FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington’s calls last week for the agency to take a deep dive on potential rules requiring OEMs to provide security updates for wireless devices authorized by the agency for sale in the U.S. (see 2206280072) appears likely to be picked up, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, industry executives and agency officials.

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington’s calls last week for the agency to take a deep dive on potential rules requiring OEMs to provide security updates for wireless devices authorized by the agency for sale in the U.S. (see 2206280072) appears likely to be picked up, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, industry executives and agency officials.

The House Appropriations Committee voted 31-22 Friday night to advance the Financial Services Subcommittee’s FY 2023 bill with increases in annual funding for the FCC and FTC. The committee voted down Republicans’ bids to roll back a proposed substantial increase in FTC funding and altered a rider in the measure that removes an FCC barrier to broadcasters airing ads for cannabis products. The measure would allocate $490 million to the FTC, a 30% increase over what it received in the FY 2022 omnibus appropriations package (see 2203150076). The FY23 bill would give the FCC $390 million, up 2.3% from FY22.

The House Appropriations Committee expects the FCC to "take further action to help eliminate the potential for future interagency spectrum disputes" beyond a coordination agreement between commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson (see 2202150001), the panel said in a report accompanying the Financial Services Subcommittee's FY 2023 bill. The underlying measure (see 2203280069), set for a Friday committee vote, would give the FCC $390 million, up 2.3% from what Congress appropriated in the FY 2022 omnibus appropriations package President Joe Biden signed in March (see 2203150076). The bill would give the FTC $490 million in FY23, up 30% from FY22. The markup begins at 9 a.m. in 1100 Longworth.

The 4.9 GHz band appears to be one of the wireless items likely to get further FCC action relatively soon, industry and FCC officials told us. Comments have been in since January on rewriting the rules, and 4.9 has long been a focus of Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. There's also general agreement that the band has been underutilized for a long time.

The FCC plans to release details about the affordable connectivity program's outreach grants and pilot program aimed at boosting enrollment among households receiving federal public housing assistance this summer, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during a virtual Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights event Monday.

Top members of the House and Senate Commerce committees are having varying levels of success in moving forward in the coming weeks on spectrum legislation. The House Communications Subcommittee plans to mark up a revised version of the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) Wednesday along with other legislation, subpanel Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., said in an interview. Senate Commerce leaders, meanwhile, told us they're still grappling with how to move forward on the Improving Spectrum Coordination Act (S-1472) after an amendment fight prompted them to remove it from a markup last month (see 2205250063).

FCC commissioners approved a notice of inquiry 4-0 Wednesday on how to facilitate access to spectrum for offshore uses and operations. FCC officials said, as expected, there were no major changes over what was circulated three weeks ago by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see 2206030029). Commissioners also adopted an NPRM before the meeting that seeks comment on a statutory requirement to collect annual data on the price and subscription rates of internet offerings through the affordable connectivity program (see 2206020058). The item wasn’t published Wednesday.

The Senate’s continued stall in considering FCC nominee Gigi Sohn is prompting some of her supporters to eye ways to break the logjam, including pressing chamber leaders to seek an initial discharge vote to bring her to the floor even if Democratic senators who remain publicly undecided on her candidacy (see 2205050050) don’t commit to a position beforehand. Some supporters believe it’s worth the risk such a vote would fail given chatter about Sohn or the White House withdrawing her nomination, though top Senate Democratic backers believe it’s unlikely the White House would take such an action. Observers also see a White House recess appointment of Sohn as an increasingly feasible route to at least temporarily set up a Democratic FCC majority given the commission’s year-plus 2-2 deadlock.

The FCC will reopen for visitors Thursday, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced at the end of Wednesday’s commission meeting. This will be the first time the FCC’s new headquarters has been open to the public. The FCC’s July 14 meeting will be open to the public, she said.