A new Senate bill would add USDA to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and broaden disclosure requirements for land purchases by foreign entities. The Security and Oversight of International Landholdings Act, set to be introduced by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., will “provide oversight and transparency of purchases of U.S. agricultural land that threaten national security,” the lawmaker said this month, and will require CFIUS reviews of “agriculture real estate purchases by certain foreign entities.” Other lawmakers also have proposed adding the agriculture secretary to CFIUS (see 2106010003).

ASPEN, Colo. -- NTIA won't repeat the mistakes made in past federal efforts to narrow the digital divide, said Evan Feinman, director of its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Tuesday at Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum. This time, he said, "we are going to solve this problem" and avoid the top-down approaches that missed unserved or underserved locations and didn't use ideal technology. But critics see danger signs.

California legislators killed a social media bill that would have held platforms civilly liable for addicting children, after opposition from the web industry and free-speech advocates. But some other controversial internet bills made it through Friday’s cutoff for fiscal committee votes. Bills on broadband, free inmate calls and the 988 mental-health hotline also advanced to floor votes.

The Federal Maritime Commission announced a new landing page on its website dedicated to the commission’s activities related to the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. The page will provide links to OSRA-related rulemakings, industry advisories and news. “Establishing a resource where the public can easily and quickly see all relevant materials related to OSRA implementation is critical to keeping all interested constituencies informed of progress the Commission is making in meeting the mandates established by the Congress and the President,” FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei said.

California legislators killed a social media bill that would have held platforms civilly liable for addicting children, after opposition from the web industry and free-speech advocates. But some other controversial internet bills made it through Friday’s cutoff for fiscal committee votes. Bills on broadband, free inmate calls and the 988 mental-health hotline also advanced to floor votes.

Energous got an FCC Part 18 grant of equipment authorization for 15 watts of conducted wireless power transfer, the company said Wednesday. CEO Cesar Johnston called the approval a “landmark” for Energous, because it allows 15 times more wireless power transfer than previously allowed “without distance limitations.” Energous’ WattUp PowerBridge transmitters, which can charge multiple devices simultaneously at a distance using RF-based wireless power, send at 1- , 5.5- and 15 watts; they also are a data link for connected IoT devices such as sensors, electronic shelf labels (ESLs), IoT tags for asset tracking and batteryless devices, the company said. Energous positions its wireless power technology as an alternative to replaceable batteries, which it says are affected by temperature and frequency of use and require power cables that can add logistical issues and cost. Energous posted Q2 revenue of $233,000 Wednesday, up from $185,000 in the year-ago quarter.

Energous got an FCC Part 18 grant of equipment authorization for 15 watts of conducted wireless power transfer, the company said Wednesday. CEO Cesar Johnston called the approval a “landmark” for Energous, because it allows 15 times more wireless power transfer than previously allowed “without distance limitations.” Energous’ WattUp PowerBridge transmitters, which can charge multiple devices simultaneously at a distance using RF-based wireless power, send at 1- , 5.5- and 15 watts; they also are a data link for connected IoT devices such as sensors, electronic shelf labels (ESLs), IoT tags for asset tracking and batteryless devices, the company said. Energous positions its wireless power technology as an alternative to replaceable batteries, which it says are affected by temperature and frequency of use and require power cables that can add logistical issues and cost. Energous posted Q2 revenue of $233,000 Wednesday, up from $185,000 in the year-ago quarter.

The Federal Maritime Commission announced a new landing page on its website dedicated to the commission’s activities related to the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. The page will provide links to OSRA-related rulemakings, industry advisories and news. “Establishing a resource where the public can easily and quickly see all relevant materials related to OSRA implementation is critical to keeping all interested constituencies informed of progress the Commission is making in meeting the mandates established by the Congress and the President,” FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei said.

Alaska’s U.S. senators sounded the alarm over federal maps that will be used for determining funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. The Republicans’ remarks Tuesday at a livestreamed Alaska Broadband Summit followed state officials raising concerns about holes in the FCC’s broadband serviceable location fabric to be used in upcoming maps (see 2208080056). State, local, tribal and federal officials stressed the need for engagement and collaboration to ensure funding goes where it’s needed.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr said they're awaiting an Office of Engineering and Technology analysis of whether the 12 GHz band can open to 5G service. There has been heavy lobbying by proponents and opponents, but "this continues to come down to the engineering" and OET's take, Carr said Friday after the agency's August meeting (see 2208050023). He said he's "open to landing this in a win-win situation." "It's an engineering matter," Rosenworcel said, saying she's relying on OET "to help show us the way forward." Consultancy RKF Engineering stands by its technical studies on satellite sharing of the band with 5G, including its finding that such 5G deployments wouldn't affect at least 99.85% of non-geostationary orbit operations in the band, RS Access said in docket 20-443, recapping meetings CEO Noah Campbell had with aides to Rosenworcel and Commissioners Nathan Simington and Geoffrey Starks. It said RKF reconciled its findings with a SpaceX analysis showing likely sizable interference to its Starlink receivers (see 2206220042). RS Access said the SpaceX analysis was loaded with conclusions unfavorable to sharing, such as assuming 12 GHz is the only downlink frequency being used, an excessive deployment of 5G macrocells and 5G operating at 1,000% power. SpaceX didn't comment.