quarter of a trillion dollars in industries reliant on the Internet, including $91.8 billion on software alone,” she said, calling an open Internet “a hallmark of American ingenuity.” David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress -- which encouraged both parties to include Internet freedom language in their platforms -- commended the Democrats. “The Democratic Party this week has proven that they want to become the party of the ‘net,'” he said. “It will take more than words to protect the internet, and we look forward to working with political leaders in the Democratic Party to hold them to their promises."