Industry parties, public interest groups and others offered generally favorable comments and recommendations on FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn's action plan for ensuring affordable communications access and other objectives. Wireless, wireline and satellite entities urged various actions and incentives to promote broadband deployment and adoption. A host of civil rights and consumer groups backed inmate calling service reforms and other initiatives.
Atlanta attorney Carolyn Roddy was added to the Trump transition's FCC landing team, according to its landing team roster, which is updated periodically. Roddy, who has FCC and telecom industry experience, is an adjunct professor at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School and a board member of the Georgia Technology Authority, which manages delivery of IT services to state and local government agencies and entities.
News Friday that Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., will lead the House Communications Subcommittee (see 1701060001) sparked a range of reactions from industry observers. They foresaw the potential for her to take action on what have often been partisan priorities on net neutrality and municipal broadband. She succeeds Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., the new chair of Commerce, and was seen as having the edge among Commerce Republicans for the positions (see 1612300029), with people judging her both knowledgeable and effective but also divisive. The subcommittee overseeing the FTC also got a new head who is known to FCC watchers: Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio. Blackburn, an executive vice chairwoman for the transition team of President-elect Donald Trump, pledged last month the new Congress would get started on net neutrality legislation soon.
Atlanta attorney Carolyn Roddy was added to the Trump transition's FCC landing team, according to its landing team roster, which is updated periodically. Roddy, who has FCC and telecom industry experience, is an adjunct professor at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School and a board member of the Georgia Technology Authority, which manages delivery of IT services to state and local government agencies and entities.
News Friday that Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., will lead the House Communications Subcommittee (see 1701060001) sparked a range of reactions from industry observers. They foresaw the potential for her to take action on what have often been partisan priorities on net neutrality and municipal broadband. She succeeds Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., the new chair of Commerce, and was seen as having the edge among Commerce Republicans for the positions (see 1612300029), with people judging her both knowledgeable and effective but also divisive. The subcommittee overseeing the FTC also got a new head who is known to FCC watchers: Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio. Blackburn, an executive vice chairwoman for the transition team of President-elect Donald Trump, pledged last month the new Congress would get started on net neutrality legislation soon.
Senate Democrats are signaling that Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s time at the FCC may not be up despite her upcoming forced exit. “I hope she'll be renominated and the Senate lives up to its word,” Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told us in a statement Monday. Members of the upper chamber left town early Saturday without reconfirming her, which means she will have to leave the agency by Jan. 3, as expected (see 1612080056). That would create a 2-2 partisan split among remaining members.
Senate Democrats are signaling that Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s time at the FCC may not be up despite her upcoming forced exit. “I hope she'll be renominated and the Senate lives up to its word,” Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told us in a statement Monday. Members of the upper chamber left town early Saturday without reconfirming her, which means she will have to leave the agency by Jan. 3, as expected (see 1612080056). That would create a 2-2 partisan split among remaining members.
Rural telco groups are pushing the FCC to hike funding for rate-of-return USF mechanisms, but urging the commission to move ahead with a new model-based mechanism, even if the funding comes up short. NTCA stressed to agency officials the importance of providing enough funding for the model-based and nonmodel (revised legacy) USF mechanisms, "and the negative effects on consumer rates and broadband access" absent adequate funding, said a filing from the RLEC group posted Friday in docket 10-90 on a meeting with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly. NTCA noted its recent filing in which it said consumer broadband rates could spike without $260 million in additional annual funding -- $160 million for model-based support and $100 million for nonmodel support (see 1611210042).
Rural telco groups are pushing the FCC to hike funding for rate-of-return USF mechanisms, but urging the commission to move ahead with a new model-based mechanism, even if the funding comes up short. NTCA stressed to agency officials the importance of providing enough funding for the model-based and nonmodel (revised legacy) USF mechanisms, "and the negative effects on consumer rates and broadband access" absent adequate funding, said a filing from the RLEC group posted Friday in docket 10-90 on a meeting with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly. NTCA noted its recent filing in which it said consumer broadband rates could spike without $260 million in additional annual funding -- $160 million for model-based support and $100 million for nonmodel support (see 1611210042).
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., beat out at least two opponents in his quest to chair the House Commerce Committee next Congress. The current head of the Communications Subcommittee, though junior in seniority in the race to succeed outgoing full committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., won the nod from a group of GOP leaders over the more-senior Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill. (see 1611300054). The House leadership steering committee voted Thursday night, with industry officials telling us that Walden got the nod. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, also had been a contender like Shimkus. Walden later confirmed he was tapped.