California’s net neutrality law could remain unenforced for months despite litigation resuming this week. A federal court set a schedule Thursday that would delay the state law at least until Q4, and it could be much longer if DOJ and industry win preliminary injunction against the state (see 2007300041). Timing remains hazy for enforcing Vermont’s frozen law. Net neutrality advocates say the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Mozilla v. FCC allowed state laws; others disagreed.
Relatively low bidding so far in the citizens broadband radio service auction is in line with expectations and has no negative implications for the December C-band auction, observers told us. The auction hit $1.28 billion at the end of 19 rounds Monday, which translates to 6 cents per MHz/POP nationwide. FCC officials on Monday said bidding is about as expected at this stage.
President Donald Trump withdrew his renomination of FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly to another term, the White House announced Monday (see 2008030072). The Trump administration and O’Rielly’s office didn’t comment. The agency declined to comment.
While the FCC eyes sticking with telework at least through next June (see 2007240053), many law firms with communications practices tell us they're taking a wait-and-see stance with the pandemic, with no time frame for returning to their facilities. Others have tentative dates in mind for reopening or have partially reopened. Many see increased telework as the norm post-pandemic.
Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks, Public Knowledge and tribal groups slammed the FCC’s 30-day delay of the application window for tribes to apply for 2.5 GHz spectrum, after staff acted Friday (see 2007310027). With COVID-19 a problem in tribal areas, groups had asked for an extra six months, but got until Sept. 2. T-Mobile, the dominant player in the band, told the FCC it was comfortable with a 90-day extension (see 2007300052). The order said 229 applications have been submitted and another 55 applications started by tribal entities as of Friday.
A Senate block on FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly is likely to delay reconfirmation until at least after Congress’ upcoming August recess and potentially until after the November election, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews last week. Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., placed a hold last week on O’Rielly that he said will last until the commissioner publicly “states that he will vote to overturn” the order approving Ligado’s L-band plan (see 2007280039). President Donald Trump nominated O’Rielly in March to a term ending in 2024 (see 2003180070).
The Environmental Health Trust (EHT), Consumers for Safe Cell Phones and the Children’s Health Defense asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to rule the FCC’s refusal to update its 25-year-old “obsolete” RF exposure rules is a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Telecom Act. EHT officials argued for forcing FCC action during a news conference Thursday.
The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee unanimously OK'd Thursday a report by the Spectrum Strategy Governance Subcommittee on potential changes to federal oversight of spectrum (see 2004220059). They didn’t reach conclusions (see 2007280047).
A State Department official built the U.S. case against Huawei and other Chinese companies and the threat they pose to 5G and the communications supply chain. “Trust cannot exist where a telecom vendor is subject to an authoritarian government” like China, said Robert Strayer, deputy assistant secretary-cyber and international communications and information policy, during a Thursday Telecommunications Industry Association webinar.
The clock started ticking Thursday for incumbent C-band fixed satellite service earth station operators to decide whether to take the lump sum for spectrum clearing transition costs. Some expect relatively few to take that option after the agency made only some cost estimate changes sought by many MVPDs (see 2007060051). The Wireless Bureau public notice set Aug. 31 for the lump sum election and laid out the cost category schedule and dollar amounts. The FCC seems unlikely to budge on the deadline or inclined to hand out waivers, said broadcast lawyer Anne Crump of Fletcher Heald.