SiriusXM’s agreement offering free three-month trials of its streaming services to Amazon smart speaker owners (see 1810180004) isn't exclusive but is a “great first step” in other possible collaborations “we’ve talked to Amazon about,” said CEO Jim Meyer on a Wednesday earnings call. Meyer wants the SiriusXM service “to be as easy to listen to on anything and on any platform,” and won’t close the door on similar collaborations with Apple or Google, he said.
AT&T said it will be the first U.S. carrier to offer mobile 5G, with launch in weeks. Verizon was first with a fixed wireless 5G product earlier this month (see 1810010028). AT&T reported a 346,000 Q3 net loss in DirecTV subscribers and earnings below expectations. The stock closed down 8.1 percent at $30.36.
Discussing the need for a federal privacy law, Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter cited the “real tools” the FTC gained from the children’s privacy law: specific rulemaking and civil penalty authorities. Granted under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, those tools have been debated this Congress (see 1810110043). Children should be at the center of the legislative debate, said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., in a video address. Slaughter spoke Wednesday at the Georgetown Institute for Tech Law & Policy (see 1810220041) and at that day’s FTC hearing (see 1810230042).
In use for years by civil space agencies and getting interest from the earth observation industry, there's no clear picture of how soon a commercial rollout of optical satellite communications might occur. Industry participants see that imminent but industry watchers are more conservative. One aspect that makes the field attractive is the lack of FCC or ITU regulation, which is far off, we were told. "These are serious people and serious investors making this happen; they wouldn't be engaged if this was speculative," said Aerospace Vice President-Space Systems Frank Slazer.
Allowing U.S. devices to access the Galileo global navigation satellite system and a review of FCC orbital debris rules will highlight Nov. 15's meeting, Chairman Ajit Pai blogged Wednesday previewing items to be released Thursday. The FCC also will consider items on hearing-aid compatibility and cable communications with subscribers.
FCC commissioners voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve an NPRM on opening 1,200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use. It was tweaked to ask more questions about indoor use and the need for automated frequency coordination for all devices, as expected (see 1810170054). Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC should move forward to reconsider the 5.9 GHz band.
The FCC voted 4-0 to allow some rate-of-return rural telcos to choose incentive regulation for business data services, and to open rulemakings on the treatment of both RoR and price-cap carrier legacy transport. Commissioners gave eligible RoR carriers a second chance to opt into incentive regulation, instead of the single opportunity in a draft order with two Further NPRMs. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel concurred, supporting the outcome despite "analytical shortcomings." RLEC groups cheered.
Sharper pencils resulted in satellite operators upping the amount of C-band spectrum that could be available for terrestrial use (see 1810220053), they told us, saying it's unlikely they will propose freeing up even more of the 3.7-4.2 GHz. A lawyer with a client involved in C-band said the additional spectrum will get the FCC's attention, and the proposal fits squarely into what the agency was believed to have wanted -- repurposing 200 MHz.
Media market stakeholders are likely to launch further salvos over the next two months in a bid to define the contours of the coming Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization debate, but Capitol Hill is unlikely to wade further into the issue until the 116th Congress convenes next year, lawmakers and lobbyists told us. The recertification process was seen as unlikely to start in earnest until after January. The issue factored into a September House Communications Subcommittee hearing (see 1809270062).
The FCC approved revised rules for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, as expected (see 1810160068), over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, who crafted the revised rules, said changes were necessary to spark interest in the priority access licenses that will be sold as one tier of the band.