The Senate Commerce Committee plans to vote on the three FTC nominees in October (see 2309200070), Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told us Thursday. Members expect to move them as a bipartisan package, ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told us separately.
The aviation industry raised concerns about an NAB-supported FCC proposal to allow increased power for digital FM, in comments posted in docket 22-405 for Thursday’s deadline. Interference from FM digital broadcasting at the upper end of the 88-108 MHz band” could disrupt the operations of navigation and landing systems and “present a significant safety hazard," said the Air Line Pilots Association, International in comments echoed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the Aerospace Industries Association and others. GAMA is in talks with NAB about the matter, filings said. Though comments in the docket show wide support for the FCC proposals from broadcasters, NPR, Cumulus and REC Networks also raised concerns about interference and notifications.
Interest is still high in both the House and Senate in including a temporary restoration of the FCC’s auction authority in a continuing resolution to extend federal appropriations past the end of FY 2023 Sept. 30 (see 2309190001), but some on and off Capitol Hill now believe attaching the narrower 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act (S-2787) is a more viable option for breaking the mandate logjam. Lobbyists believe the chances S-2787 will appear in a Senate-side CR improved considerably after the chamber passed the measure Thursday via unanimous consent.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission properly decided that FirstEnergy charged unlawfully high pole-attachment rates to Verizon, a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court majority decided Thursday. The PUC also appropriately determined the length of retroactive relief, despite Verizon’s arguments that refunds should go further back.
The FCC voted Thursday to streamline satellite applications, provide spectrum for commercial space launches, limit robocaller access to phone numbers, and target a robocalling enterprise with a $116 million forfeiture. Commissioner-designate Anna Gomez didn’t attend the agency's open meeting, which is expected to be the last one with FCC’s current 2-2 makeup. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel declined to say what the agency’s path might be once she has a Democratic majority, “We had four members of the agency here today” and there will be “five in the not-too-distant future, so I would recommend you stay tuned,” Rosenworcel said during a news conference. The agency also approved an order updating the 5G Fund for Rural America (see 2309210035).
NTIA is “near the finish line” on release of a national spectrum strategy (see 2301090035), Scott Harris, NTIA senior spectrum adviser, told the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee Thursday. Harris said the agency doesn’t view the strategy as an end point.
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and ranking member Doris Matsui, D-Calif., said during a Thursday hearing they’re signing on to the USF working group that Senate Communications Subcommittee leaders formed in May to evaluate how to move forward on a comprehensive revamp of the program that may update its contribution factor to include non-wireline entities (see 2305110066). The Thursday hearing largely focused on USF revamp and possible integration of the affordable connectivity program, as expected (see 2309120059).
The FCC approved a Further NPRM on launching a 5G Fund, as expected (see 2309200048). Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel noted that because of improved data the agency now knows that 14 million homes and businesses in the U.S. don’t have mobile 5G coverage today. Commissioner Nathan Simington concurred at the FCC's Thursday open meeting, complaining about how the FNPRM proposes to allocate funding.
The FTC was right to redact an opinion from a former Republican commissioner over Chair Lina Khan’s decision not to recuse herself in an in-house challenge of Meta’s buy of Within Unlimited (see 2304180077), Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said Wednesday.
The FCC can’t take the same approach on robotexts as it does on robocalls, said Wilkinson Barker’s Matt Gerst, representing CTIA, during an FCBA webinar Wednesday. Other industry speakers said the FCC’s attack on robocalls since 2017 appears to be paying dividends, though work remains.