Controversy over whether FCC advisory committees are stacked in favor of industry flared anew Friday. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks hope for a Consumer Advisory Committee that's representative of consumers and diversity. They're concerned that's not the case with the CAC roster disclosed earlier last week (see personals section, April 11 and 1904100070), they told reporters after the commissioners' meeting. Commissioner Mike O'Rielly wants similar, saying that could include groups concerned about taxpayer spending, too.
The FCC approved a process for sharing in the upper 37 GHz band, despite complaints from Commissioners Mike O’Rielly, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks (see 1904100071). The two Democrats partially dissented. Chairman Ajit Pai, meanwhile, announced that the 37, 39 and 47 GHz auction will start Dec. 10 -- the FCC's third high-band auction. Commissioners approved a public notice on rules for the auction amid complaints by Rosenworcel and O’Rielly. Agency members also approved telecom and cable items.
The White House's Friday push to highlight FCC actions to improve 5G deployments and rural broadband connectivity was more notable for giving President Donald Trump an opportunity to go on record as opposing 5G nationalization, industry officials and lobbyists told us. Concerns about the Trump administration's direction on 5G policy have continued for more than a year, including on Capitol Hill (see 1903050069).
The main message from senators working on privacy legislation is that “we need to do something,” European Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova told the Brookings Institution. She told reporters afterward she met with Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. Jourova was also scheduled to meet with FTC Chairman Joe Simons Thursday.
Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said he's aiming for the chamber to pass the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (S-151) by unanimous consent (UC) once Congress returns at the end of April from its two-week recess. Thune and other subcommittee members boosted the bill during Thursday's hearing on illegal robocalls. S-151 would increase FCC authority to act against robocalls violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. It would increase coordination between federal agencies and state attorneys general in a bid to increase criminal prosecution of illegal robocallers (see 1901170039). Other anti-robocall legislation is also coming, lawmakers said.
An NPRM set for a vote Friday on revised rules for over-the-air reception devices (OTARD) is expected to pass 5-0, industry and FCC officials said. Wireless carrier officials said the rule change is of most interest to and would most help wireless ISPs. The Wireless ISP Association initially sought the rulemaking.
The FCC, asked by the Commerce Department to pause its orbital debris proceeding (see 1904080033), is expected to comply. With Commerce also talking about interagency discussions on one federal authority for all things orbital debris related, some experts said single-agency oversight makes sense.
FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly warned the newly reconstituted Disability Advisory Committee that the cost of FCC disability-related programs is growing too quickly. The agency needs to consider other options, such as reverse auctions, to determine funding levels, he said Wednesday. “Draconian” measures are likely unless costs are contained, he said.
Senate Constitution Subcommittee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, expects a follow-up hearing to focus exclusively on Google, he said Wednesday during a hearing before which he rejected the company’s witness. Google didn’t provide a witness with seniority comparable to representatives sent by Facebook and Twitter, Cruz said. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., rejected a Google witness for the same reason in 2018 (see 1809050057).
There was bipartisan agreement among Senate Commerce Committee members Wednesday that the federal government's practices for collecting broadband coverage data remain deficient and that Capitol Hill needs to begin taking action. Senate Commerce and others on the Hill repeatedly have raised those issues in recent years. NTIA's increased role in coordinating federal work on broadband mapping got scrutiny earlier this month at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Commerce Department's fiscal year 2020 budget request (see 1904020070). Deficiencies in the FCC's data collection practices was a central issue at a Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing last month on rural broadband (see 1903120069).