The Senate will need to amend the House China package with upper chamber language and send it back to the lower chamber in order to begin conferencing the two measures, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday. Calling it a procedural step, he noted a “small band of Republicans” is standing in the way of “quick action.”
Industry and advocates asked the FCC for some flexibility in its affordable connectivity program outreach grants and to prioritize nonprofit organizations, in comments posted Thursday in docket 21-450. The FCC also sought comments on its proposed pilot program to boost enrollment among households in public housing communities and on how to determine eligibility for an up to $75 monthly benefit for households living in high-cost areas.
Minnesota Democrats and Republicans joined on a social media bill to regulate how platforms use algorithms to target children. Tennessee legislation to more broadly regulate social media also advanced this week. In Vermont, legislators plan to pursue data privacy next year, said House Commerce Committee Chairman Michael Marcotte (R) at a Wednesday hearing.
It’s disappointing the FTC’s “temporary” suspension on granting early termination (ET) has dragged out for more than a year (see 2102080070), Commissioner Noah Phillips told us Tuesday. “Continuing to refuse ET for deals the agencies are not interested in investigating is nothing more than a gratuitous tax on normal market operations and the efficient allocation of agency resources,” said Phillips in a statement.
House Communications Subcommittee members are continuing to wrestle with whether and how to package legislation to reauthorize the FCC’s spectrum auction authority with other related policy matters. Witnesses at a Wednesday hearing on those issues urged Congress to quickly renew the FCC’s sales authority and cited a range of other matters lawmakers should simultaneously consider, including directing proceeds to pay for other telecom projects and addressing interagency disputes on frequency allocations (see 2203150069).
FCC commissioners held their monthly meeting Wednesday at the agency’s new headquarters for the first time, making it the first in-person meeting for commissioners since the COVID-19 pandemic caused the agency to shift to remote work. "We hope to use today's open meeting as a first step toward welcoming the agency and the public into our new building," Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said at the meeting, which was also in part held virtually. Media and the public couldn't attend in person.
After years of preparation, 5G is about to become real for many consumers, speakers said during a virtual AT&T Policy Forum Tuesday. It's at “the jump off point,” said David Christopher, AT&T executive vice president-partnerships and 5G ecosystem development. “The reality is, it’s early days,” he said.
FCC disclosure requirements for broadcasters airing foreign sponsored content took effect Tuesday and several broadcast attorneys told us it isn’t totally clear how the requirements will be implemented. “In light of recent events, this effort -- which is all about transparency -- has taken on new importance,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a release Tuesday, the effective date. “The FCC’s approach is not only unlawful but is woefully unnecessary to capturing only a handful of relevant agreements,” said an NAB spokesperson. NAB -- along with the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council -- challenged the rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and oral argument in the case is April 12.
Few changes are likely to be made to the FCC’s draft Further NPRM on pole replacement disputes and notice of inquiry on digital discrimination in broadband access, aides told us. The items are expected to be unanimously approved during Wednesday’s commissioners' meeting.
Witnesses scheduled for a Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing on 5G and spectrum management issues (see 2203090074) urged lawmakers in written testimony to prioritize reauthorizing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority. Witnesses also cite interest in legislation to direct proceeds to pay for other telecom projects and address interagency disputes on frequency allocations. Congress last extended the FCC’s auction authority via the 2012 spectrum law. That authorization will expire Sept. 30. The partly virtual hearing is to begin at 10:30 a.m. in 213 Rayburn.