Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told us he and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., will meet soon to discuss potential updates to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. “We’re scheduled to put our heads together soon about that issue,” Wicker said last week. “I will reserve comment until after that. It may have to be after the break.”
LOUISVILLE -- As state commissions make diversity a focus, regulators from both political parties noted during NARUC's gathering this week their ability to set mandates is limited by authority constraints that include less purview over telecom companies than over electric and other utilities. The public utility commissioners said they and their agencies focus on having a diverse staff and on encouraging companies to pay attention to workforce and supplier diversity. In interviews here, the officials also cited the association's continuing focus on broadening the ranks of regulators and their staffers.
As states prepare for a significant role spending broadband funds from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, telecom industry representatives cautioned NARUC Tuesday against applying traditional telephone rules. “States will have a bigger role than they’ve ever had before” since the infrastructure package includes $42.5 billion for broadband deployment that NTIA will distribute to states, said Verizon Director-Public Policy Paul Vasington on a livestreamed, partially virtual NARUC conference panel. State commissioners asked companies to do more to help them resolve customer complaints.
The COVID-19 pandemic turned the TV world on its ear in a short time, and the industry is grappling to learn which trends will stick and how to address the many challenges, said panelists on Digital Media Wire’s virtual Future of Television conference Monday.
State attorneys general are examining the impact of social media algorithms like those that keep young users hooked to apps like Facebook, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller (D) told a National Association of Attorneys General event Monday. “We’re looking at it,” he said. “We’re trying to get up to speed on how algorithms are used, how they’re misused, either intentionally or unintentionally, and get into that concept and secure as much reform that we can.” It’s an issue getting increasing bipartisan attention on Capitol Hill (see 2110280067).
LOUISVILLE -- The telco industry and its stakeholders are affected by a workforce crunch and by pole attachment difficulties that make it harder to spread fast broadband around the U.S., a meeting of state regulators was told. So the next time the Telecom Committee gathers at a NARUC meeting, discussion could include pole attachment issues, industry stakeholders and state commissioners requested at the association's ongoing meeting. Speaking Monday about possible future topics for the committee, such as with a panel, industry representatives brought up barriers to telcos using utility poles to attach gear to deliver broadband. Attachments and workforce issues are also getting attention within states, commissioners told us.
Viasat's planned $7.3 billion purchase of Inmarsat, announced Monday, shouldn't face big regulatory headwinds, satellite communications industry watchers told us. Whether it's the start of more consolidation among the biggest operators is less clear.
Advocates of reallocating the 12 GHz band for 5G are putting on a full-court press for FCC action as early as the February commission meeting. 5Gfor12GHz Coalition members said in interviews their strongest argument is that other than 2.5 GHz, nearly ready for auction, and 3.1-3.45, being looked at for reallocation, no other candidate bands are available for the “spectrum pipeline.” Proponents say action will likely have to wait for Senate confirmation action on FCC nominees and for the Office of Engineering and Technology to wrap up engineering work.
A drop in automotive advertising caused by supply chain woes remains a drag on TV and radio advertising, according to Q3 reports delivered in calls last week. Last year's revenue was strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic’s slowdown on commercials but buoyed by political spots from the presidential election, several companies noted.
Verizon disagreed with draft conditions on state LifeLine and customer migration proposed in the California Public Utilities Commission’s Tracfone acquisition review. The CPUC posted comments Friday in docket A.20-11-001 on a proposed decision by Administrative Law Judge Thomas Glegola to conditionally clear the deal that would affect many low-income customers (see 2110150051). California commissioners may vote Nov. 18 on Verizon/Tracfone, which also needs FCC OK.