Some want more clarity about the FCC's role regulating broadband, said comments posted through Tuesday. The agency asked to refresh dockets including 17-287, on how broadband service's reclassification as an information, not telecom, service affects authority over Lifeline, pole attachment agreements and public safety. Commenters disagreed whether the FCC should reconsider based on the public safety considerations.

Comcast appoints Candy Lawson, ex-21st Century Fox, senior vice president-chief compliance officer-senior deputy general counsel ... Pete Villano, ex-House Armed Services Committee, becomes Microsoft Azure director-government affairs ... Hunton Andrews taps Kevin Hahm, ex-FTC, as partner-competition and consumer protection.

Among other personnel moves (see this section, April 3), Public Knowledge promotes Meredith Whipple to digital outreach director ... Patrick Lin, California Polytechnic State University, joins Center for a New American Security Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and National Security ... Code Dx announces Martin Weber, ex-Cisco, as senior vice president-worldwide sales; promotes Curtis Bragdon to vice president-business development and public sector ... Seaborn Networks appoints Michel Marcelino, from Vogel Telecom, senior vice president, head-Latin America ... President Donald Trump nominating judge for the Western District of Kentucky Justin Walker to U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

CTIA questioned the legality of proposed backup power rules and other resiliency measures Friday. The California Public Utilities Commission proposed requiring 72-hour backup for all essential communications equipment (see 2003090026). The wireless industry thinks that's “overly prescriptive, unmoored from the record, impossible to achieve, and places the burden on wireless carriers to maintain power to their networks regardless of the severity of adverse conditions, such as those that prevent electric utilities from maintaining commercial power,” said comments in docket R.18-03-011. Santa Clara County supported requiring 72-hour backup power. In October, the county had one 66-hour outage and another was 94 hours, and Pacific Gas and Electric has promised future outages will be shorter, the locality said. The requirement could be longer than 72 hours, suggested a rural counties group. “It cannot be acceptable for 9-1-1 or emergency notification services to go dark for any period.” The Communications Workers of America said voluntary commitments aren’t enough.

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly urged leaders from the House and Senate Commerce committees Thursday to ensure states that use 911 fees for other purposes are barred from receiving funding for next-generation 911 projects that might be included in the next legislative package addressing COVID-19. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and 34 other Senate Democrats pressed Capitol Hill leaders to include “at least” $2 billion in additional E-rate funding. Signers include Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and other Democratic leaders want to include infrastructure funding, citing President Donald Trump's interest (see 2004010071).

Congressional leaders were optimistic Tuesday afternoon they were close to reaching a deal on a third economic stimulus bill addressing the effects of COVID-19, after days of wrangling over legislative language on funding for telecom and other priorities. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was among those saying a deal appeared near, though she warned House Democratic leaders could move forward on a counterproposal if they deem final Senate bill language unsatisfactory. The Pelosi-led counterproposal drew fire from Republicans in part because it contains pandemic-specific Lifeline funding (see 2003230066).

President Donald Trump’s renomination of FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly Wednesday drew widespread praise. O’Rielly would serve a term ending June 30, 2024 (see 2003180070). His current term ended in June, but he can remain until this Congress ends at the beginning of 2021 (see 1910250039). “I am deeply appreciative of the President’s decision and his aggressive leadership on communications policy, including extensive efforts to bring broadband access to all Americans,” O’Rielly said. As a commissioner “I have advocated for preserving and advancing American free market principles to develop common sense regulation and eliminate unnecessary rules that hurt consumers.” It’s “gratifying to watch the private and public sectors pulling together to rise to the occasion” amid the COVID-19 pandemic and other “monumental challenges currently confronting our nation,” he said. Trump “made a wise choice,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. O’Rielly has “made many contributions to the work of the Commission, from his leadership on 3.5 GHz spectrum policy to his unwavering advocacy against state misuse of 911 funding. And when we were in the minority, he consistently stood on principle while being pragmatic.” O’Rielly’s “tireless work ethic has helped deliver many good wins for this country during his time on the Commission,” said Commissioner Brendan Carr. O’Rielly “is incredibly knowledgeable on communications policy matters and has contributed so much to the work of the agency,” said Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks also congratulated O’Rielly. CTIA President Meredith Baker highlighted O’Rielly for being “a champion for smart spectrum policies, ending 9-1-1 fee diversion.” NAB “supports the renomination,” said CEO Gordon Smith. Charter Communications, Comcast, the Competitive Carriers Association, Incompas, Wireless Infrastructure Association and Wireless ISP Association also applauded the renomination.

Keeping 911 call takers safe is critical to maintaining emergency call systems during the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak, said stakeholders in interviews this week. APCO, the National Emergency Number Association and National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA) leaders are less worried about a potential surge in calls as there might be in a hurricane. Wider deployment of next-generation 911 would give call takers and responders more flexibility, they said.

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly praised American Samoa for not diverting 911 fees. His Wednesday letter thanked Gov. Lolo Moliga (D) for responding Feb. 13 to the Republican commissioner’s Feb. 3 letter asking why the territory failed to respond to FCC requests for information about 911 fees (see 2002030019). Moliga sent a 2018 report and partly blamed staff turnover for the delay. “There are no 9-1-1 fees collected in American Samoa and thus no funds to divert,” the governor wrote. “Our 9-1-1 system is fully funded by our general fund and budgeted by the Department of Public Safety.”

House Communications Subcommittee leaders are eyeing an early March markup for the Reinforcing and Evaluating Service Integrity, Local Infrastructure and Emergency Notification for Today’s (Resilient) Networks Act (HR-5926) and at least some of the seven other public safety communications measures it will examine Thursday (see 2002200060), industry lobbyists told us. Communications and public safety stakeholders endorsed several of the measures in written testimony. HR-5926 didn’t get universal praise. The hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn.