The FCC has rarely held multiple spectrum auctions at once, but it’s not clear what industry wants the agency to do, Wireless Bureau Chief Donald Stockdale said at an FCBA lunch Wednesday. Meanwhile, the FCC started its first millimeter-wave auction, with bids coming in at just under $41.7 million after two rounds. It reported provisionally winning bids on 2,065 of the 3,072 28 GHz licenses for sale in the auction. The FCC plans three rounds Thursday, starting at 10 a.m.
Outgoing Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle, D-Pa., haven't locked down the gavels of the Senate and House telecom subcommittees, but they outlined to reporters some potential policy priorities for the 116th Congress they would pursue. Thune, elected by Senate Republicans Wednesday as majority whip, is deciding whether he will pursue chairing the Communications Subcommittee or Surface Transportation Subcommittee next session (see 1811020048). Doyle, a likely lock for House Communications chairman under the incoming Democratic majority (see 1811070054), cited FCC oversight and net neutrality legislation as top priorities.
Broadband interests opposed requests of electric utilities and others to revisit an FCC August decision aimed at streamlining pole attachments and removing state and local barriers to broadband deployment, including moratoriums (see 1808020034). Telco, cable and fiber parties filed against a Coalition for Concerned Utilities (CCU) petition to reconsider pole-attachment rate and process changes in the order. Some also objected to the recon petitions of the Smart Communities and Special Districts Coalition (here), County Road Association of Michigan (here) and New York City (here) targeting a pre-emption declaratory ruling (the latter also targeted part of the pole order). Oppositions were posted through Tuesday in docket 17-84.
ORLANDO -- Utilities should demand faster release of 900 MHz spectrum for infrastructure cybersecurity efforts, said former FCC and California Public Utilities Commission member Rachelle Chong Tuesday at NARUC's annual conference (see 1811130001). “You know how FirstNet got spectrum just for emergency responders? We want utilities to have spectrum just for utility-critical infrastructure.”
The FTC defended its ability to protect consumer privacy, noting limitations. In comments to NTIA (see 1811090050) released Tuesday, FTC staff cited the lack of civil penalty authority, broad rulemaking authority and ability to take action against nonprofits and common carriers. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act is limited because it doesn’t address offline data or data about children, staff said. The agency “supports a balanced approach to privacy that weighs the risks of data misuse with the benefits of data to innovation and competition,” it said, with 5-0 support from commissioners.
The C-band Alliance is pleased with recent initial comments supporting its plan for clearing 200 MHz in the C band in 3.7-4.2 GHz band, said Preston Padden, head-advocacy and government relations at the C-band Alliance, during an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation panel Tuesday (see 1810300043). Padden slammed T-Mobile.
Analysts disagree whether odds are improving regulators will approve T-Mobile’s buy of Sprint. New Street Research this week voiced skepticism about enhanced chances.
Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Harold Furchtgott-Roth and telecom officials raised concerns during a Tuesday Hudson event about the threat of Chinese dominance over global 5G development. China, Huawei and ZTE loomed over U.S. telecom policy this year, beginning with the January leak of a draft National Security Council official memo proposing the U.S. build a national 5G network (see 1801290034).
ORLANDO -- The FCC should extend the Mobility Fund II challenge process by more than three months to fix a deficient process, said a NARUC resolution cleared Monday by the Telecom Committee and Tuesday by the board. At NARUC's annual meeting (see 1811130035), the committee voted unanimously for the resolution after tweaking some language to address other commissioners’ concerns. Idaho Commissioner Paul Kjellander will step down as Telecom Committee chairman to join NARUC leadership, he said Monday.
DOJ is paying close attention to American Cable Association complaints of anticompetitive activity by Comcast, but chances it will go any further are slim, experts told us. Ethan Glass of Quinn Emanuel said a challenge of any investigation is the fine line between anticompetitive conduct and exercising a right to get the price for content one wants. President Donald Trump seemingly giving an amen to ACA's complaints likely won't sway the agency to do something it otherwise wouldn't. DOJ didn't comment Tuesday.