ASPEN, Colorado -- Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen hopes to settle with T-Mobile over the satellite-TV company's concerns that the wireless carrier plans to turn off an older 3G network that serves Dish prepaid customers. Ergen told a Technology Policy Institute event he thinks something could be worked out. It's a message he repeated in a brief encounter with a T-Mobile representative who approached him afterward. Ergen also noted he hadn't heard of any T-Mobile data breach (see 2108160056).
ASPEN, Colorado -- Privacy is a policy area with bipartisan potential at the FTC, Commissioner Noah Phillips told us between panels at the Technology Policy Institute conference Monday, though he doubts the agency’s authority to issue rulemakings for the entire economy.
Connecticut should adopt one-touch, make-ready (OTMR) requirements, local governments and the telecom industry commented Thursday at the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). Union workers and some pole owners advised caution in the agency's ongoing pole-attachment proceeding. The Florida Public Service Commission expects to develop rules soon to reverse preempt FCC jurisdiction over pole attachments. Several other states are also mulling attachment issues.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg was right to dismiss the FTC’s antitrust case against Facebook (see 2106280057), but he created a road map for the agency to replead its monopoly case against the social network, antitrust attorneys said in interviews.
Congressional Democrats are considering how to attach additional broadband money to a coming budget reconciliation package (see 2108100062) without violating the agreement a bipartisan group of senators struck on spending for what became the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Senate-passed HR-3684 includes $65 billion for broadband. Republicans and some observers caution attempts to include connectivity money this year beyond what was in the bipartisan infrastructure package could backfire.
Some winning Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction bidders asked the FCC to waive penalties if they decide to withdraw bids for census blocks that faced questions about whether service is already available. Bidders that won the smallest number of census blocks are among those that responded to the FCC accepting the offer so far.
The FCC’s rules for foreign-sponsored content are outside the agency’s authority and violate the Administrative Procedure Act, said a petition for review filed Friday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by NAB, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, and the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. Provisions in the rules that require broadcasters to investigate any entity leasing airtime are “overbroad,” said NABOB President James Winston in an interview (see 2104220074). “Broadcasters strongly oppose foreign interference in American elections, but the Commission’s order fails to even address this core objective,” the groups said in a joint news release.
A divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit remanded the FCC's 2019 RF safety rules (see 2108130035) to the FCC for further work. The rules largely upheld old rules, while making a few tweaks (see 1912040036). Judges appeared skeptical of the FCC’s defense in January argument in Environmental Health Trust v. FCC (see 2101250051). The wireless industry and RF safety advocates both declared a win. The FCC is “reviewing the decision carefully,” a spokesperson said.
Broadcasters and the recording industry remain at odds over a longstanding legislative debate about the prospect of performance royalty payments for radio airplay. Interviews with NAB and former Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., chairman of musicFIRST, a group that represents artists’ interests, highlighted the divide.
Verizon’s proposed buy of Tracfone got a major boost Thursday with Public Knowledge, Communications Workers of America and other groups dropping their opposition (see 2108110018). That means most of the groups now say their concerns have been addressed. Verizon filed a letter at the FCC formalizing its commitments. The groups retained the right to object in state proceedings, including before the California Public Utilities Commission. California consumer groups said the federal concessions don't ameliorate their concerns.