The divide over the state of fixed broadband competition and deployment deepened in comments posted Monday for an FCC communications marketplace report due by year-end under the Ray Baum's Act. Several industry commenters cited robust market rivalry and activity benefiting consumers, but consumer advocates generally noted shortcomings in competition, deployment and the data used to measure progress. Parties also disagreed on policy proposals. NCTA and USTelecom painted a positive picture and Incompas offered a circumspect view, in comments posted Friday in docket 18-231 (see 1808170049).
Dish Network wants nine tariff lines removed from the proposed third tranche of 25 percent Trade Act Section 301 duties on Chinese imports (see 1808010018) because the products they cover “are critical elements of providing our pay-TV service, including to customers in rural America,” said Jeffrey Blum, senior vice president-public policy and government affairs, in a letter Thursday to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, posted Friday in docket USTR-2018-0026.
CTA, the Semiconductor Industry Association and others asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to appear at a July 24 hearing to oppose 25 percent Trade Action Section 301 tariffs on more Chinese-sourced products related to alleged IP practices (see 1806150030), docket USTR-2018-0018 shows. CTA members identified 22 Harmonized Tariffs Schedule codes on the new tariffs list covering $6.6 billion worth of products they imported from China in 2017, said Sage Chandler, vice president-international trade. Chinese companies “export almost no semiconductors to the U.S. market,” said David Isaacs, SIA vice president-government affairs. Most U.S.semiconductor imports from China "are semiconductors designed and manufactured in the United States, and then shipped to China for the final stage of semiconductor fabrication,” accounting for 10-15 percent “of the value of the final product,” he said. Written comments are due July 23, post-hearing rebuttal comments July 31.
CTA, the Semiconductor Industry Association and others asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to appear at a July 24 hearing to oppose 25 percent Trade Action Section 301 tariffs on more Chinese-sourced products related to alleged IP practices (see 1806150030), docket USTR-2018-0018 shows. CTA members identified 22 Harmonized Tariffs Schedule codes on the new tariffs list covering $6.6 billion worth of products they imported from China in 2017, said Sage Chandler, vice president-international trade. Chinese companies “export almost no semiconductors to the U.S. market,” said David Isaacs, SIA vice president-government affairs. Most U.S.semiconductor imports from China "are semiconductors designed and manufactured in the United States, and then shipped to China for the final stage of semiconductor fabrication,” accounting for 10-15 percent “of the value of the final product,” he said. Written comments are due July 23, post-hearing rebuttal comments July 31.
The FCC's proposed streamlining of authorizations for small satellite operators is raising issues of how best to define who falls in that smallsat category, with satellite interests not coming to a universal consensus. There also was disagreement on inter-satellite link bands. commissioners adopted the streamlining NPRM in April (see 1804170038), with docket 18-86 comments due Monday, replies Aug. 8.
CTA, the National Retail Federation and Semiconductor Industry Association asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for approval to testify at a July 24 hearing to oppose 25 percent Trade Action Section 301 tariffs on a second list of 284 lines of Chinese-sourced products newly proposed for the higher duties (see 1806150030), they commented in docket USTR-2018-0018. The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), which represents Best Buy, Walmart and other big-box retailers, also asked to testify in opposition to the tariffs.
Satellite and terrestrial interests are lining up on opposite sides over whether increasing interference Globalstar says it's seeing in the 5.1 GHz band is attributable to sharing that band with outdoor Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure operations. That the FCC will act on Globalstar's call for a notice of inquiry on mobile satellite service sharing with U-NII (see 1805220006) has doubters. Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, told us the FCC isn't likely to reopen the 2014 sharing rules governing the band without more direct evidence of harmful interference.
Satellite and terrestrial interests are lining up on opposite sides over whether increasing interference Globalstar says it's seeing in the 5.1 GHz band is attributable to sharing that band with outdoor Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure operations. That the FCC will act on Globalstar's call for a notice of inquiry on mobile satellite service sharing with U-NII (see 1805220006) has doubters. Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, told us the FCC isn't likely to reopen the 2014 sharing rules governing the band without more direct evidence of harmful interference.
Satellite and terrestrial interests are lining up on opposite sides over whether increasing interference Globalstar says it's seeing in the 5.1 GHz band is attributable to sharing that band with outdoor Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure operations. That the FCC will act on Globalstar's call for a notice of inquiry on mobile satellite service sharing with U-NII (see 1805220006) has doubters. Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, told us the FCC isn't likely to reopen the 2014 sharing rules governing the band without more direct evidence of harmful interference.
The Consumer Technology Association, the National Retail Federation and the Semiconductor Industry Association are among groups and companies requesting to appear at a July 24 Office of the U.S. Trade Representative hearing about the Section 301 tariffs on a second list of 284 lines of Chinese-sourced products proposed for the higher duties (see 1806210029). The Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones are also among the commenters in docket USTR-2018-0018. Written comments are due July 23, and post-hearing rebuttal comments, July 31.