The Senate Commerce Committee plans to hold a second hearing with Democratic FCC nominee Gigi Sohn Feb. 9, Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., confirmed to us Wednesday. The hearing will focus on “whatever questions people have” about the nominee, including her commitment to temporarily recuse herself from some FCC proceedings involving retransmission consent and broadcast copyright matters, Cantwell said. The panel delayed a planned Wednesday vote on Sohn and FTC nominee Alvaro Bedoya after news circulated that Communications Subcommittee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., was recovering from a stroke and wouldn’t be available to give the nominees unified Democratic support.
The Senate Commerce Committee will “probably” postpone planned Wednesday votes on Democratic FCC nominee Gigi Sohn and FTC nominee Alvaro Bedoya amid expectations that Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., would be unable to appear at the meeting after having a stroke, Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told reporters Tuesday afternoon. Lujan’s expected vote in favor of Sohn would be crucial to ensure Sohn receives the 14 Democratic votes needed to reach a Senate Commerce tie given expectations that no Republicans will back her, lobbyists said.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel changed the leadership of several FCC bureaus Monday. She had until Monday retained numerous department heads from the administration of previous FCC Chair Ajit Pai.
California’s net neutrality law survived an appeal by ISP associations at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 9th Circuit panel agreed with the U.S. District Court in Sacramento, which last February denied a preliminary injunction against California’s 2018 law. ACA Connects, CTIA, NCTA and USTelecom last March appealed in case 21-15430.
Democratic FCC nominee Gigi Sohn told the agency Thursday she will, if confirmed, recuse herself during the first three years of her term “from any proceeding before the Commission where retransmission consent or television broadcast copyright is a material issue.” Sohn’s pledge appears to be the result of negotiations with Senate Commerce Committee leaders aimed at securing support from all 14 Democrats ahead of a planned Feb. 2 panel vote to advance her nomination to the full chamber, lobbyists told us. Some panel Republicans had been pressing for concessions from Sohn over ethics concerns about her role as a board member for Locast operator Sports Fans Coalition.
FCC commissioners voted out two wireless items scheduled for Thursday, before the meeting. The more controversial of the two, on notification requirements for white spaces devices, provoked a fight between NAB and Microsoft. Microsoft asked the FCC to scale back the notification requirements for white spaces devices in the draft. The company urged the FCC to “maintain its existing requirement that narrowband fixed WSDs be required to check the white space database once a day to ensure capturing wireless microphone reservations rather than the proposed 24 times a day.” NAB, long concerned about interference in the white spaces, asked the FCC to stick with the draft proposal. Commissioners added a short NPRM to the item, which explores Microsoft’s request, FCC officials said Wednesday. Commissioners also OK’d a draft NPRM seeking comment on whether to adopt four new or updated standards for equipment authorization and the certification of the telecommunication certification bodies that review new RF devices.
AT&T, Dish Network and T-Mobile were the three biggest bidders in the 3.45 GHz auction, the FCC announced Friday. AT&T bid $9.1 billion; Weminuche, a Dish entity, $7.3 billion; and T-Mobile $2.9 billion. Columbia Capital’s Three Forty-Five Spectrum bid $1.4 billion and UScellular $579.6 million. Verizon didn’t bid.
The Senate confirmed Alan Davidson Tuesday as NTIA administrator on a bipartisan 60-31 vote, as expected. The chamber voted 64-30 Monday to invoke cloture on Davidson, clearing away for his Tuesday confirmation.
The Senate voted 64-30 Monday night to invoke cloture on NTIA administrator nominee Alan Davidson, as expected. The cloture motion sets up a likely Tuesday final confirmation vote for Davidson, Senate aides told us.
President Joe Biden renominated Democratic FCC nominee Gigi Sohn and FTC pick Alvaro Bedoya Tuesday, as expected. Senate leaders agreed to carry over Alan Davidson's nomination for NTIA administrator from last year, aides confirmed.