The FirstNet board will have big leadership changes as FirstNet and AT&T continue the buildout of the national network for first responders. FirstNet said Monday that current Chairwoman Sue Swenson and Vice Chairman Jeff Johnson are leaving the board, even though both could have remained for another year. Both led FirstNet during some of its toughest days before the selection of AT&T last year.
ASPEN, Colo. -- DOJ's antitrust chief will continue to take cases involving mergers and acquisitions to court if those combining won't accede to the department's demands -- even if there's a chance of losing a case, his deputy said. Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim is "not afraid to litigate," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Barry Nigro in Q&A at a Technology Policy Institute event Monday. He replaced his boss, who couldn't attend as planned. Asked about T-Mobile buying Sprint, AT&T's now-successful buy of Time Warner over DOJ opposition, and a Sinclair/Tribune sale that raised FCC questions, Nigro noted he wasn't commenting specifically and is recused on the last deal.
Incumbents and rivals painted different pictures of fixed broadband competition as the FCC prepares a communications market report by year-end required by the Ray Baum's Act. NCTA said competition "is delivering substantial benefits to consumers," bolstered by deregulation, and USTelecom said the fixed broadband market continues to be "dynamic," with increasing competitive alternatives. But Incompas said "data is insufficient to conclude the fixed broadband marketplace is competitive," and urged the agency to dismiss a USTelecom wholesale forbearance petition. Comments were due Friday in docket 18-231.
More than half the Senate supports the Music Modernization Act, with five lawmakers signing onto the legislation last week, bringing sponsorship to 51. An aide for Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the bill's author, told us his office is continuing to push for floor action. Hatch is hopeful for passage this year, given the last-minute compromise on an initially controversial amendment from Texas Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn (see 1808030044).
The federal indictment of Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., won’t set back growing momentum to end 911 fee diversion, with House Communications Subcommittee Vice Chairman Leonard Lance, R-N.J., and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., ready to keep Collins’ 911 Fee Integrity Act (HR-6424) moving, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said in an interview. Increasing national attention by Congress and the FCC is putting pressure on states to stop using 911 funds for unrelated purposes, lawmakers and other officials told us.
Republican senators distanced themselves from far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who's the subject of widespread social media censorship and an FCC lawsuit (see 1808100025) and 1808150047). Some lawmakers said Thursday they don’t pay any attention to the InfoWars creator or were unfamiliar with his work.
The Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee could be hard pressed to wrap up a report on infrastructure and disasters by the beginning of March when its two-year charter expires, industry officials said. The FCC is soliciting members of a new BDAC working group, with nominations due Sept. 6. If the group starts meeting in October, it would have to turn around a report in five months, which would be unusually fast for a report by a Federal Advisory Committee Act committee.
White House Counsel Don McGahn phoned FCC Chairman Ajit Pai shortly after the chairman announced a hearing designation order in review of Sinclair's doomed deal to buy Tribune Media, Pai said during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Thursday. Sinclair faces a $1 billion breach of contract lawsuit from Tribune (see 1807160048 and 1808090042).
An industry-led cyber advisory board expects to deliver a final report to President Donald Trump in mid-November establishing cybersecurity as a “national strategic imperative,” officials said Wednesday. The National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee is finalizing its Cybersecurity Moonshot study, members said during a conference call.
The FCC Wireless Bureau posed 49 paragraphs of questions to T-Mobile on its proposed buy of Sprint. The FCC also asked Sprint for information spanning 48 paragraphs. Bureau Chief Donald Stockdale said in cover letters the agency needs more information to properly review the takeover. This appears typical of what's asked of companies in the middle of a similar big transaction, industry lawyers said. Both companies filed a public interest statement in June (see 1806190062). Many say the deal could face a tough time before federal regulators. The letters were posted Wednesday in docket 18-197.