Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., wants to reauthorize the Section 215 phone surveillance program, despite reports NSA might let it expire (see 1904240068). “We plan to reauthorize it. It’s a valuable program,” Burr told us. Ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., is skeptical, but said he's open to hearing arguments for reauthorization.
C band made available for terrestrial 5G in the U.S. could carry a price tag of tens of billions of dollars, with the investment community generally expecting the FCC to opt for the C-Band Alliance proposal and satellite operators all likely to get a windfall, financial analysts said at the Satellite 2019 show Monday. Raymond James' Ric Prentiss said the FCC wants more consensus before it decides on a C-band approach.
House Commerce Committee leaders told us they're in the earliest stages of exploring a revisit of NTIA reauthorization legislation, which they believe could be one vehicle for moving on some broadband and spectrum policy issues. The then-majority GOP House Communications Subcommittee last year released a draft recertification bill, but lawmakers gave it mixed reviews at a hearing (see 1806260064). Other lawmakers are also working on broadband bills amid renewed attention on a possible infrastructure legislative package (see 1904300194).
An FCC order rejecting China Mobile’s application to provide telecom services in the U.S. is expected to be the most contentious item at Thursday’s commissioners’ meeting. The order itself isn’t controversial, but questions are expected on whether the regulator needs to do more to address upfront the security of 5G networks, agency and industry officials said. FCC Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks raised concerns about whether the agency is engaged enough on security issues.
Though “churn attribution” isn’t a “perfect science,” it’s “fair to say” that a "little less than half" the 266,000 in Dish pay-TV net subscriber losses in Q1 were from the Univision and HBO blackouts, said CEO Erik Carlson on an earnings call Friday. Dish and Univision resolved their differences near the end of the quarter. “There’s nothing new to report” in the HBO impasse, which started in November (see 1811070030), said Carlson.
A Rhode Island net neutrality bill faces an uncertain path in the House despite Democratic control and passing by wide margin in the Senate last week (see 1904300191). A high-ranking House Democrat told us he's deciding if the bill is necessary. Pending litigation may be a factor stopping some states from passing bills, observers said. Elsewhere last week, lawmakers cast yes votes for bills to combat robocalls using fake phone numbers and to support broadband by municipalities and electric cooperatives.
Microsoft asked the FCC Friday to launch a Further NPRM on TV white spaces. NAB, which has raised concerns about Wi-Fi in the TV bands, is on board with at least asking many of the questions proposed, the company said. The software maker proposes modifying rules to allow higher power levels in some areas, higher antennas, and geofenced operation of white spaces devices (WSDs) on mobile platforms. The FCC in March tweaked the white spaces rules and said it will consider an FNPRM on changes previously sought by Microsoft (see 1903200059).
An executive of a smaller cable operator called broadband service a utility, speaking alongside the head of America’s Communications Association about the importance of such ISP services. Although neither cable ally favored a common-carrier regulatory approach to broadband service such as Communications Act Title II net neutrality, the two may have -- perhaps inadvertently -- given a talking point to Title II advocates. That's according to later comments from such net neutrality proponents.
Panelists from Facebook, Comcast, the NAB and Tegna repeatedly agreed at a DOJ workshop on advertising competition that broadcast commercials and digital ads are substitutes for each other and therefore in competition. “We are a likely substitute or swap for your attention,” said Facebook Vice President-Business Product Marketing Ty Ahmad-Taylor. “We are trying to compete to get those dollars as well.”
Wednesday’s FTC oversight hearing before the House Consumer Protection Subcommittee is a good opportunity to gauge what additional privacy resources the agency needs, Chair Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said in interviews. The pair recently asked the agency what it would do with an additional $50 million-$100 million in annual funding (see 1905010183). FTC Chairman Joe Simons took to Capitol Hill Thursday to discuss budgetary needs, said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., and a lobbyist.