House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman Mike Quigley, D-Ill., told us he’s eyeing attaching a rider to the subcommittee’s FY 2021 appropriations bill aimed at allocating proceeds from the FCC’s coming auction of spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band. Quigley raised concerns about the FCC’s current C-band auction plan during a Wednesday House Appropriations Financial Services hearing on the commission’s FY 2021 budget request. The C-band plan drew criticism from Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman John Kennedy, R-La., during that subpanel’s Tuesday FCC budget hearing (see 2003100022).

Center for Democracy & Technology names Alexandra Reeve Givens, from Georgetown Law’s Institute for Technology Law & Policy, president-CEO, effective May 11, succeeding Nuala O’Connor (see this section, Sept. 11) ... Point52 Group started by CBS Washington veteran John Orlando (see this section, Oct. 10), working on regulatory, legislative and crisis management issues ... Oregon Public Utility Commission advances Bryan Conway to utility program director ... Otelco President Richard Clark becomes also CEO and board member, succeeding Robert Souza, retired ... Nexstar promotes Byron Grandy to vice president and general manager-broadcast and digital operations, Denver market ... Entravision announces Bernice Lopez Smith, from R Communications, is senior vice president; and Debbie Flores, ex-KRGV-TV Weslaco, Texas, returns as vice president-integrated marketing ... Facebook appoints Nancy Killefer, ex-McKinsey & Co., and Tracey Travis, Estee Lauder Cos., to board ... GameStop announces Reggie Fils-Aime, ex-Nintendo; Bill Simon, ex-Walmart; and J.K. Symancyk, PetSmart, joining board; ex-CEO Dan DeMatteo; Gerald Szczepanski, ex-Gadzooks; Larry Zilavy, ex-Barnes and Noble; and Steve Koonin, Atlanta Hawks, retiring from board, effective June annual meeting, with Kathy Vrabeck, Korn Ferry, succeeding DeMatteo as chair; and Jerome Davis, ex-Jerome L. Davis & Associates, and Tom Kelly, ex-Nextel, retiring from the board, effective June 2021.

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly hopes for a decision on the reallocation of the 5.9 GHz band this summer, he told us at the Free State Foundation conference Tuesday. Chairman Ajit Pai didn’t speak live but sent a recorded address (see 2003100027). Commissioner Brendan Carr canceled an appearance.

With public and highway safety groups staking out a hard line, it’s unclear when the FCC will act on new rules for the 5.9 GHz band, industry and commission officials said. Commissioners agreed 5-0 in December to examine revised rules for the band, reallocating 45 MHz for Wi-Fi, with 20 MHz reserved for cellular vehicle to everything and possibly 10 MHz for dedicated short-range communications (see 1912180019). Some observers said with the FCC poised to open the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi and unlicensed, Chairman Ajit Pai may be less inclined to continue the fight over 5.9 GHz while taking some actions to allow C-V2X. Comments were due at 11:59 p.m. Monday in docket 19-138.

With an order on the 6 GHz band considered likely at the April FCC meeting (see 2003050058), Stan Connally, Southern Co. executive vice president-operations, told FCC Chairman Ajit Pai the utility remains concerned about harmful interference to its operations. Connally “applauded the Chairman’s appreciation of and support for the need to ensure that incumbent licensed 6 GHz operations are sufficiently protected from potential interference by unlicensed operations,” said a posting Friday in docket 18-295. Comcast representatives met Pai aide Nick Degani. “The Commission can and should authorize low power, indoor use throughout the band without the need for automated frequency coordination,” the cable company said. CTIA representatives met with Pai aide Aaron Goldberger. The group “provided further evidence of how untethered, low power indoor devices will cause harmful interference to Fixed Service operations in the band and urged the Commission to issue a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to consider licensing the upper portion of the band,” CTIA said. Verizon, Sprint, Ericsson and U.S. Cellular executives attended. Pai told three House lawmakers, including Communications Subcommittee member Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., he agrees “that the FCC must protect incumbent users” in the 6 GHz band “from harmful interference.” The Office of Engineering and Technology has “spent considerable time reviewing the substantial record that has been compiled in this proceeding and meeting with interested stakeholders,” he said in separate letters to McNerney and Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Morgan Griffith, R-Va., released Friday. “The Commission’s ultimate decision will be grounded in sound engineering analysis. I remain optimistic that we will be able to develop a set of technical rules that will both safeguard incumbent users and allow for unlicensed operations.” McNerney and Griffith in February jointly supported the commission’s 6 GHz sharing proposal (see 2002120055). Bacon wrote Pai in November to urge the agency to ensure its sharing proposal didn’t cause harmful interference.

Boeing representatives said the FCC should authorize “unlicensed devices that are able to operate in the 6 GHz band on aircraft in flight above 10,000 feet without the use of automated frequency coordination.” They met with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said a Thursday posting in docket 18-295. Boeing has demonstrated that “allowing unlicensed 6 GHz devices on aircraft will not result in harmful interference to incumbent 6 GHz licensees,” they said. Commissioners may vote on a coming order in April (see 2003050058).

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai could propose an order on the 6 GHz band for the April 23 meeting, industry and FCC officials said. That would move one of his biggest pieces of unfinished business, providing spectrum for unlicensed use comparable to the mid-band allocated for licensed use in the C band. Pai was expected to propose an item in March. Staff needed more time, we were told Thursday.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai blogged Monday that on his trip to India last week, he met with officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, including Chairman Ram Sharma. Pai held “a town hall where I answered numerous questions.” Pai met Shri Anshu Prakash, the Department of Telecommunications' top telecom official: “We discussed several of the FCC’s innovative spectrum policies, such as the 3.5 GHz band, the 3.7-4.2 GHz band" and the 6 GHz Wi-Fi proposal.” Pai discussed supply chain issues with National Cyber Security Coordinator Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant.

Tech companies told the FCC they are unable to replicate data in a December NAB filing on unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band (see 1912060007). The companies said in January the study, by Alion, was riddled with errors (see 2001150042). “We appreciate NAB’s and Alion’s willingness to discuss these issues with us, but, unfortunately, we still have not been able to obtain the information necessary to replicate NAB’s study,” Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Microsoft, NXP Semiconductors and Qualcomm said in docket 18-295, posted Monday. “Given what we have learned, we reiterate our previous objections to that study -- its assumptions were so wildly inaccurate that the Commission cannot rationally rely on it in evaluating the risk of harmful interference.” NAB didn't comment.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said his visit to India with President Donald Trump was a big moment in his career. “It was a special honor to represent the top levels of the U.S. government visiting the country where my parents grew up,” Pai told reporters Friday after his agency's meeting. He noted he was the highest-ranking U.S. person of Indian dissent at a state dinner hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Discussions with telecom regulators included the 3.5 and 6 GHz bands and supply chain security, Pai said.