Section 25.112(a)(3) is squarely in the sights of the satellite industry and allies, with numerous calls for its elimination Monday in docket 22-411. Multiple commenters opposed dismissing applications that contain curable errors or omissions. The satellite licensing streamlining NPRM was adopted 4-0 in December (see 2212210054).
Disagreement continued between inmate calling services providers and consumer advocacy organizations about how the FCC should proceed with setting permanent ICS rates, in reply comments posted Monday in docket 12-375 (see 2212160061). Some also disagreed whether all facilities, regardless of size, should be required to provide telecom relay services. The FCC will consider an item during its March 16 meeting on implementing the Martha Wright-Reed Act (see 2302230059).
Commenters in the FCC's 2022 quadrennial review urged the FCC to act on local broadcast ownership rules, condemned it for starting the 2022 QR without finishing the 2018 iteration, and largely took the same stances they had for the 2018 QR, according to filings by Friday’s deadline in docket 22-459. Several cited the agency’s recent hearing designation order (HDO) on Standard/Tegna.
Section 230 should be made less of an applicable defense when platforms actively promote content that results in real-world harm, Senate Technology Subcommittee Chairman Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters Thursday.
With Verizon potentially starting to turn on Phase II C-band spectrum within weeks, the FCC needs to act now on a certification process for the second phase of the spectrum's accelerated clearing by the incumbent satellite operators there, Eutelsat told us. A certification framework issued in June would be "far too late to assure that satellite services are protected from harmful interference," a company executive emailed. Eutelsat has pushed for an expeditious issuing of the framework, but one isn't expected soon (see 2302070043). The FCC didn't comment.
Senate Commerce Committee leaders are still eyeing a vote on FCC nominee Gigi Sohn during mid-to-late March, but the situation remains in doubt amid questions about whether undecided panel Democrats Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Jon Tester of Montana will reach a decision on backing the embattled nominee, said lawmakers and others in interviews. Other Commerce Democrats remain strongly supportive of Sohn and believe she effectively countered GOP criticism during her Feb. 14 confirmation hearing (see 2302140077). Sohn’s Capitol Hill supporters believe it’s important that Senate Commerce swiftly advance her out of the committee, with some arguing any further delay could lead to her confirmation process stalling again as it did in 2021 and 2022 (see 2212300044).
The FCC will move to the fourth and final phase of its COVID-19 reentry plan March 13, described as a return to pre-pandemic operations, said an agency-wide email memo obtained by Communications Daily. Stricter telework provisions won’t take effect until May 15. Former and current FCC employees expect a wave of staff departures once the FCC returns more fully to in-person work, though they said the extent won’t be clear for some time. Another potential concern is whether the new FCC headquarters will be able to handle all the virtual meetings being conducted each week. The move is “consistent with recent movement by other federal agencies to complete their reentry process,” the memo said.
Defending critical infrastructure is the administration’s top national cybersecurity priority, President Joe Biden announced Thursday, releasing the administration’s strategy.
Alondra Nelson, a former top tech adviser to President Joe Biden, said Thursday she expects continuing administration focus on tech regulation, though she warned that focusing on keeping up with the pace of change is a mistake. Other speakers at an event by the Center for American Progress (CAP) and Public Knowledge said the time is ripe to start looking at a new agency to oversee privacy and other technology issues. Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler warned that the U.S. in danger of defaulting on leadership in favor of other countries.
The mobile phone will be the entry point for most people to the world of the metaverse, said Nicole Lazzaro, XEODesign game designer and president, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Wednesday. Speakers agreed the move to the metaverse will be important to adoption of 5G and the growth of the wireless industry.