China may be “attempting to drive a high-tech wedge” between the U.S. and U.K. via concerns about the national security implications of allowing equipment from Huawei on telecom infrastructure, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told the U.K. House of Commons’ Defense Select Committee Tuesday. Cotton and other U.S. lawmakers criticized the U.K. allowing Huawei on “non-core” parts of communications infrastructure but bar it from “sensitive locations” like military bases (see 2001280074). Recent media reports claim the U.K. government may be planning to change that.
The move to open-radio access networks in wireless is a natural evolution, follows trends in other industries and could help the U.S. make networks more secure, speakers said during a Hudson Institute webinar Tuesday. The FCC postponed a March 26 summit on 5G-focused O-RAN technology because of coronavirus concerns (see 2003120071) and hasn’t set a new date, a spokesperson confirmed now. In February, Attorney General William Barr said the O-RAN is “just pie in the sky” and a “completely untested” approach that would “take many years to get off the ground.”
Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tuesday voiced support for an update to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and ranking member Chris Coons, D-Del., also appeared on board with an update (see 2005280038). Witnesses sought changes, other than the Internet Association.
Cities struggling with COVID-19 asked the FCC Tuesday to delay a planned June 9 FCC vote on CTIA and Wireless Infrastructure Association proposals for wireless infrastructure clarity until they have more time to respond. A few local governments filed in support of the rules (see 2005290052). House Commerce Committee Democrats and Republicans delivered diverging opinions about FCC plans to consider the declaratory ruling next week.
Businesses will soon have to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act despite calls for delay and speculation the state DOJ would miss an important procedural deadline. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) submitted final rules for implementing CCPA just before Monday night’s Office of Administrative Law deadline (see 2006020039). Final text included no substantial changes to regulations from a March revised draft submitted for OAL review.
FCC commissioners and broadcasting and journalism organizations condemned attacks on broadcast reporters by protesters and police in a host of statements issued Monday and over the weekend. Numerous incidents involving police and protesters attacking or accosting journalists were recounted in news reports and on social media during the weekend of protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd while being subdued by police.
Having approved Ligado license modifications, the FCC is expected to consider the 1675-1680 MHz band, on which the agency took comment last year. NOAA is preparing a report on potential effect on federal users of sharing the band, but it’s unclear whether it will be made public, industry officials said in interviews. Ligado asked for the NPRM and could combine it with its other spectrum, for 40 MHz for 5G.
Aides to Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., said Friday they believe additional emergency broadband funding has a good chance of making it into the next COVID-19 package, even if the Senate doesn’t take up the House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act. HR-6800 includes an $8.8 billion Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund and $5 billion for E-rate (see 2005130059). They spoke during a Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition webinar.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai questioned Twitter’s policies, as the platform for a second day flagged President Donald Trump’s tweets (see 2005280060). Pai asked Friday whether tweets from Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei violate platform rules about glorifying violence, rules that Twitter cited in flagging Trump.
Ligado’s path forward could be difficult even after the FCC approved an order granting its longstanding request for license modifications (see 2004200039), industry officials said in interviews last week. In conversations with investors, Ligado focuses on a deal with Verizon to pair its L-band spectrum with C-band spectrum from the upcoming FCC auction rather than relying on the industrial IoT (IIoT), industry officials said. Ligado critics said any terrestrial use of the band would be a concern. Also Friday, the company said NTIA concern about FCC OK is groundless (see 2005290057).