FCC commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a Lifeline item to begin to revamp again the low-income subsidy program, going in a different direction than a 2016 overhaul. Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican colleagues said the combined orders and notices would crack down on program abuse and better target funding to those consumers and areas that really need it, while promoting facilities-based deployment. Dissenting Democrats said the actions and proposals would effectively gut the program and widen the digital divide. Congressional Democrats also hammered the moves.

FCC commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a Lifeline item to begin to revamp again the low-income subsidy program, going in a different direction than a 2016 overhaul. Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican colleagues said the combined orders and notices would crack down on program abuse and better target funding to those consumers and areas that really need it, while promoting facilities-based deployment. Dissenting Democrats said the actions and proposals would effectively gut the program and widen the digital divide. Congressional Democrats also hammered the moves.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn decried an "assault on pro-consumer policies" by the majority, which she said "will continue down its destructive path" at Thursday's monthly meeting. “They will make it more difficult for low-income Americans to access affordable communications services" and "will shred consumer and competition protections," she said Wednesday, referring to Lifeline and wireline broadband deployment items. She also slammed expected FCC actions on a new broadcast TV standard and allowing "massive media consolidation" (see 1711150054).

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn decried an "assault on pro-consumer policies" by the majority, which she said "will continue down its destructive path" at Thursday's monthly meeting. “They will make it more difficult for low-income Americans to access affordable communications services" and "will shred consumer and competition protections," she said Wednesday, referring to Lifeline and wireline broadband deployment items. She also slammed expected FCC actions on a new broadcast TV standard and allowing "massive media consolidation" (see 1711150054).

The House Communications Subcommittee's Thursday hearing on 5G is aimed mainly at educating members on potential benefits of and barriers to 5G deployments, but it also could feature debate about related proposals to pre-empt state, local and tribal siting rules and exempt projects from some existing review requirements, lawmakers, House aides and lobbyists told us. Senate Commerce is evaluating the Streamlining Permitting to Enable Efficient Deployment of Broadband Infrastructure Act (S-1988) and a draft bill from committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, both geared toward easing siting requirements (see 1710200047 and 1710310057). The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

The House Communications Subcommittee's Thursday hearing on 5G is aimed mainly at educating members on potential benefits of and barriers to 5G deployments, but it also could feature debate about related proposals to pre-empt state, local and tribal siting rules and exempt projects from some existing review requirements, lawmakers, House aides and lobbyists told us. Senate Commerce is evaluating the Streamlining Permitting to Enable Efficient Deployment of Broadband Infrastructure Act (S-1988) and a draft bill from committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, both geared toward easing siting requirements (see 1710200047 and 1710310057). The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

The House Communications Subcommittee's Thursday hearing on 5G is aimed mainly at educating members on potential benefits of and barriers to 5G deployments, but it also could feature debate about related proposals to pre-empt state, local and tribal siting rules and exempt projects from some existing review requirements, lawmakers, House aides and lobbyists told us. Senate Commerce is evaluating the Streamlining Permitting to Enable Efficient Deployment of Broadband Infrastructure Act (S-1988) and a draft bill from committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, both geared toward easing siting requirements (see 1710200047 and 1710310057). The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai appears unlikely to change course on a Lifeline draft before commissioners meet Thursday, observers told us, with several expecting a 3-2 vote along party lines. Critics sounded the alarm on a draft Lifeline item on the agenda, warning of "an attack" on the low-income broadband and voice subsidy program. The draft orders and notices "would kill wireless service for most tribal lands in the U.S. immediately and then for millions of other Americans in the following months," said Consumer Action, National Grange and a tribal advocate.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai appears unlikely to change course on a Lifeline draft before commissioners meet Thursday, observers told us, with several expecting a 3-2 vote along party lines. Critics sounded the alarm on a draft Lifeline item on the agenda, warning of "an attack" on the low-income broadband and voice subsidy program. The draft orders and notices "would kill wireless service for most tribal lands in the U.S. immediately and then for millions of other Americans in the following months," said Consumer Action, National Grange and a tribal advocate.

Indications the Justice Department is pushing AT&T for divestitures as part of its proposed buy of Time Warner (TW) (see 1711080047) point to Justice swinging back toward favoring structural rather than behavioral conditions for problematic deals, experts said. On the behavioral remedies on vertical deals in recent years, such as Comcast's buy of NBCUniversal, "most people think they're failures," said University of Baltimore Venable professor of law Robert Lande. The Obama administration was more favorable to employing behavioral conditions than was the George W. Bush administration, experts said, citing the Bush administration's 2004 antitrust guidelines. DOJ didn't comment Monday.