Questions about the origination of the recent false missile alert in Hawaii should be answered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency rather than the FCC, said FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief Lisa Fowlkes and several senators at a Commerce Committee hearing Thursday (see 1801240046), which FEMA officials didn't attend, despite being invited.
Protesting a BDAC he believes is weighted toward industry, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo resigned Wednesday from the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. But the advisory group’s other two local members said they will continue serving. With BDAC work expected to continue into March or April, the BDAC and municipal code working group chairs supported replacing Liccardo with another local official, though it’s up to the FCC. Local members earlier issued a minority report and questioned BDAC findings at meetings Tuesday and Wednesday at the FCC (see 1801240033 and 1801230043).
District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine will propose net neutrality legislation to the D.C. Council, an AG office official said Wednesday at a Council Government Operations Committee roundtable on a resolution condemning the FCC’s December decision to rescind Communications Act Title II protections. D.C. interim Chief Technology Officer Barney Krucoff and Public Service Commission Chairman Betty Ann Kane also supported the resolution, though Kane noted the PSC can’t regulate broadband internet access service (BIAS) providers or the internet.
The Senate could pass an autonomous driving bill if compromise can be reached on objections from Democrats, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-N.D., told reporters after a field hearing at the Washington Auto Show. The American Vision for Safer Transportation Through Advancement of Revolutionary Technologies (AV Start) Act passed the committee in October (see 1710040063), but Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Conn., Ed Markey, Mass., and Dianne Feinstein, Calif., blocked S-1885’s move to the floor over concerns it doesn’t adequately protect driver safety.
The FCC unanimously approved one media deregulation item from the upcoming January commissioners’ meeting agenda (see 1801090050) Wednesday. The second is also expected to be voted 5-0, officials said in interviews. An order doing away with rules left over from the DTV transition didn't change substantively from the draft, and the draft NPRM on filing requirements isn't expected to, either. "These revisions delete rule provisions that are without current legal effect and are therefore obsolete," said Wednesday's order.
A false alarm warning about a ballistic missile headed for Hawaii is likely to be Senate Commerce Committee members' primary focus during a Thursday hearing on emergency alert systems, but it's likely other issues also will factor into the debate, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews. The committee planned the hearing in direct response to the Hawaii alert, which caused panic there Jan. 13. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell. The panel is just one element of the expected congressional scrutiny of the incident; a House Communications Subcommittee framed a planned Feb. 16 FCC oversight hearing as targeting ongoing issues with emergency alerts (see 1801160054 and 1801170050).
FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee reports don’t do enough to recognize concerns of state and local governments, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said at day two of BDAC’s meeting called to finalize much of its work. BDAC approved a report from its streamlining federal siting working group and spent much of the rest of the session discussing the model codes for states and for municipalities. Tuesday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the agency will take quick action on the BDAC recommendations (see 1801230043).
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings “was as surprised as anyone else that Fox is willing to sell” many of its assets to Disney (see 1712140038), he said told investors. “To have all those cable networks together in one bundle gives them tremendous pricing power against MVPDs,” Hastings said of Disney. “So I could see the attractiveness of it, and then they’re also putting together a Disney direct-to-consumer service which we think will be very successful because Disney has super-strong brands.” Netflix reported Monday that it beat its October forecast on Q4 net subscriber additions (see 1801220049). The stock closed 10 percent higher Tuesday at $250.29.
Some voiced skepticism about possible FCC robocalling actions to speed unblocking of erroneously blocked calls. FTC staff and CTIA said new requirements weren't justified, though a Maryland county consumer office was supportive. Comments were posted this week in docket 17-59 on a November Further NPRM attached to an order (see 1711160054 and 1711200055).
Lawmakers’ focus on extremist online content and sex-trafficking legislation were major lobbying issues for tech companies in Q4, in addition to net neutrality, cybersecurity and renewal of Section 702 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authority (see 1801190062 and 1801220057). Amazon, Facebook and Google spent more than in the past Q4s, collectively over $10.5 million. Twitter reported slightly less spending than the previous year, $140,000, down from 2016's $170,000, but still more than double the $50,000 in 2013. Entities lobbying Capitol Hill and federal agencies on broadband infrastructure issues more than doubled in Q4 from the year-before quarter (see 1801230068).