The FTC defended the backgrounds of top agency officials Thursday after Public Citizen argued the agency’s cozy relationship with industry is creating a timid enforcement culture. At least 75 percent of the officials whose backgrounds it studied represented corporate clients before joining or after leaving the agency, or both, Public Citizen reported Thursday. The group looked at 41 FTC commissioners and directors of the Competition and Consumer Protection bureaus spanning the past 20 years. It said more than 60 percent worked on behalf of the tech industry at some point for clients like Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Uber and Intel.
The FCC will begin accepting applications Tuesday for TV stations to transition to ATSC 3.0, said a Media Bureau public notice Thursday. Though the commission’s ATSC 3.0 order was approved in November 2017, broadcasters have been waiting for the agency to create a form and process in the FCC’s license management system (LMS) for the transition.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission split 3-2 to clear T-Mobile's buy of Sprint. At the PUC’s livestreamed Thursday hearing, Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille and Commissioner David Sweet opposed approval without strong Pennsylvania-specific conditions on jobs and rural broadband. With FCC Chairman Ajit Pai supporting the deal Monday (see 1905200051), deal opponents see California’s pending review and possible intervention by state attorneys general as key remaining ways to try to stop the big wireless deal. While an FCC majority is poised to approve the takeover, DOJ's decision is less certain (see 1905220071).
Governments around the world should promote public-private investment in research and development to spur innovative and safe application of artificial intelligence technology, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said Wednesday. OECD’s 36 members, including the U.S., and six other countries signed a set of AI principles at its annual Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris.
There’s bipartisan agreement among members of the House Oversight Committee to halt federal law enforcement and government use of facial recognition technology until civil liberty concerns are addressed. Chairman Elijah Cummings, R-Md., ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and various members of both parties signaled support for a moratorium at Wednesday’s hearing.
Qualcomm will appeal a wireless modem intellectual property ruling in favor of the FTC and against the company. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose issued (in Pacer) a permanent injunction Tuesday night. The stock closed down 11 percent Wednesday at $69.31. Earlier this year, Koh held a 10-day bench trial in FTC v. Qualcomm.
Geoffrey Starks, in his maiden industry speech as an FCC commissioner, Wednesday took on Chairman Ajit Pai on USF and other issues. Starks spoke during a Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide event. “Lifeline is a program that I deeply believe in,” Starks said. “It’s called Lifeline for a reason.” Users need the program for a job or to connect with loved ones, he said.
The House Commerce Committee moved forward with a Wednesday hearing on the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act (HR-2741) despite the simultaneous torpedoing of talks between President Donald Trump and top Capitol Hill Democrats on a plan to pay for additional spending on broadband and other infrastructure projects. HR-2741 would allocate $40 billion for broadband projects, offer $12 billion in grants for implementing next generation-911 technologies and $5 billion for federal funding of a loan and credit program for broadband projects. Democrats first filed the bill in 2017 (see 1706020056).
Low-power FM and noncommercial educational broadcast interests expressed general support in comments posted through Tuesday in docket 19-3 for FCC-proposed changes to processes for licensees to apply for NCE and LPFM licenses during filing windows. They also suggested some tweaks. “Most of the changes proposed are inconsequential for most existing operators or most prospective operators,” said LPFM broadcaster Jeff Sibert, president of Park Public Radio. “Substantial reform is needed to address significant short-comings in the NCE and LPFM service.”
From more promotion of text-to-911 to better credentialing and verification of contractors, interested parties had an array of suggestions related to the FCC wireless resiliency cooperative framework. That's especially in light of recent hurricanes, in docket 11-60 replies this week. Industry groups have said the agency shouldn't impose new mandates and should rely on the voluntary approach that's working (see 1904300140).