From cheaper residential Internet delivered unthrottled, to bringing outsourced customer service jobs back to the U.S., Charter Communications has a litany of reasons why its proposed buys of Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable should get FCC OK, said the public interest statement posted Thursday in docket 15-149. The deals worth $89.1 billion are expected to close by year end, giving Charter 19.4 million broadband, 17.3 million video and 9.4 million voice customers in 41 states, the companies said in May when they announced the deal (see 1505260047).
The Southern California U.S. District Court dismissed on June 19 a class action lawsuit alleging false “Made in the U.S.A.” claims on apparel sold in California by Lands’ End. The lawsuit was one of several ongoing cases in Southern California federal court that challenge retailers’ compliance with California’s strict U.S.-origin requirements. The district court recently denied motions to dismiss cases against Nordstrom (see 1411030049) and Macy’s (see 1504100014). However, the judge in the Lands’ End case, which stemmed from a consumer’s purchase of a necktie advertised on the Lands’ End website as “Made in the U.S.A.,” found several issues with the class action complaint and dismissed the case in its entirety. Among other problems, the complaint was too general, applying to all “apparel” sold throughout the U.S. Also, although Lands’ End advertised its neckties as “Made in the U.S.A.” on its website, the ties themselves were marked made in China. The case was dismissed without prejudice, so the complaint can be amended and refiled by July 6.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced long-awaited legislation designed to ease wireless siting on federally owned land and free up spectrum for commercial use. The Wireless Innovation Act (S-1618) combines elements of a spectrum reallocation bill that Rubio introduced with no co-sponsors last Congress and another rumored bill on wireless siting that Rubio was preparing to introduce in December -- with Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., as co-sponsor -- but didn’t. This 46-page bill unveiled Thursday has Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., as co-sponsors. “The Wireless Innovation Act promotes the deployment of wireless infrastructure on federally owned properties to increase wireless coverage and capacity, so Americans can access 21st century technologies and so the infrastructure is there to support the Internet of Things,” Rubio said in a statement. “This policy would also provide transparency on the use and value of federal spectrum and informs the public on how federal entities use a scarce resource.” NTIA would have to reallocate 200 MHz of spectrum below 5 GHz, the bill said. The Office of Management and Budget would have a bigger role in reviewing spectrum to help free it up. The bill would aid in streamlining wireless siting by forming “a standard fee and master application to grant real property interests,” a Rubio news release said. CEA, the Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA and PCIA praised the bill. CTIA Vice President-Government Affairs Jot Carpenter lauded it as “forward-looking.” PCIA President Jonathan Adelstein, speaking at a Federalist Society panel Thursday, praised it as “so well put together” and "so potentially bipartisan.” No Democrats were listed as backing the bill.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced long-awaited legislation designed to ease wireless siting on federally owned land and free up spectrum for commercial use. The Wireless Innovation Act (S-1618) combines elements of a spectrum reallocation bill that Rubio introduced with no co-sponsors last Congress and another rumored bill on wireless siting that Rubio was preparing to introduce in December -- with Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., as co-sponsor -- but didn’t. This 46-page bill unveiled Thursday has Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., as co-sponsors. “The Wireless Innovation Act promotes the deployment of wireless infrastructure on federally owned properties to increase wireless coverage and capacity, so Americans can access 21st century technologies and so the infrastructure is there to support the Internet of Things,” Rubio said in a statement. “This policy would also provide transparency on the use and value of federal spectrum and informs the public on how federal entities use a scarce resource.” NTIA would have to reallocate 200 MHz of spectrum below 5 GHz, the bill said. The Office of Management and Budget would have a bigger role in reviewing spectrum to help free it up. The bill would aid in streamlining wireless siting by forming “a standard fee and master application to grant real property interests,” a Rubio news release said. CEA, the Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA and PCIA praised the bill. CTIA Vice President-Government Affairs Jot Carpenter lauded it as “forward-looking.” PCIA President Jonathan Adelstein, speaking at a Federalist Society panel Thursday, praised it as “so well put together” and "so potentially bipartisan.” No Democrats were listed as backing the bill.
A bitterly divided FCC voted 3-2 Thursday to approve a package of proposals and actions to move the Lifeline USF program toward broadband coverage and move to improve oversight and counter abuses. The FCC's Democratic majority said the NPRM and orders would reboot Lifeline for the 21st century by helping low-income consumers gain broadband access and by undertaking further administrative restructuring to ensure program efficiency and integrity. But the Republican minority said Democratic refusal to impose or even propose a Lifeline budgetary cap was fiscally irresponsible and invited further waste, fraud and abuse.
A bitterly divided FCC voted 3-2 Thursday to approve a package of proposals and actions to move the Lifeline USF program toward broadband coverage and move to improve oversight and counter abuses. The FCC's Democratic majority said the NPRM and orders would reboot Lifeline for the 21st century by helping low-income consumers gain broadband access and by undertaking further administrative restructuring to ensure program efficiency and integrity. But the Republican minority said Democratic refusal to impose or even propose a Lifeline budgetary cap was fiscally irresponsible and invited further waste, fraud and abuse.
FCC items moving Lifeline USF toward broadband coverage and authorizing VoIP numbering direct access appear likely to be approved Thursday, despite some continuing controversies and even resistance, agency and telecom industry officials told us. The VoIP numbering item is a "slam dunk 5-0 [vote]," said an agency official, but questions remain about whether Lifeline will draw dissent. Signaling different points of emphasis, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said Wednesday it was time to "reboot" the Lifeline program for this century, while Commissioner Ajit Pai said the FCC needed to focus on establishing a Lifeline budget and reining in abuses if it's going to authorize broadband support.
FCC items moving Lifeline USF toward broadband coverage and authorizing VoIP numbering direct access appear likely to be approved Thursday, despite some continuing controversies and even resistance, agency and telecom industry officials told us. The VoIP numbering item is a "slam dunk 5-0 [vote]," said an agency official, but questions remain about whether Lifeline will draw dissent. Signaling different points of emphasis, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said Wednesday it was time to "reboot" the Lifeline program for this century, while Commissioner Ajit Pai said the FCC needed to focus on establishing a Lifeline budget and reining in abuses if it's going to authorize broadband support.
Not many issues can get Google, Microsoft and NCTA on the same side of the table like Globalstar's proposal for the FCC to create a private Wi-Fi channel in the 2.4 GHz band. Microsoft and the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute organized a panel about Globalstar's terrestrial low-power service proposal, with the panelists each raising questions about or criticizing TLPS. "It's not that we're all convinced it won't work," said Russell Fox of Mintz Levin, counsel to the Wi-Fi Alliance. "There's been no meaningful demonstration from an engineering basis that it will work."
Not many issues can get Google, Microsoft and NCTA on the same side of the table like Globalstar's proposal for the FCC to create a private Wi-Fi channel in the 2.4 GHz band. Microsoft and the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute organized a panel about Globalstar's terrestrial low-power service proposal, with the panelists each raising questions about or criticizing TLPS. "It's not that we're all convinced it won't work," said Russell Fox of Mintz Levin, counsel to the Wi-Fi Alliance. "There's been no meaningful demonstration from an engineering basis that it will work."