AT&T reported growth Thursday, adding 928,000 postpaid phone customers in Q3, more than double the 429,000 added by Verizon (see 2110200052). That was the highest number of adds in 10 years, the company said, with 4.4 million wireless postpaid subscribers added over the past year. AT&T also reached an “inflection point” in its wireline business, with broadband revenue growth surpassing legacy decline, executives said on a call with analysts.
Facebook was the top lobbying spender from tech and telecom in Q3, supplanting Amazon, the leader in recent quarters (see 2107210049). NCTA and Comcast again rounded out the top four. Most major tech and telecom companies' lobbying spending rose in Q3 compared with the same period in 2020; Huawei, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, IBM and Dell had the largest percentage increases. Apple, Broadcom and T-Mobile outlays dropped.
The FCC received mixed reaction as it sought to refresh the record on broadband access in multi-tenant environments, in comments posted through Thursday in docket 17-142 (see 2109070047). Many telecom and consumer groups urged to limit or outright exclusivity agreements and other practices that limit MTE options for ISPs and consumers. Others argued against additional regulation.
With no comprehensive recent national privacy law, stakeholders must continue discussions about ways to rebuild consumers' trust in technology -- perhaps via standards or other agreed-upon measures, an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and XR Association conference was told Thursday. Speakers on one panel agreed the U.S. is behind on legislative efforts (see 2110200060). They said Europe is ahead, such as with the EU general data protection regulation. Boosting people's confidence that their information will be appropriately used when it's collected by devices, apps and by content providers is possible but not guaranteed, ITIF and XRA were told.
The FCC shouldn’t act on its own to combat ransomware attacks against communications networks unless a “whole of government” approach doesn’t materialize, said Commissioner Nathan Simington Thursday in a virtual Q&A with former Commissioner Robert McDowell, now at Cooley. Combating ransomware attacks like the recent strike against Sinclair isn’t outside the agency’s authority, but might be outside its capabilities, “unless Congress gives us another thousand people to man that desk,” Simington said (see 2110210045).
The FCC has the “clearest legal authority and expertise” to “fully oversee” ISPs, Chair Lina Khan said during an FTC meeting Thursday. Trade commissioners voted unanimously to release a staff report on ISP privacy practices (see 2110180046), with all four agreeing it revealed important findings about data collection.
Broadcasters, cable groups and emergency alerting companies resisted FCC suggestions for persistent emergency alert system warnings and changes to alerting codes. “It is simply not feasible to incorporate these changes cost-effectively into the existing, well embedded system,” said NCTA. Comments were due Tuesday in docket 15-94.
5G smartphone adoption has grown about twice as fast as 4G, with about 25% of Verizon’s customer base now having 5G-capable devices, CEO Hans Vestberg said Wednesday. Postpaid growth continued, but Vestberg warned of growing competitive pressures in wireless. Executives declined to comment on their spectrum strategy or holdings with the 3.45 GHz auction underway. AT&T reports Q3 results Thursday.
The District of Columbia Council must be careful not to complicate efforts to access federal broadband funding as it develops internet equity bill B24-200, said D.C. Chief Technology Officer Lindsey Parker at a virtual hearing Wednesday. The Office of the Chief Technology Officer is exploring municipal broadband, including possibly becoming a middle-mile provider that would work with small local last-mile providers, she told a Government Operations and Facilities Committee hearing.
National Institute of Standards and Technology director nominee Laurie Locascio repeatedly emphasized the agency's role in maintaining U.S. competitiveness in communications and other emerging technologies against China and other adversaries during a Wednesday hearing, in part citing the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act. Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and other members pressed her on a range of tech-related issues, but she faced limited fire amid a focus on other nominees.