Disney, Huawei and ViacomCBS were among telecom and tech entities reporting increased Q1 lobbying spending by Monday afternoon. Microsoft, NAB and the Telecommunications Industry Association showed declines over the same period in 2019.
The “past few weeks” have seen a “dramatic drop” in robocall reports FTC Consumer Protection Bureau Director Andrew Smith said Monday, citing COVID-19’s economic disruption as one potential reason. Many robocalls originate in India, and stay-at-home orders might be affecting the volume, he told the American Bar Association, noting the agency’s recent warning letters with the FCC against VoIP service providers (see 2004030052). When the FTC acts against VoIP providers, it sees measurable drops in robocall volume, which shows existing laws are helping, he said.
AT&T told members of Congress’ Commerce and Judiciary committees it’s working to address expected customer upheaval once the latest Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization law takes effect, including informing some DirecTV subscribers they will lose access to stations after May 31. STELA set that deadline for satellite providers using the distant-signal license to serve all 210 designated market areas (see 1912190068). Congress “can avoid having customers deal with these issues during” the COVID-19 pandemic “by delaying the new law’s June 1 effective date until January 1, 2021,” AT&T emailed to lawmakers. Public Knowledge and some others interpret the message as a bid to delay STELA’s start.
The FCC commissioners' approval of the long-pending Ligado plan for terrestrial use of its L-band spectrum (see 2004200011) might not be the end of the proceeding, since a legal appeal is considered possible by some proceedings watchers. The 5-0 approval of the order was announced Monday, but the order wasn't released. An FCC official said it was approved as circulated and there were no changes to the draft order.
The FCC appears to be split 3-2 on the 5G Fund NPRM, scheduled for a vote Thursday. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks are said to be concerned about Chairman Ajit Pai's proposed approach. Rosenworcel questioned that approach when it was unveiled earlier this month (see 2004010065).
Internet regulation has a good shot following the COVID-19 pandemic, said California Public Utilities Commission officials Friday on a Santa Clara University High Tech Law Institute webinar. The virus forcing people to stay at home shows the internet is a “basic utility” that “needs to be regulated,” said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves. Sen. Scott Wiener (D), author of California’s still-unenforced net neutrality law, rallied supporters to keep fighting despite litigation.
There’s wide consensus COVID-19 tracing apps should be voluntary, and developers should follow guidelines for collecting, retaining and deleting data. The American Civil Liberties Union (see 2004160047) and the European Commission released similar proposals Thursday for protecting data. Privacy attorneys we interviewed largely agreed.
The FCC-proposed satellite operator indemnification requirement that has been challenged by operators (see 2004140052) is likely moving from the orbital debris draft order on commissioners' Thursday agenda to the accompanying Further NPRM, satellite officials told us. An FCC official said calls for the order to be delayed instead of being part of this week's agenda seem like a long shot, however.
The FCC and the Office of the Solicitor General took aim at the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’s longtime oversight by the same three-judge panel (see 1909230067) over the commission’s quadrennial review process. The government's petition for certiorari was filed with the Supreme Court Friday, as expected (see 2004170050). “Intervention is necessary to restore the Commission’s discretion to regulate in the public interest,” the government told SCOTUS. A similar petition from broadcasters was also filed.
Commissioners are expected Thursday to approve 5-0 an order and Further NPRM allowing unlicensed sharing throughout 6 GHz, FCC and industry officials said in interviews last week. A few tweaks are anticipated, but no material changes, despite widespread concerns raised by many groups about harmful interference from indoor devices that don’t use automated frequency control (AFC). Chairman Ajit Pai said agency engineers fully vetted the technology and believe sharing doesn’t pose a risk to the huge number of incumbents across the 1,200 megahertz (see 2004060062).