Democratic commissioners will likely dissent when the FCC declares broadband is deployed in a reasonable and timely manner, current and former officials predicted in interviews this week. The Communications Act Section 706 report's statutory deadline is Monday (see 2004030074) and a vote isn't expected much sooner. An official said this report follows methodology used in last year's, with updated deployment figures and a few other changes. Commissioners' aides are determining whether there's opportunity to revise the language.
State regulators will scrutinize Frontier Communications as the midsize carrier goes through bankruptcy, commissioners told us Wednesday. Some felt reassured by the company pledging uninterrupted service and no change to selling some systems in the U.S. Northwest and West.
The satellite industry and allies raised red flags about the draft orbital debris order on April 23's FCC members' meeting agenda (see 2004010063). Operators lobbied for changes or deferring decisions. They cited higher costs, in docket 18-313 Tuesday.
Carriers will lead the bidding in the July citizens broadband radio service band auction, but questions remain about the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on credit markets, said Joe Madden, chief analyst at Mobile Experts. The FCC delayed the auction for a month to July 23 (see 2003250052). Speakers Tuesday said another delay isn’t likely.
Some antitrust litigation is slowing down due to COVID-19, but antitrust enforcers are “very much” still investigating, FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips said Tuesday. He told a Politico webcast that merger and acquisitions filings have decreased. He said the agency is handling the pandemic “as best we can,” moving its Hart-Rodino-Scott M&A reviews to an online program (see 2003270059). The agency is “steady as she goes,” he said, noting a joint statement with DOJ warning of criminal liability for antitrust enforcement: “We’re very much still here.”
ISPs are adopting evolving protocols to help keep service technicians and residential customers safe during COVID-19, they said in interviews last week. Actions include screening customers for their risk of exposure to the virus before scheduling a truck roll, equipping tech staff with personal protective gear, limiting repair work to what can be done outside, and promoting self-installation and repair. Even before the pandemic, cable operators and telcos sought to limit how frequently they send staff to customers' homes.
COVID-19 effects continue in telecom, media and technology (TMT). NAB won't move when planned, we were told Tuesday (see 2004140063). Earlier that day, we were told that the annual summer Technology Policy Institute conference in Aspen, Colorado, was postponed to the fall. TPI moved it cross-country. You can see that report in front of our pay wall here. Monday, we reported the FCC won't move on time.
House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, N.J., is circulating discussion language to provide $2 billion in “emergency broadband benefit” funding in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill. Some lobbyists we spoke with see the draft as Democrats’ bid to resurrect plans for emergency broadband funding without providing new ammunition to Lifeline critics. Several Democratic lawmakers want future COVID-19 legislation to fund broadband and other infrastructure (see 2003260063). Some groups are urging Congress to use the coming measure to address other communications policy priorities, including media funding (see 2004090066).
FCC workers and their National Treasury Employees Union praise the agency's precautions to protect employees from COVID-19. But NTEU filed an unfair labor practices grievance against the agency Monday over continuing contract negotiations during the pandemic, President Tony Reardon emailed us. The FCC acted faster than some other federal agencies, but critics told us none has responded quickly or well.
With the FCC expected to soon circulate a Ligado approval order (see 2004100060), NTIA and various federal agencies are making another push to stop the momentum. The military estimated the funding and time needed to replace military GPS receivers potentially affected by Ligado's L-band plans is in the billions of dollars and decades. Given the general pushback from agencies on every move to open up more spectrum for 5G and the lack of a unified spectrum policy, Chairman Ajit Pai's moving forward here makes sense, said Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld.