ISPs sought minor modifications of the FCC’s 2016 broadband consumer labels as the agency works to create new labels required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In reply comments posted Friday in docket 22-2 (see 2203100059), disagreement continued on what details should be included in the labels. Others raised issues with calls to require privacy disclosures in the eventual labels, suggesting links that include more detailed information instead.
Rejecting cable industry and Republican objections, the California Assembly Communications Committee advanced a bill Wednesday requiring high-definition public, educational and government (PEG) access channels. Alliance for Community Media President Mike Wassenaar expects the issue to pop up across the country, especially where local governments are subject to state franchise agreements, he said in an interview.
Demand for the FCC’s next round of Emergency Connectivity Fund support will likely exceed the funding that will be available, E-rate stakeholders and public interest organizations told us. The third round will make at least $1 billion available and is expected to be the program’s final round for applications.
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson continued telling lawmakers there are opportunities for judges to reinterpret existing laws to reflect emerging technologies, during her Wednesday confirmation hearing, but said she believes Congress can make it “far easier for judges who are doing their duties to interpret the law” by updating statutes to reflect “modern innovations.” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., echoed Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and other Democrats in urging Jackson to be cognizant of those technologies as she interprets laws (see 2203230066). Tech and telecom issues didn’t come up during Senate Judiciary’s Thursday hearing on Jackson, which featured witnesses giving outside opinions on Jackson.
Europe doesn't appear to be looking into communication companies' ties with Russia beyond sanctioning Russia Today and Sputnik, stakeholders said.
The U.S. can’t go it alone on protecting technologies like 5G and supply chains and needs to work with Asia, Michael Green, Center for Strategic and International Studies senior vice president-Asia, said during a CSIS webinar Wednesday. Speakers warned the U.S. faces steep challenges if wants to separate the U.S. and Chinese economies to reduce risks.
Senate Judiciary Committee members pressed Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson Tuesday and Wednesday on how the top court should interpret First Amendment, privacy and child porn statutes to reflect cases involving social media and other technologies. Jackson said during Senate Judiciary’s Tuesday confirmation hearing Congress generally can’t institute government regulation “along viewpoint lines,” calling into question proposals to condition Communications Decency Act Section 230 immunity on online public forums not discriminating against certain viewpoints (see 2203220064).
Expect members of the Senate Commerce, Finance, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees to be named as China bill conferees (see 2203220074), Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told reporters after Wednesday’s chips hearing.
The ITU and World Radiocommunication Conference process and tools run the risk of stifling satellite innovation, satcom executives warned at Wednesday's Satellite 2022. The ITU provides stability, which is important, "but that's not innovation," said Lynk Vice President-Government Affairs Tony DeTora.
Big ISPs warned the California Public Utilities Commission that proposed price and speed requirements could discourage participation in a $2 billion last-mile federal funding account (FFA) required by the state’s $6 billion broadband law. Consumer and local government groups debated how best to prioritize funds in other comments posted Tuesday and Wednesday on a proposed decision (PD) up for vote at the commission’s April 7 meeting (see 2203020062).