New America's Open Technology Institute told the FCC that interconnection and internet traffic exchange remains a "live issue" during meetings with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. The group suggested that the commission "at a minimum adopt a presumption that paid peering agreements are unreasonable and/or discriminatory practices in violation of Sections 201 and 202 if the exchanged traffic is sufficiently localized by the exchanging party." OTI also asked the FCC to restore its 2010 rule on transparency, noting its distinction from the commission's consumer broadband labels. The transparency rule's purpose is "to provide a broader set of stakeholders with a more comprehensive view" of providers' networks and practices, the group said.
The FCC’s Technological Advisory Council held its first meeting under its new charter, with a focus on wireless technology. As such, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told TAC members they should help change Washington's negative tone when it discusses AI. The new TAC's efforts are just starting under three working groups: advanced spectrum sharing, AI/machine learning (ML) and 6G.
The FCC disagrees with the motion of 20 industry petitioners for expedited briefing and oral argument of their consolidated challenges to the commission’s Nov. 20 digital discrimination order, according to the agency’s opposition brief Tuesday (docket 24-1179) in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Faced with an increasingly antagonistic developing world, the commercial satellite industry must do a better job selling itself and its benefits, NTIA senior spectrum advisor Scott Blake Harris said Tuesday during Access Intelligence’s Satellite 2024 conference in Washington. Regions that feel left out by the low earth orbit satellite boom expressed hostility toward LEO issues during the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference, he said. Throughout the day, multiple satellite operators and space industry experts mentioned the developing world as a large potential target market, particularly for satellite broadband. Harris said he’s concerned that the ITU and regulatory processes could delay existing satellite systems and development of new ones. Between now and WRC-27, the satellite industry must convince the developing world “it has something to offer."
Stopgap funding for the FCC’s affordable connectivity program is not included in an FY 2024 appropriations “minibus” package Congress is aiming to approve this week, several lobbyists told us Tuesday. The omission also makes it doubtful congressional leaders attached an additional $3.08 billion for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, lobbyists said. Advocates of both programs were pushing for their funding in the minibus (see 2403150063) as recently as last weekend. The White House and Capitol Hill reached a deal on FY24 funding for the FCC and most other agencies over the weekend; they reached a final agreement on the bill Monday night.
Firefly Aerospace is aiming for a Sept. 19 launch of its Elytra-1 satellite, it told the FCC Space Bureau in an application posted Monday. The low earth orbit satellite will serve as a technology demonstration platform for as long as a year, transporting and deploying multiple customer payloads, it added. Firefly said the Elytra product line is targeting on-orbit mobility, logistics and hosted payload services.
Ohio's Jefferson County Cable TV will pay a $10,000 civil penalty to end an FCC investigation into the company's broadband data reporting practices, according to an Enforcement Bureau consent decree in Monday's Daily Digest. The bureau said that after an individual challenged the company's reported broadband service provision data, Jefferson County Cable acknowledged it hadn't properly reviewed and understood the FCC's guidance on broadband data collection filings and that about 1,500 locations reported as receiving service were removed from the company's filings.
The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment Monday on an application from Watts Bar Maritime and Amateur Radio School (WBMARS) in Tennessee to serve as a commercial operator license examination manager. The bureau said 12 entities are certified to serve in that role. “WBMARS asserts that examinations will be offered upon request and administered on-site or remotely in almost all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands beginning within 10 days following approval,” the bureau said. Comments are due April 17, replies May 2, in docket 24-89.
The Free State Foundation believes Republicans' use of Congressional Review Act authority in their resolution of disapproval to undo the FCC’s digital discrimination order (H.J.Res. 107/S.J.Res. 64) is "a "necessary and proper" means of scuttling the commission's "unlawful" action. The CRA "provides a means for Congress to rein in overreaching administrative agencies that have abused their authority," FSF tweeted. Republicans face long odds of enacting H.J.Res. 107/S.J.Res. 64 because it's unlikely any Senate Democrats will back the measure and President Joe Biden would probably veto it (see 2402260001). The digital discrimination order faces multiple legal challenges, now consolidated in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (see 2403140042).
Industry largely welcomed an FCC proposal to rely on the broadband serviceable location fabric for updating and verifying compliance with certain high-cost program support recipients’ deployment obligations in comments posted Monday in docket 10-90 (see 2402130058). Some sought assurances and support thresholds for rural carriers and those nearing their final deployment milestones.