New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other Democratic state attorneys general were among those filing amicus briefs Wednesday opposing a DOJ bid to get a preliminary injunction to stop enforcement of California’s net neutrality law (see 2008050060). DOJ's and ISPs’ lawsuits against the California statute (SB-822) in U.S. District Court in Sacramento resumed in early August after Mozilla and others let pass a July 6 deadline to seek a Supreme Court review of FCC rescission of its 2015 national rules (see 2007300041). TechFreedom, TIA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed amicus briefs in August supporting the litigation (see 2008200034).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied a stay of the FCC’s April order allowing Wi-Fi and other unlicensed users to share the 6 GHz band. APCO sought the stay, with the support of electric utilities (see 2009180044). Wi-Fi proponents said the Thursday decision is important in that the court considers the merits of a challenge in deciding whether to grant a stay. The court also declined a request for an expedited hearing. Wi-Fi industry officials said the first devices are likely this year, with rollout accelerating into 2021.
Personalized TV, a smart speaker for music enthusiasts and 5G phones highlighted Google’s fall product introductions in a Wednesday YouTube event geared to the increased time consumers spend at home due to COVID-19. Over the past five months, Americans increased the time they spend listening to music at home 61%, said Mark Spates, Nest product manager.
Commissioners approved a Further NPRM Wednesday 5-0 on clearing the 3.45-3.55 GHz band, after changes were made at the urging of FCC Democrats asking whether the type of sharing used in the citizens broadband radio service band would work there. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, who said during discussion on the item that he's leaving the FCC by year-end (see 2009300014), had pushed for the agency to take on the band. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said the U.S. remains behind on 5G. Chairman Ajit Pai predicted an auction next year.
The FCC approved 5-0 Wednesday cutting IP captioned telephone service rates. Geoffrey Starks and Jessica Rosenworcel raised concerns at the commissioners' meeting, as expected (see 2009280044). They concurred on the order, questioning how well automated speech recognition (ASR) technology will work to generate captions. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said the FCC should move to an auction but instead continues down a "tired and worn path” of ratcheting down rates.
The House Judiciary Committee is “quite possibly” exploring legislation to update Digital Millennium Copyright Act Section 512 (see 2006090063), Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., told us Wednesday. “It’s not clear what the end game is,” Nadler said. “We’re undertaking a major review of it, and we’ll see” what develops. He hadn’t had direct conversations with ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, though staffs may have been in touch. “It’s a nonpartisan issue,” added Nadler.
The FCC approved an order 3-2 making broad changes to how the 4.9 GHz band is allocated. Wednesday's commissioners' meeting featured dissents from Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks, as expected (see 2009240039). Mike O’Rielly expressed skepticism, saying he voted yes because doing something is better than doing nothing. Commissioners approved 5-0 a notice of inquiry on “ways to dissuade states and territories from diverting fees collected for 911 to other purposes.” That's as expected (see 2009230046).
Commissioner Mike O'Rielly's nearly seven-year FCC career will wrap up by year's end. During the agency's September meeting Wednesday, he said he's folding on others' efforts to get himself renominated. He said he's leaving regardless of how the November presidential election plays out (see 2009300014).
The FCC is moving quickly to allow cellular vehicle-to-everything deployments in the 5.9 GHz band, said Dean Brenner, Qualcomm senior vice president-spectrum strategy and technology policy, during a virtual Qualcomm conference Tuesday. The conference featured companies and government agencies anxious to fully deploy C-V2X. The FCC is expected to consider rules as early as commissioners' Oct. 27 meeting (see 2009090058).
A bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation Tuesday to amend Communications Decency Act Section 230 and require platforms to report illegal drug sales and other illicit activity. Tech industry and privacy advocates oppose the bill. Experts raised issues with proposals aimed at amending industry’s liability shield, in interviews.