CTA, unlike much of the tech industry, has “not taken a position” on the Paris climate accord, nor on President Donald Trump’s decision Thursday withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement, spokesman Jeff Joseph emailed us Monday. The Information Technology Industry Council released a statement criticizing Trump's decision Thursday as “a setback for America’s leadership in the world.” Earlier in the week, Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Google, Intel and Microsoft were the tech firms among the two dozen companies taking out full-page ads in major newspapers urging Trump not to withdraw the U.S. from the climate accord on ground that the Paris agreement "benefits U.S. businesses and the U.S. economy in many ways."

President Jake Ward and others from the Application Developers Alliance said the group met with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai last week about the importance of an open internet. Privacy, data sharing and competition came up, said a filing Friday in docket 17-108. “Members depend on an open Internet -- including enforceable net neutrality rules that ensure that companies can’t discriminate against developers and their products or services, no matter how large or small the company maybe.” It said "developers need an internet -- wired and wireless -- that is open, competitive, stable, fast, and fair to all who use it. We also highlighted the need for a framework that facilitates continuous investment and innovation by the providers of Internet access.”

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., favors some elements of paid prioritization, he said Monday during a radio interview alongside FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “You might need a fast lane within that pipeline so that those [medical] diagnoses can be transmitted instantaneously, not held up by maybe a movie streaming,” said Johnson during a conversation on WTMJ (AM) Milwaukee. Johnson is a Commerce Committee member, and Commerce Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., previously pushed to legislate a ban on paid prioritization deals. Pai’s visit with Johnson is part of a road trip to five northern plains states this week, with future stops planned in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and Wyoming (see 1706020053). Pai “will be meeting with many rural broadband providers,” an FCC advisory said Friday, promising an event with Thune. “He will also participate in a Tribal consultation on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. His trip will conclude with a speech at the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters Convention.” During Monday’s radio interview, Pai called legacy rules requiring telecom companies to maintain copper a possible burden for companies and suggested “modernizing” rules to recognize changing demands. Companies must have “a strong incentive to invest,” Pai said. Johnson said industry needs “the economic incentive to risk capital” and cautioned against what he judged the over-regulation of Communications Act Title II classification of broadband. “I know it’s a good slogan,” Johnson said of net neutrality. “All we’ve done over the last month or so is start a public conversation,” Pai said of the Title II proceeding, citing “great IT staff” who will ensure the commission can keep receiving comments. The FCC released a photo Monday showing Pai and Johnson meeting with the CEO of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.

The USF contribution is now projected to drop in Q3 from 17.4 percent to 17.1 percent of carriers' U.S. interstate and international (long-distance) telecom end-user revenue, said industry consultant Billy Jack Gregg. Universal Service Administrative Co. projected Q3 industry revenue would be $13.11 billion, about $505 million less than Q2, which, combined with previously revised estimated USF demand (see 1705240058), would raise the contribution factor to 18.2 percent, Gregg emailed Friday. But in a Saturday email update, Gregg said USAC filed another revised demand projection based on rural health care fund (RHC) changes, including a determination that collections for funding year 2016 RHC programs would exceed demand by $63.8 million. USAC revised the Q3 RHC demand downward to $35.3 million. USAC also "found that $34.6 million reserved for FY2016 Healthcare Connect Fund obligations would no longer be needed, and used this $34.6 million to further reduce" Q3 RHC demand, he emailed. "After prior period adjustments and projected interest earnings, the final adjusted demand for the RHC will be negative $1.2 million, an overall reduction of $100.9 million from the RHC demand originally projected. The revision to the RHC reduces overall USF demand" for Q3 $1.896 billion, he wrote. "Because of the drop in RHC demand, the USF contribution factor for the third quarter will go down from its current level, in spite of the continued erosion of the USF contribution base."

Pointing to a series of events it says "call into serious question [FCC] commitment to fostering free expression," Free Press is asking for a written apology to two Free Press Action Fund members not allowed into the March commissioners' meeting while wearing pro-net neutrality T-shirts, and for the FCC to rescind its lifetime ban on five protesters removed from the April meeting. In a letter released Monday to agency General Counsel Brendan Carr, it requested a policy document explaining how the agency keeps its list of people restricted from meetings and "clear and transparent articulation of an FCC policy to protect the First Amendment rights of the public and reporters to peacefully participate in future FCC open meetings." The letter said the March and April events, and security personnel's not allowing in a pro-net neutrality sign May 18, seem to point to increased efforts "to stifle free speech and public participation at open meetings." The agency didn't comment. Media organizations criticized the FCC after the manhandling of a reporter at the May commissioners' meeting (see 1705250014).

