The FTC’s indefinite suspension of granting early termination (ET) will “have a real-world impact,” and the policy justification isn’t sufficient, Commissioner Noah Phillips told us Monday. An aide for Commissioner Christine Wilson also criticized the suspension Monday. Acting Chair Rebecca Kelly Slaughter announced last week that the FTC and DOJ would temporarily suspend ETs for Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) merger and acquisition reviews (see 2102040025).
California’s net neutrality law still faces industry challenge after DOJ notified (in Pacer) the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California Monday that it moved to voluntarily dismiss the case (see 2102080059). Judge John Mendez soon afterward dismissed (in Pacer) and closed case 2:18-cv-02660, but not USTelecom, ACA Connects and other industry associations’ separate suit in case 2:18-cv-02684 before the same judge. Democrats applauded DOJ's withdrawing.
NARUC members charged ahead Friday on an effort to define states’ role in spreading broadband. Commissioners met virtually at a broadband task force meeting to hear five subgroups’ near-final reports and recommendations, which Chair Chris Nelson (R) said will be synthesized into a resolution for vote at NARUC’s July 18-21 meeting. Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) results heightened state concerns about appropriate use of federal spending (see 2101290028).
Verizon’s proposed TracFone buy is likely to be one of the first such transactions before the FCC that's now under Democratic control. The deal has raised some competitive concerns. Friday, 16 state attorneys general led by Virginia’s Mark Herring (D) asked the FCC to further investigate implications for Lifeline before approving the deal.
Top Senate Commerce Committee Democrats are beginning to prod President Joe Biden to move swiftly to name a permanent FCC chair and nominate a third Democratic commissioner, given the agency's 2-2 deadlock. Top committee Republicans told us they oppose Biden or Senate Democrats moving quickly given the likelihood it would lead to a return of net neutrality rules like the ones the commission adopted in 2015 (see 2101060055). The Senate is processing Biden’s nominees to cabinet posts, including attorney general nominee Merrick Garland and commerce secretary nominee Gina Raimondo.
Global adoption of 5G and "increasingly complex technical requirements" are driving a multiyear industry transition that “plays to our strength,” said outgoing Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf on a fiscal Q1 call Wednesday. See quarterly materials here. Strong demand for 5G handsets, and growth in RF front-end, automotive and IoT, drove a record 62% year-over-year increase in revenue to $8.2 billion for the quarter ended Dec. 27. Profit jumped 165% to $2.5 billion, but “the strong performance and outlook would have been even stronger had we not been supply constrained,” said Mollenkopf.
Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif., said Thursday he plans to introduce legislation to protect FTC Section 13(b) authority, which experts say the Supreme Court is threatening to weaken. It's the only provision that lets the agency seek an injunction against FTC Act violations and restitution for consumers simultaneously, ex-FTC Consumer Protection Bureau Director Jessica Rich, now at Georgetown Law Center, told a House Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing Thursday.
Local and state officials oppose Comcast capping the amount of broadband data residential subscribers can use monthly without financial penalties. That's despite the cable operator pledging to delay implementation until summer. Comcast and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) said Wednesday the ISP will pause overage fees until August on the 1.2 TB limit in Eastern and Northeastern states (see 2102030017). Baltimore City Council Member Zeke Cohen (D) responded, “We will not be satisfied until the data caps are removed.”
As more people use telehealth amid the pandemic (see 2101250026), hearing-impaired patients face obstacles communicating with their doctors, experts said in recent interviews.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology plans to release a report soon on developing the vocabulary and measurements needed for “trustworthy” artificial intelligence, Eric Lin, NIST acting associate director-laboratory programs, told the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT) virtual meeting Wednesday. The NIST advisory committee met for the first time under Biden.