The Senate reconfirmation fight over FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel may bleed over into stalling some big-ticket telecom legislation on the Senate floor, said officials from industry and on Capitol Hill. Some have heard that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., signaled an interest in obstructing telecom legislation until Rosenworcel gets a confirmation vote, which could have major implications for measures recently cleared from the Commerce Committee. That potential scenario was viewed as an unsurprising extension of Reid’s recent outrage.
The FCC tweaked rules for the 3.5 GHz shared band, approving changes circulated for a vote by commissioners in March (see 1603110083). Commissioner Mike O’Rielly dissented in part, questioning whether the changes will make the band commercially viable. The FCC approved the initial 3.5 GHz NPRM in 2012 (see 1212130044), setting up an experimental three-tiered access and sharing model made up of federal and nonfederal incumbents, priority access licenses (PALs) and general authorized access users.
The FCC tweaked rules for the 3.5 GHz shared band, approving changes circulated for a vote by commissioners in March (see 1603110083). Commissioner Mike O’Rielly dissented in part, questioning whether the changes will make the band commercially viable. The FCC approved the initial 3.5 GHz NPRM in 2012 (see 1212130044), setting up an experimental three-tiered access and sharing model made up of federal and nonfederal incumbents, priority access licenses (PALs) and general authorized access users.
The FCC launched an effort to replace its telco special access regime with a “technology-neutral” framework governing business data services (BDS) used by enterprise customers on a retail basis and telecom competitors on a wholesale basis. Commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines Thursday as some expected (see 1604270051) to approve a Further NPRM along with a tariff investigation order that prohibits certain incumbent telco practices. Chairman Tom Wheeler said the plan is to establish “a level playing field” and make regulatory judgments based on the competitiveness of markets. “That is what is proposed. Then we ask a lot of questions,” he said.
The FCC launched an effort to replace its telco special access regime with a “technology-neutral” framework governing business data services (BDS) used by enterprise customers on a retail basis and telecom competitors on a wholesale basis. Commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines Thursday as some expected (see 1604270051) to approve a Further NPRM along with a tariff investigation order that prohibits certain incumbent telco practices. Chairman Tom Wheeler said the plan is to establish “a level playing field” and make regulatory judgments based on the competitiveness of markets. “That is what is proposed. Then we ask a lot of questions,” he said.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., quietly expanded his FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) less than a week before the Senate Commerce Committee plans to mark it up. He privately circulated a substitute amendment to S-2644 Thursday that would attach two measures with prominent bipartisan support -- the Kari’s Law Act (S-2553) and the Spoofing Prevention Act (S-2558). The markup is at 10 a.m. Wednesday in 253 Russell.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., quietly expanded his FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) less than a week before the Senate Commerce Committee plans to mark it up. He privately circulated a substitute amendment to S-2644 Thursday that would attach two measures with prominent bipartisan support -- the Kari’s Law Act (S-2553) and the Spoofing Prevention Act (S-2558). The markup is at 10 a.m. Wednesday in 253 Russell.
Another Senate Republican imposed a hold on the renomination of FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., told us this week. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., tore into Republicans Thursday for what he considers a broken deal and a private apparent suggestion from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that he wouldn't touch the renomination this year. Rosenworcel, a Democrat whose term expired last summer, would be unable to serve past 2016.
Another Senate Republican imposed a hold on the renomination of FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., told us this week. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., tore into Republicans Thursday for what he considers a broken deal and a private apparent suggestion from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that he wouldn't touch the renomination this year. Rosenworcel, a Democrat whose term expired last summer, would be unable to serve past 2016.
An executive branch filing in support of the FCC set-top box proceeding (see 1604150003) is largely laudatory of the commission's proposal but also questions aspects of the agency's plans on privacy and copyright, which have also been a focus of the proposal's opponents. “The Commission should take steps to ensure that expansion of competition in navigation devices does not diminish existing privacy protections,” NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling said in the filing. Privacy and copyright concerns were the focus of a joint NCTA/MPAA news briefing denouncing the FCC plan last week (see 1604130052), which itself followed experts saying that access to consumer data may be the ultimate tech prize in the NPRM approved by a politically split FCC (see 1603080037).