The Wireless Infrastructure Association urged Congress Thursday to “reintroduce and pass” the 2024 Spectrum Pipeline Act backed by Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. It would restore the FCC’s lapsed auction authority and proposes requiring NTIA to identify at least 2,500 MHz of midband spectrum the federal government can reallocate within the next five years (see 2403110066). Congressional GOP leaders are eyeing using a coming budget reconciliation package to address spectrum issues, including reauthorizing the FCC’s mandate (see 2501070069). WIA also urged NTIA to “accelerate” the national spectrum strategy. “We need to move beyond studies and get to solutions that meet industry needs while respecting critical government functions,” it said. WIA urged lawmakers to refile the American Broadband Deployment Act permitting package that the House Commerce Committee approved in 2023 (see 2305240069). The measure, which groups together more than 20 GOP-led connectivity permitting bills, drew unanimous opposition from House Commerce Democrats, and local government groups continued lobbying against the measure last year (see 2409180052). “A consistent permitting framework set at a national level, but flexible enough to accommodate local needs and interests, is the key to sustained success for wireless infrastructure deployment,” WIA said. The group “values and respects the need for local permitting processes; the reforms WIA proposes all build upon that premise, but with safeguards built in where the level of review becomes unpredictable, untimely, disproportionate, or unworkably opaque.”
Lawmakers and officials expect that long-standing DOD objections to repurposing the 3.1-3.45 GHz band and other military-controlled frequencies will remain a flashpoint in negotiations during the new Congress as GOP leaders eye using an upcoming budget reconciliation package to move on spectrum legislation. Observers eyed potential friction from Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., if she succeeds in her bid to become Senate Communications Subcommittee chair (see 2412180052) given her well-known disagreement with new Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on DOD spectrum issues.
House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Monday Kate Harper will continue serving as Communications Subcommittee chief counsel for this Congress. The subpanel’s Republican chief counsel since October 2019, Harper was previously NTIA chief of staff and deputy director-congressional affairs during President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration and an aide to Senate Commerce Committee member Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. Guthrie said he’s named Giulia Leganski as Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee chief counsel. Leganski was previously a House Communications aide.
House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., on Monday hailed the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling last week (see 2501020047) vacating the FCC’s April net neutrality order. “The American people” in the November elections “voted to reject Democrats’ heavy-handed regulatory agenda,” Guthrie said in a statement. “Now, the courts are finding that the Biden-Harris Administration’s net neutrality rules were unlawful in the first place.” Republicans “are ready to move on from misguided, burdensome approaches to internet regulation and support innovations leading to increased speeds and investment,” he said: “I am thrilled by this decision, which is a precursor to many more pro-innovation developments still to come.” Hudson said he will “work with [President-elect] Donald Trump to ensure faster, more reliable, and more affordable internet access for all Americans. The court’s decision to strike down these Obama-era regulations is good news for the American people.”
The FCC commissioners' unanimously adopting a retransmission consent blackout reporting requirement for multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD) likely doesn't mean the agency will also mandate rebates for subscribers due to those blackouts anytime soon, pay-TV and broadcast experts tell us. The blackout reporting order was released Friday. The FCC is unlikely to push rebates during the last days of outgoing Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's administration and incoming Chairman Brendan Carr is unlikely to consider rebates, some pay-TV watchers say. Neither Rosenworcel's nor Carr's offices commented Monday.
Incoming House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Thursday he's naming Joel Miller, former chief of staff to former FCC commissioner Mike O’Rielly, as the panel’s chief counsel. Miller, who was previously Guthrie’s deputy chief of staff and legislative director, since leaving the FCC worked at LinkedIn and the Information Technology Industry Council. As chief counsel, Miller will manage "the policy and legislative strategy" of House Commerce and oversee the Communications Subcommittee and other subpanels, Guthrie’s office said: He will also “coordinate the Committee’s policy and legislative work with Members, leadership, and the broader Republican Conference to advance the House Republican legislative agenda.” Guthrie said he’s naming former House Oversight Committee Deputy Staff Director Jessica Donlon as Commerce’s general counsel and former Small Business Committee Communications Director Matt VanHyfte as Commerce's communications director.
Two top Republican lawmakers who will have leading roles during the next Congress told us this month they're open to clawing back the $42.5 billion allocated to the BEAD program amid their party’s vocal opposition to NTIA's implementation of it during the Biden administration. Some stakeholders told us funding rescission would be difficult to execute. They insist congressional Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration will see a revamp of BEAD’s rules and practices as much more feasible (see 2410210043).
Incoming House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Friday he selected Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., as Communications Subcommittee chairman for the next Congress, as expected (see 2412170053). Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., will be the subcommittee’s vice chairman, Guthrie said. Hudson was a House Communications member during the last Congress but moved off in 2023. He is a Next-Generation 911 Caucus co-chair and last year championed allocating $14.8 billion in future FCC auction proceeds to pay for NG-911 tech upgrades (see 2305240069) as part of House Commerce’s Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act (HR-3565). Hudson's “expertise will help propel our country into the next generation economy,” Guthrie said. Hudson “will close the digital divide for rural America, affirm U.S. leadership in next generation telecommunication networks, and protect our critical communications infrastructure from adversarial attacks.” Hudson said he plans to work with Guthrie, President-elect Donald Trump and other House Commerce members “to advance strong, commonsense policies that promote innovation, streamline federal regulations, and bridge the digital divide.” He will replace current Communications Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, who was term-limited from seeking the gavel again and will instead lead the Energy Subcommittee. Guthrie said House Innovation Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., will continue leading what will be renamed next Congress the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee. Several communications industry groups released brief statements congratulating Hudson on his selection as the Communications chairman. Hudson and Allen “understand the importance of ubiquitous connectivity, especially in service of rural, un-served and under-resourced communities; and the need for balanced spectrum and light touch regulatory policies which boost broad-based innovation while also being small-business friendly,” said Wireless ISP Association Vice President-Government Affairs Matt Mandel. USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter said the broadband industry is “excited to work with [Hudson], his team and his subcommittee to turbocharge the next phase of American connectivity, innovation and technology leadership.” NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield said the group “and its members, including those who live in and serve communities in Rep. Hudson’s district, look forward to working with him to ensure that rural Americans have access to high-quality, affordable and sustainable broadband networks.”
Backers of the revised AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-8449) signaled Wednesday they want to move swiftly on the proposal next year after congressional leaders didn't reach a deal to include it in a continuing resolution that extends federal appropriations through March 14. The CR released Tuesday night includes language from the NTIA Reauthorization Act (HR-4510) and several other telecom and tech bills. Meanwhile, the Senate voted 85-15 Wednesday to pass the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-5009) with language that would authorize the AWS-3 reauction to offset $3.08 billion in funding for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2412070001).
The Senate voted 83-12 Monday night to invoke cloture on the House-passed FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-5009) with language that would authorize the AWS-3 reauction to offset $3.08 billion in funding for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2412110067). The chamber hadn't scheduled a final vote on the measure as of Tuesday afternoon, but it's expected to happen Wednesday. Meanwhile, House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., hailed the chamber's passage Monday (see 2412160062) of the Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act (HR-1377), an amended version of the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act (HR-3293) and Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act (HR-3343). “Bureaucracy and red tape have stopped too many Americans from accessing high-speed broadband,” Rodgers said. “I am proud of the work" of House Commerce members “to advance bipartisan priorities to speed up broadband deployment and close America’s digital divide. I want to thank these members for their commitment to these bills that will promote innovation and support American technological leadership in years to come.”