Commissioners approved an NPRM 5-0 on clearing 3.1-3.55 GHz, seen by some as a sleeper item with big implications. The item sparked a debate among members on whether the FCC is doing enough on mid-band spectrum. Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman John Kennedy, R-La., sat through 90 minutes of the meeting, signaling his ongoing concerns about setting rules for an upcoming auction of the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band.

The Public Safety and Wireless bureaus reminded building owners and other non-licensee operators of Part 90 private land mobile radio signal boosters that they can't operate them until they “obtain the express written consent of the licensee(s) whose signals they would re-transmit” and “register Class B signal boosters” with the FCC. “Failure to do so risks harmful interference to first responders and others and may subject you to enforcement action,” said a notice in Wednesday's Daily Digest on docket 10-4.

The Public Safety and Wireless bureaus reminded building owners and other non-licensee operators of Part 90 private land mobile radio signal boosters that they can't operate them until they “obtain the express written consent of the licensee(s) whose signals they would re-transmit” and “register Class B signal boosters” with the FCC. “Failure to do so risks harmful interference to first responders and others and may subject you to enforcement action,” said a notice in Wednesday's Daily Digest on docket 10-4.

NCTA names Mary Beth Murphy, ex-Facebook, vice president and deputy general counsel-legal and regulatory affairs ... GCI appoints Rebecca Windt Pearson general counsel; she's from Municipality of Anchorage and begins at the company Feb. 1; she succeeds Tina Pidgeon, resigns year-end and adviser through April 15; Pearson had previously worked for the cable-telco ... Consumer Reports hires Cyrus Rassool, from Glen Echo Group, as associate director-strategic communications for technology and privacy, with newly launched Digital Lab.

NCTA names Mary Beth Murphy, ex-Facebook, vice president and deputy general counsel-legal and regulatory affairs ... Consumer Reports hires Cyrus Rassool, from Glen Echo Group, as associate director-strategic communications for technology and privacy, with newly launched Digital Lab ... Lead House GOP FCC and FTC appropriator House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee ranking member Tom Graves, Georgia, won't seek re-election.

Eligible telecom carriers must enhance engagement with tribal communities to address challenges deploying broadband there, Gila River Telecommunications Inc. (GRTI) told the FCC. Comments were posted through Friday in docket 10-90. GRTI said "the time for discussing whether broadband will be delivered to Indian Country must end. The next phase of engagement must focus on the development of concrete plans for each tribal community to gain broadband access." It recommends elevating the Office of Native Affairs and Policy to a separate office independent of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and having it report directly to the chairman and commissioners. GRTI wants ONAP to develop a voluntary process to engage tribal governments and ETCs with service areas including tribal lands that haven't deployed broadband to determine when it makes sense for tribal governments to take an ownership stake in the ETC. The Alaska Rural Coalition asked the FCC to answer its 2011 petition for reconsideration on "unique challenges facing Alaska carriers." It wants the FCC to allow carriers to substitute informal engagement with strategic performance benchmarks, as "formal outreach [hasn't] proven particularly effective." USTelecom has legal concerns about members' First Amendment rights and a current requirement ETCs market their services "in a culturally sensitive manner," which can interfere with effective dialogue. The Oceti Sakowin Tribal Utility Authority said the tribal engagement process "is currently form over substance." The National Tribal Telecommunications Association wants additional enforcement of the tribal engagement rule.

Eligible telecom carriers must enhance engagement with tribal communities to address challenges deploying broadband there, Gila River Telecommunications Inc. (GRTI) told the FCC. Comments were posted through Friday in docket 10-90. GRTI said "the time for discussing whether broadband will be delivered to Indian Country must end. The next phase of engagement must focus on the development of concrete plans for each tribal community to gain broadband access." It recommends elevating the Office of Native Affairs and Policy to a separate office independent of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and having it report directly to the chairman and commissioners. GRTI wants ONAP to develop a voluntary process to engage tribal governments and ETCs with service areas including tribal lands that haven't deployed broadband to determine when it makes sense for tribal governments to take an ownership stake in the ETC. The Alaska Rural Coalition asked the FCC to answer its 2011 petition for reconsideration on "unique challenges facing Alaska carriers." It wants the FCC to allow carriers to substitute informal engagement with strategic performance benchmarks, as "formal outreach [hasn't] proven particularly effective." USTelecom has legal concerns about members' First Amendment rights and a current requirement ETCs market their services "in a culturally sensitive manner," which can interfere with effective dialogue. The Oceti Sakowin Tribal Utility Authority said the tribal engagement process "is currently form over substance." The National Tribal Telecommunications Association wants additional enforcement of the tribal engagement rule.

Texas voters send 36 members to the House of Representatives, and 18 attended a press conference Dec. 5 to say they want a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement vote as soon as possible. But only one of the 13 Democrats in the Texas delegation attended -- Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents Laredo and McAllen. Cuellar, the biggest booster of the new NAFTA in the Democratic caucus, said he'd been updated about the state of play between Mexicans and the U.S. trade representative at 9:30 a.m. that day, and “we're very, very, very close,” he said, but he said Mexicans tire of what they feel is a “one-more-thing”-style of negotiating from the Americans.

Streamlining evaluation of applications for siting communications facilities on National Forest Service lands and expanded categorical exceptions for environmental reviews were among suggestions the U.S. Forest Service got on updating its permitting practices for communications and broadband infrastructure, in comments posted this week at regulations.gov. CTIA said the agency could streamline the evaluation by incorporating a 270-day clock for communications uses applications, having a system for tracking applications for communications uses, and setting up a 30-year term for communications use authorizations with automatic renewals at recurring 10-year intervals. The Wireless Infrastructure Association also backed codifying that deadline and increasing lease terms to 30 years. WIA said expanding the exemptions to include modifications of less than 20 acres would streamline the application process while helping foster collocations on existing facilities. The Western Governors' Association backed the service's proposal to revise directives to expedite requests for collocating communications uses in or on existing communications facilities and giving the current categorical exclusion more authority for special use authorization. Crown Castle supports expanding the scope of categorical exclusions. The New Mexico Broadcasters Association said the agency needs to avoid adding new review process requirements or facility sharing rules.

Exactly how the U.S. Trade Representative has agreed to change the 10-year biologics exclusivity period in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is unclear, but insiders are saying it will be less favorable to the pharmaceutical industry.