Net neutrality advocates are encouraged by oral argument on the FCC's deregulation before a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Friday (see 1902010046). Challengers got some traction with arguments against reversal of Communications Act Title II broadband classification, net neutrality regulation repeal, transparency rule authority, public safety treatment and state pre-emption, the advocates suggested at a Public Knowledge event Wednesday (webcast). They mostly cited the comments and questions of Judge Patricia Millett, and to some extent, of Judge Robert Wilkins, on Mozilla v. FCC, No. 18-1051.
The Mobile World Congress plans an emergency meeting later this month of executive members to discuss the threat from Chinese equipment suppliers Huawei and ZTE, said Travis Russell, Oracle director-cybersecurity, at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event Wednesday: “Be watching post-Barcelona and there probably will be an announcement coming out of the GSMA.” FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel sought to renew the term for the agency's cybersecurity advisory body.
A Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee hearing on 5G was dominated by lawmakers' concerns about the national security threat from China in its race against the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is believed to be considering actions aimed at boosting U.S. competitiveness in 5G and other technologies, communications lobbyists told us. Trump barely mentioned tech during Tuesday night's State of the Union, matching officials' expectations (see 1901180032). Concerns about 5G security were also the focus of a Center for Strategic and International Studies event (see 1902060056).
Neomi Rao told the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday she would uphold the Chevron regime, if confirmed to the D.C. Circuit. “Chevron is a precedent of the Supreme Court, and yes, I would follow it,” Rao, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh, told lawmakers during a confirmation hearing.
The C-Band Alliance and a panel of critics of its midband clearing plan clashed on efficacy of a government-run spectrum auction and whether the FCC has ever allowed similar private spectrum sales, at New America event Tuesday. It was the "most unbalanced panel in the history of panels,” said CBA Head-Advocacy and Government Relations Preston Padden.
NTIA received more than 50 comments on a national spectrum strategy. They mostly stake out well-developed positions expressed elsewhere. Industry officials told us the comments at least provide a baseline for the administration as it plows into creating the plan.
A Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee hearing on 5G deployment is likely to be a first indicator of the direction members want to take on related legislation this Congress, said lawmakers and officials in interviews. Senators may opine on a range of related issues, including T-Mobile's proposed buy of Sprint (see 1902050050) and 5G equipment supply chain security. Any comments President Donald Trump makes during his Tuesday evening State of the Union about infrastructure legislation could also be fodder for discussion. The hearing begins immediately after a Commerce executive session in Dirksen G50.
Nebraska needs a small-cells law even though the FCC adopted fee limits in September, Nebraska legislators heard. “We need consistent and clear rates, terms and conditions that will apply across the state to all the municipalities rather than having to go city by city … to deal with interpretations of the FCC order that will just slow down deployment,” said AT&T Associate General Counsel David Tate Monday. Cities and the cable industry opposed LB-184 at the livestreamed hearing of the Transportation and Telecom Committee in the unicameral legislature.
House Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Hank Johnson, D-Ga., can hold copyright hearings at the subcommittee level in 2019, but the House Judiciary Committee will handle markups, his office told us. That's a shift from then-subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who didn’t have copyright hearings or markups in 2018 at the direction of then-committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. (see 1901080033). Both men have retired.
Wi-Fi advocates tell us that with the IoT growing daily, the FCC needs to act quickly to allocate other bands for unlicensed use, especially the 6 GHz band. A check of vendors at January's CES found the same dynamic as in previous years. Most devices rely on the same unlicensed bands, particularly 2.4 and 5.8 GHz. Wi-Fi exhaustion looms as an issue federal policymakers must address, Wi-Fi advocates said.