Lack of trained tradespeople and onerous permitting procedures could represent major challenges to broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program implementation, speakers said Tuesday at Incompas’ annual policy summit in Washington. The looming end of the affordable connectivity program (ACP) (see 2403040077) is a big wrench in the works of planned BEAD projects, said Evan Feinman, who leads NTIA's BEAD program. He said internet service providers are recalculating project costs, and many planned projects will go into the red as they receive less help covering their operating expenses.
Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., and House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Doris Matsui, D-Calif., voiced varying levels of optimism during a Tuesday Incompas conference (see 2403050052) about the prospects that lawmakers will be able to reach a deal on stopgap funding that will keep the FCC’s affordable connectivity program running past this spring. The FCC said in a Monday update on its wind-down of the program that it will be able to provide only “partial” reimbursements for ACP in May (see 2403040077). Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., highlighted their ongoing interest in enacting legislation to lift or ease permitting processes in a bid to streamline broadband deployments.
Enterprise Wireless Alliance announces Marty McKinney, ex-APCO, as director-business development …Alaska Communications hires Jeff Vogt, ex-Actifai, also former Cantaloupe, Comcast, Level 3 Communications and AOL, as chief operating officer ... Piper Sandler investment bank promotes Brian White to co-head-technology investment banking, sharing that title with Steven Schmidt; White succeeds Nicholas Osborne, promoted to chairman-technology investment banking ... LastPass taps Asad Siddiqui, ex-Celigo, also former LinkedIn, as chief information officer ... AT&T elects Sunshine Products CEO Marissa Mayer, also former Yahoo and Google, to its board ... Mobix Labs, fabless semiconductor company specializing in connectivity technologies for 5G infrastructure and satellite communications, names Chief Technology Officer Jim Aralis to lead new technical advisory board; inaugural board members are Greg Winner, InnoPhase chief operating officer; Jay Standiford, longtime engineering executive and consultant; and Frank Thiel, founder of Kolvenier Solutions, technology consulting company.
The House is expected to vote as soon as Wednesday on the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act, a “minibus” funding bill that includes reductions for NTIA and other Commerce Department agencies but a slight increase for the DOJ Antitrust Division. President Joe Biden signed a continuing resolution (HR-7463) March 1 that extended federal appropriations for those agencies through Friday, March 8 (see 2403010072). The chamber is also set to vote this week on the 988 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act (HR-498) and NTIA Reauthorization Act (HR-4510) under suspension of the rules (see 2403010073).
The nascent Republican leadership race to succeed retiring House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.) is scrambling expectations as to who will hold the GOP's top seat on the House Communications Subcommittee in the next Congress, lobbyists and observers told us. Environment Subcommittee Chairman Buddy Carter, R-Ga., confirmed to us Thursday he’s interested in House Communications’ lead GOP seat, but other lawmakers are too. There’s even more uncertainty about what Republican will lead the delegation on the Senate Communications Subcommittee in the next Congress as ranking member John Thune (S.D.) is a likely contender to succeed Mitch McConnell (Ky.) as the party's chamber leader.
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz of Texas and two other panel Republicans pressed the Commerce Department Friday to withdraw the National Institute of Standards and Technology's August guidance to applicants for Chips and Science Act semiconductor manufacturing facility incentives that the lawmakers believe is racist and violates federal law. NIST's August guidance says it's "looking for applications with a supplier diversity plan that features a plan to track supplier diversity, sets targets, and conducts outreach in coordination with community partners." Cruz and the other Republicans, Sens. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and J.D. Vance of Ohio, told Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo they view the guidance as making clear the department "will consider the race of an applicant’s suppliers when awarding CHIPS funding." That appears to violate the Fifth Amendment's due process clause, 1868 Civil Rights Act Section 1981 and 1964 Civil Rights Act Title VI, the Republicans said in a letter to Raimondo. NIST's "use of racial classifications, as set forth in the Guidance, does not serve a compelling governmental interest." Commerce "provides no evidence of disparities minority-owned suppliers face generally, let alone specific instances of discrimination that the Department is seeking to address," the senators said: "And it does not attempt to make any claim that this discrimination is necessary to avoid a prison race riot." Those are the two instances the Supreme Court had found justify race-based government actions. The guidance "intentionally treats certain applicants worse than others on the ground of the race of their suppliers," the senators said: "Title VI forbids such discrimination.” Section 1981, meanwhile, "makes it illegal for private companies to discriminate on the basis of race when making and enforcing contracts." Commerce "has not yet finalized a grant for any CHIPS funding to any applicants," the senators said: "Therefore, the Department still has time to reverse course before it breaks the law." They want Raimondo to respond by Feb. 29 that she's rescinded the guidance or detail "the reasons you believe the Guidance does not violate" the Fifth Amendment and civil rights laws. Commerce didn't immediately comment.
President Joe Biden’s nominee for U.S. coordinator of international communications and information policy, drew a favorable response from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats during a truncated Thursday confirmation hearing. Steve Lang emphasized the need for U.S. “solidarity with like-minded partners around the world” on communications and cybersecurity issues “to better face the existential challenge from” China and other “countries that don't share our democratic values.” Lang is currently deputy assistant secretary of state-international information and communications policy.
Internet & Television Association hires Inova Health System’s Robert Cantu, also ex-CTIA, as vice president-cybersecurity and broadband technology … SpacePath Communications appoints Eric Schmidt, ex-Comtech, as vice president-sales and marketing, North America ... Michael Bange, ex-New Jersey American Water, joins New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, replacing MaryAnna Holden as commissioner … Orbital Outpost X, startup for space and terrestrial technology, announces Negar Feher, ex-Maxar, as CEO …Radcom 5G tech company appoints Guy Shemesh, ex-Nokia, as CEO, effective Feb. 14, succeeding Eyal Harari, retiring … Web accessibility platform AudioEye hires Mike Paciello, former co-chair of U.S. Access Board's Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee, as chief accessibility officer.
The FCC Precision Agriculture Task Force met Wednesday, welcoming new members and discussing the group's mandate as it kicked off its third and final term (see 2308210069). The commission gave it the task of identifying gaps in broadband availability on agricultural land, as well as providing recommendations for rapid deployment and data collection.
The FTC is examining Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft to see if they are unfairly exerting undue control over AI markets, Chair Lina Khan announced Thursday.