T-Mobile faced tough questions Tuesday from a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel on the carrier’s argument that states must align with the FCC’s revenue-based USF contribution mechanism. The court heard T-Mobile and subsidiaries’ challenge to a U.S. District Court for Northern California March 31 decision not to block the California Public Utilities Commission’s April 1 change to a connections-based method.
NAB, broadcasters and tech groups don’t agree whether LG’s withdrawal from the ATSC 3.0 device market (see 2310060068) is a signal the FCC should police patent licensing for 3.0 tech, according to reply comments filed in docket 16-142 by Monday’s deadline. LG’s decision “should be viewed as an unfortunate data point in a marketplace that is still in the process of developing, not as an invitation to unprecedented and overbroad Commission regulation,” said NAB. “LG will almost certainly be only the first of many manufacturers to have no choice but to forego integration or production of ATSC 3.0 technology-based products,” said electronics firm Continental Automotive Systems (CAS). Leaving the patent issue unaddressed by the FCC “is ultimately an existential threat to successful and widespread ATSC 3.0 adoption,” CAS said.
A few tweaks appear likely as FCC commissioners vote Thursday on a proposed order that would require participating wireless providers to transmit emergency messages in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S., in addition to English and American Sign Language, and make other changes to the rules (see 2309280071). CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association have sought changes.
House Commerce Committee Republicans renewed their concerns Tuesday with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s draft net neutrality NPRM reclassifying broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 2309280084), but no one is expecting GOP members of that panel or elsewhere on Capitol Hill to make a strong push for now on legislation to halt the expected rewrite. Net neutrality legislation would be even more unlikely to pass now amid divided control of Congress than it was last year when Democrats had majorities in both chambers (see 2207280063), lawmakers and lobbyists told us. Lawmakers are less enthusiastic about even pushing a pure messaging bill on the issue amid the current stasis, lobbyists said.
A draft order on expanding audio description requirements to all U.S. broadcast markets within 10 years is expected to be unanimously approved at Thursday’s FCC commissioners’ open meeting with few changes, said agency and industry officials. Though broadcasters asked for concessions and objected to proposals to expand audio description in the past (see 1904020059), they have been largely quiet this time around. The draft order’s docket,11-43, hasn’t had an ex parte filing on the proposal since May.
With a vote scheduled for Thursday, FCC commissioners are expected to approve, largely as proposed, a draft order and Further NPRM on the 6 GHz band, though a few tweaks are possible. The Department of Transportation raised concerns last week about the out-of-band emission limits allowed by the FCC for very-low power (VLP) portable devices and mobile access points (see 2310110060). An FNPRM examines increasing the power at which low-power indoor (LPI) access points may operate.
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington sat down with Communications Daily last week to discuss his new role as a minority commissioner, the agency’s relationship with the NTIA, and his thoughts on proposals to reopen the record on virtual MVPDs and increase the agency’s collection of EEO information from broadcasters. Following are Simington's lightly edited responses.
Orbital debris experts think the FCC's fining of Dish Network for improper disposal of one of its satellites (see 2310020049) shows the agency getting increasingly serious about orbital debris enforcement. Yet some doubt the fine and threat of more agency enforcement action will have more than a minor effect on how space operators operate. Several saw it a sign that the agency is planting its flag as the orbital debris regulator. Space operators will be much more diligent about tracking their fuel consumption and maybe not try to squeeze quite so much operational life out of their satellites, said Mark Sundahl, director-Global Space Law Center at Cleveland State University. He said it could lead to industry standards on fuel consumption. The commission didn't comment.
Relative to the epic battles preceding the FCC’s last two votes on net neutrality rules, in 2015 and 2017, things have been relatively quiet on net neutrality since Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced she would seek a vote on an NPRM Oct. 19 (see 2309260047). There have statements for and against, but nothing compared with the fights of the past, industry observers told us.
Google representatives defended their content moderation efforts Thursday amid congressional criticism of YouTube, Meta and X, formerly known as Twitter, for their handling of content about Hamas’ attack on Israel.