Comcast is considering spinning off its cable networks -- though not streamer Peacock or its broadcast assets -- into a separate, publicly traded company, President Mike Cavanagh said Thursday as Comcast announced Q3 financial results. In addition, he noted Comcast is open to streaming partnerships with Paramount Global. The company said that, absent the impact of the end of the affordable connectivity program (ACP), it would have been in the black with broadband net adds.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said during a Thursday Punchbowl News event he would prefer the chamber pursue a middle-ground between the Spectrum and National Security Act (S-4207) and 2024 Spectrum Pipeline Act (S-3909) as a legislative package for renewing the FCC’s lapsed airwaves auction authority. He also voiced concerns about the Biden administration’s implementation of $65 billion in broadband money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, echoing criticisms congressional Republicans raised about how long it has taken for funded projects to come online.

A three-judge appeals court panel hearing a challenge (docket 24-7000) of the FCC's Title II reclassification of broadband questioned industry groups and the agency Thursday about the major questions doctrine (see 2409030030). Oral argument was held at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where judges also questioned the relationship between the doctrine and Chevron deference, as well as the statutory interpretation of the Communications Act and the FCC's changing positions over time.

Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.

The California Public Utilities Commission should consider recent federal actions on incarcerated people's communications services (IPCS) before adopting a permanent intrastate rate cap, industry and consumer groups argued in comments posted Wednesday. However, The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT) suggested lowering the cap again on an interim basis. The CPUC received comments Tuesday on a Sept. 30 staff proposal recommending a permanent intrastate rate cap of 4.5 cents per minute for IPCS voice calls.

The FTC should use its investigatory powers to study “cancel culture,” deplatforming and the denial of financial services, Commissioner Melissa Holyoak said Wednesday during a George Mason University Mercatus Center virtual discussion.

Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will likely redirect the panel's airwaves legislative focus toward a version of his 2024 Spectrum Pipeline Act (S-3909) next year should Republicans control the Senate after the Nov. 5 elections and he becomes chairman. Cruz could face continued headwinds from DOD's staunchest Capitol Hill backers if he pursues legislation similar to S-3909, lobbyists and others predicted. Current Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., hopes she can attach her rival Spectrum and National Security Act (S-4207) to an end-of-year omnibus package (see 2409170066).

State broadband regulators and industry officials highlighted efforts at addressing pole attachment processes to facilitate broadband deployment Tuesday. During an FCBA webinar (see 2312130044), some mentioned increased coordination among utilities, attachers and other stakeholders to streamline the process and enable faster deployment. Several highlighted workforce issues as a barrier.

Commerce’s proposed restrictions on sales or imports of connected vehicles using hardware or software tied to Russia or China (see 2409220001) is seeing pushback from communications and tech industry and adjacent groups over the compliance deadlines. Comments in the NPRM (docket 240919-0245) were due Monday. Some see the Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) NPRM as pointing toward a wider eventual campaign against all connected Chinese and Russian devices (see 2409250006).

NARUC Telecom Committee Chair Tim Schram seeks better coordination and greater cost sharing related to digging amid an influx of government funding for broadband deployment, the Nebraska Republican said in an interview. NARUC circulated draft resolutions Tuesday for the state utility regulator association’s Nov. 10-13 meeting in Anaheim. In addition to a Schram proposal about coordination, the Telecom Committee plans to weigh drafts on optimizing phone number resources and defending the constitutionality of the federal universal service fund (USF) surcharge mechanism.