Broadcasters and their attorneys don’t expect the FCC to complete the 2018 quadrennial review before 2022, and said a substantive order is unlikely even if something is voted on before year’s end.
Congress approved $50 million in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for a 3.1-3.45 GHz study, to be done by DOD, with the support of NTIA. Carriers had worked behind the scenes to oppose the allocation, which was a top priority of DOD, industry officials said. The legislation would give DOD 21 months to complete the study and says an auction can't start before May 31, 2025. Some say that's too much time and carriers can’t wait almost four years for more mid-band spectrum for 5G.
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., told us he’s going to continue to press for progress on major tech and telecom legislation during the remainder of this Congress rather than coast toward retirement, after his October announcement he won’t run for re-election (see 2110180043). Doyle concedes progress on net neutrality legislation, a top issue since he became lead Communications Democrat in 2017, may not happen before he retires. Communications Vice Chair Doris Matsui of California and two other members -- Reps. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina and Yvette Clarke of New York -- confirmed to us they’re considering whether they would like to succeed Doyle as the subpanel’s lead Democrat.
A 2017 European Commission antitrust decision on Google Shopping was correct, as was the $1.7 billion fine (see 1903200004), the EU General Court confirmed Wednesday in Google and Alphabet v. Commission, case T-612/17. The court mostly dismissed Google's appeal. The ruling, which Google can appeal to the Court of Justice within two months, was cheered by consumers, rivals and the EC, which said it clears the path toward better platform regulation.
The FCC precision agriculture task force unanimously approved its final report and recommendations to the FCC and Department of Agriculture on the connectivity and technology needs of precision ag, during the final meeting of its initial term. A central focus of Wednesday’s virtual meeting was how the document should address the concept of symmetrical speeds.
FAA’s examination of interference risks from C-band deployments could “dramatically slow” 5G buildouts, Alex Gellman, CEO of tower company Vertical Bridge, warned Wednesday. After Verizon and AT&T agreed to put off the start of deployments until January, analysts said last week the risks for the carriers are minimal, if questions are addressed by early 2022 (see 2111040042). Gellman said the agency is now asking a battery of unprecedented questions as it probes potential interference to air safety systems.
LOUISVILLE -- Just as states are pursuing a few approaches to shore up their own USFs, state regulators have a similar array of ideas about how the federal government can put its funds for broadband and other telecom services on sounder financial footing. In interviews on the sidelines of NARUC's gathering and in phone interviews for those who didn't travel here for the Sunday-Wednesday event, commissioners generally agreed the path the federal USF is on isn't sustainable because the percentage fee on some telecom services that consumers are levied on their monthly bills has gone up in recent years.
Funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to continue a modified version of the emergency broadband benefit program is being hailed as a game changer by advocacy groups for including language allowing the FCC to provide grants for outreach efforts (see 2111080067). Under the EBB program, the FCC wasn't allowed to use funds for this purpose (see 2102260058).
Governments worldwide are generally failing at making more spectrum available for 5G, former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said Tuesday at the virtual 5G Manufacturing Forum. “Not enough attention is being placed and not enough spectrum is being cleared … given the transformational nature” of 5G, O’Rielly said. Other speakers said challenges remain to broader use of 5G by manufacturers.
Recent furor about Sesame Street character Big Bird advocating for COVID-19 vaccines is unlikely to derail America’s Public Television Stations requests for increased federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said APTS President Patrick Butler in a virtual talk hosted by The Media Institute. “I don’t think this is going to be a particularly long-lasting controversy,” Butler said.