Qualcomm's ending its bid to buy Autotalks will help preserve competition and innovation, FTC Competition Bureau Director Henry Liu said Monday. Qualcomm reportedly reached a deal for the Israeli chip manufacturer, valued at an estimated $350 million. Abandoning it will benefit consumers in the market for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) “chipsets and related products used in automotive safety systems,” said Liu. “This is a win for car buyers seeking quality, affordable cars with V2X communication capabilities that promise to make driving easier and safer.” The European Commission announced in August plans to scrutinize the deal in response to requests from 15 member states. Qualcomm said in a statement Monday it exited the deal "due to lack of regulatory approvals in a timely manner. Automotive is a very important vertical for Qualcomm, and we remain fully committed to our product roadmap, our customers and our partners."
President Joe Biden signed off Saturday on the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act FY 2024 minibus spending package (HR-2882), the White House said. The Senate voted 74-24 Saturday morning on the measure, which allocates $390.2 million to the FCC, $425.7 million to the FTC and $535 million in FY 2026 funds for CPB. Congressional leaders omitted stopgap funding for the FCC's affordable connectivity program and money for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, despite repeated calls from the initiatives' backers (see 2403210067).
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., led filing of the Supporting National Security with Spectrum Act Friday as an alternative vehicle for allocating an additional $3.08 billion for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program after congressional leaders didn't agree to include the funding in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act FY 2024 minibus spending bill (see 2403210067). Congress inched closer Friday to passing the minibus, which also didn't include stopgap funding for the FCC's ailing affordable connectivity program despite a strong push by the initiative's backers (see 2402210073).
The Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division is referring Charter Communications ad claims regarding T-Mobile's 5G Home Internet Service to the FTC for review. NAD said Thursday that T-Mobile challenged the ads as misleading or false. Because Charter opted out of NAD's self-regulatory process, the division said it referred the claims to the FTC. A person involved in the NAD proceeding told us Charter's objections were procedural and concerned NAD conducting an expedited review. In an email, Charter wrote it "stand[s] by the claims ... about the service limitations of cell phone internet, and we welcome the opportunity to fully defend our claims."
Senate Commerce Committee Democrats and Republicans who back allocating an additional $3.08 billion for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program and stopgap funding for the commission’s ailing affordable connectivity program used a Thursday spectrum-focused hearing (see 2403210063) to vent about the Hill's failure thus far to address either priority. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act FY 2024 minibus spending bill, which congressional leaders released early Thursday morning as an amendment to legislative vehicle HR-2882, as expected (see 2403190062) includes neither ACP nor rip-and-replace funding.
The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act FY 2024 minibus spending bill released early Thursday morning doesn't include stopgap funding for the FCC's affordable connectivity program or the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, as expected. The measure allocates almost $390.2 million to the FCC for FY24 and $425.7 million to the FTC. It also includes $535 million for CPB in FY 2026, turning back House Appropriations Committee Republicans' attempt to end that entity's advance funding.
Advocates of additional federal funding for the FCC’s affordable connectivity program and Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program were closely monitoring congressional negotiations Friday in hopes appropriators would reach a deal addressing both priorities as part of a second tranche of FY 2024 spending bills lawmakers want approved before midnight March 22. Rip-and-replace supporters voiced strong optimism that the next “minibus” package would include $3.08 billion to fully fund that program. ACP backers were, at least privately, growing less hopeful of a deal including their priority.
The Copyright Office should renew and expand right to repair-related exemptions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the FTC and DOJ said in joint comments announced Thursday. The CO is considering renewing exemptions to the DMCA’s prohibitions against circumvention of technology protection measures that control access to copyrighted content. Renewing and expanding the repair-related exemptions would “promote competition in markets for replacement parts, repair, and maintenance services, as well as facilitate competition in markets for repairable products,” the agencies said. Enforcers support the renewal of an exemption “related to computer programs that control devices designed primarily for use by consumers for diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of the device and expanding it to include commercial and industrial equipment,” they said.
The Colorado House supported expanding the state’s right-to-repair law that covers digital electronic equipment like cellphones. The House voted 39-18 Tuesday for HB-1121. The FTC supported the bill at a hearing earlier this month (see 2403010046). CTIA, the Consumer Technology Association and other industry groups opposed the bill. “Without any vetting process for qualified repair facilities, the potential for consumer harm is significant and undermines the innovations manufacturers have developed to protect customers,” the associations wrote in a Feb. 27 letter: And it would add to a state patchwork. The bill will go to the Colorado Senate.
Social media companies should obtain parental consent before sending children push notifications that keep them on platforms, a bipartisan group of 43 state attorneys general told the FTC in comments due Monday (see 2312280030). Some tech and telecom groups warned that the FTC's push-notification proposal is likely to be unconstitutional and outside its statutory authority.