Industry groups are pushing the FCC to take more steps to limit the reach of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and particularly the definition of automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS), after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit earlier this year overturned key parts of a 2015 order and declaratory ruling (see 1803160053). FCC action addressing industry concerns is widely expected (see 1804160044). The agency sought further comment in an Oct. 3 public notice, and responses were filed Wednesday and Thursday in docket 18-152. TCPA bars ATDS calls only to cellphones.
An outspoken metropolitan New York specialty AV retailer confronted Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle during Q&A of an NAB Show New York ATSC 3.0 workshop Thursday by opining that the standard won’t fly with consumers unless broadcasters use it to beam live sports and other content in Ultra HD. “What people want from the owned and operated network stations is 4K HDR, and when you deliver that, it will be instantly successful to the many millions and millions of people who have sets waiting,” said Robert Zohn, president of Value Electronics in Scarsdale, New York.
The FCC earth stations in motion rules harmonization and Further NPRM about additional frequencies for communication with geostationary satellites approved last month (see 1809260029) could help juice up satellite broadband applications and the vehicular ESIM market, experts said at an FCBA event Thursday. Inmarsat Regulatory Director Giselle Creeser said the land ESIM market has been quieter than aeronautical and maritime applications, but services including autonomous trains and long-haul trucks are likely coming up.
U.S. broadband capital expenditures rose 2 percent in 2017 to $76.3 billion, said USTelecom's annual report Thursday. The group credited the FCC's recent "internet freedom" and tech transition orders and congressional "tax reform" with helping to reverse a two-year capex decline that "began" when the FCC "moved to impose common carrier" regulation on broadband providers in 2015. The report confirms FCC "policies to promote broadband deployment are working," said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. "Investment is pouring back into this space," said Commissioner Brendan Carr at a USTelecom event.
From issues ranging from longer time frames before non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite constellations are considered in use, to identifying the entire 47.2-50.2 band for international mobile telecommunications (IMT), terrestrial and satellite interests are pushing numerous and sometimes jousting suggestions for the World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee draft recommendations. Comments were posted this week in docket 16-185.
Lack of a final decision from Chief Administrative Law Judge Richard Sippel on the Sinclair/Tribune hearing designation order won't slow or affect Sinclair merger and acquisition efforts, CEO Chris Ripley told us after speaking at NAB Show New York Thursday. Sinclair is “focused” on more consolidation in broadcast TV, and on adjacent growth avenues such as regional sports networks, cable and digital offerings, Ripley said.
CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus thinks broadcasting live sports in 4K will take a slow and methodical migration path, reminiscent of other network moves into new technologies, he told the NAB Show New York’s TV2020 conference Wednesday. “It’s going to be just like high-definition,” he said.
Personal data transfer mechanism Privacy Shield appears likely to emerge successfully from the European Commission review that begins this week. "I'm quite sure it will pass," emailed Hogan Lovells (London) data protection lawyer Eduardo Ustaran. "I may be wrong but I do not expect a revolution," emailed Linklaters (Brussels) privacy attorney Tanguy Van Overstraeten. "The next important step will be the court review." Data Protection Commissioner v. Facebook was referred by the Irish High Court to the European Court of Justice in April.
Heads of TV station groups and broadcast alliances banded together onstage Wednesday at the NAB Show New York to announce a “collaborative effort” committing to launch coast-to-coast ATSC 3.0 services to the U.S. public over the next several years.
Some public, educational and government channel boosters worry a Supreme Court case over PEG channels could affect the status quo for such programmers. Alliance for Community Media (ACM) is among those trying to figure out the implications.