Starry CEO Chet Kanojia and investors in the startup briefed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (see here) and an aide to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn on the company’s proprietary 5G fixed wireless technology and its deployment progress in Boston and other cities. “Starry also reiterated its support for preserving commercial-to-commercial sharing in the lower 37 GHz band as proposed in the Spectrum Frontiers Report & Order and encouraged a timely issuance of the second Report & Order to unleash additional spectrum into the marketplace,” said a filing in docket 14-177. Kanojia said sharing in the lower 37 GHz band “could be more easily facilitated via a simple site-based registration system to coordinate users, eliminating the need to utilize a third-party spectrum access management system.” In response to Pai's query on inquired about satellite sharing issues and a proposal to increase power levels for proposed satellite operations, the tech upstart said it's concerned that doing so "for lower orbiting satellite constellations would have an adverse effect on terrestrial fixed operations." Kanojia was behind Aereo, which unsuccessfully tried to take on broadcasters before the Supreme Court ruled against it.

Section 706 of the Telecom Act “remains available as an effective enforcement mechanism for anti-consumer practices, including specifically but not limited to redlining,” said the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council in a Friday filing in docket 17-108 on a meeting with FCC Chairman Pai. It's "vital that the Commission include broadband in Lifeline so that the maximum benefit of this program is realized in connecting the unconnected.” MMTC said there's a need for apprenticeship programs, “including a program MMTC is operating in conjunction with the Wireless Infrastructure Association.” The group said it “discussed the importance of secondary markets and the impact that these transactions can have on new entrants, particularly minority entrepreneurs,” and "will follow-up regarding additional means to foster these transactions, including legislation.” MMTC President Kim Keenan and President Emeritus David Honig were among participants.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation further disputed a National Legal and Policy Center report that EFF submitted 100,000 fake comments to FCC net neutrality docket 17-108 (see 1705310019). "NLPC’s report is false. Not one name, email address, or email domain cited in the report matches to any of the comments that came through EFF's comment tool," EFF, which denied the claim earlier in the week, blogged Thursday. "Unfortunately, NLPC didn’t reach out to us before publishing its report. If they had, we would have been able to share our evidence with them and they could have avoided publishing a flawed report." NLPC stands "behind our analysis 100%," emailed President Peter Flaherty. "EFF is denying an accusation we did not make. We never said they sent the comments or that the comments went through their website. We are glad EFF confirms one of our key findings." He pointed us to a response. Meanwhile, the Federal Register published a summary of the NPRM that proposes to reverse Title II broadband reclassification and revisit net neutrality rules under the Communications Act. Comments are due July 17, replies Aug. 16. Paperwork Reduction Act comments are due Aug. 1.

The Senate Commerce Committee plans a Thursday confirmation hearing for NTIA Administrator nominee David Redl and nominees to two other posts. Redl, currently the House Commerce Committee's chief counsel and a former CTIA official, has broad industry support. Lawmakers also view Redl's nomination as a potential opportunity to move on contentious spectrum legislation and other issues (see 1705170056). NTIA's top challenges include modernizing federal spectrum systems “to maximize spectrum use” for all users, Redl said in responses to a Senate Commerce questionnaire. “Spectrum continues to be a finite resource in increasing demand. Left unaddressed, the challenge of balancing mission and commercial demands could impact the nation's leadership in 5G technology.” Redl is concerned about “improving broadband availability” and addressing U.S. digital economy needs. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell. Senate Commerce is expected to also consider undersecretary of transportation-policy nominee Derek Kan and National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman nominee Robert Sumwalt during the hearing. The Senate Judiciary Committee will be simultaneously voting on a trio of DOJ nominees, including Antitrust Division head nominee Makan Delrahim (see 1706020014).

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the FCC jointly released Thursday a “Communications Tower Best Practices Guide.” The document notes it was the result of joint work that started with an October 2014 conference at the FCC (see 1410140172). Officials said then that most tower deaths can be prevented. Curbing deaths was a push of then-Chairman Tom Wheeler. “As more Americans use mobile devices to call, text and stream content, the safety of workers who maintain and construct communications towers is more critical than ever,” said a statement by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Assistant Deputy Secretary for Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dorothy Dougherty. “Every day, communications tower workers face potential hazards that can be deadly if not performed safely, and dozens of fatalities have occurred over the past few years. Every tower climber death is preventable.” The document stresses it's advisory: “It is not a standard or regulation, and it neither creates new legal obligations nor alters existing obligations created by OSHA standards or the Occupational Safety and Health Act.” Wireless Infrastructure Association supports the best practices document, said President Jonathan Adelstein. “The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program played a vital role in providing these agencies with the most relevant and useful information from the private sector.”