California lawmakers advancing net neutrality legislation sends a message to Washington that Americans want an open internet, supporters said after Thursday’s vote (see 1808300056). FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly condemned the action, which Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel welcomed. National industry groups called for a federal law, saying state-specific rules threaten broadband investment. Lawsuits could come, said observers, although three other states earlier enacted net neutrality bills without legal challenge.
California lawmakers advancing net neutrality legislation sends a message to Washington that Americans want an open internet, supporters said after Thursday’s vote (see 1808300056). FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly condemned the action, which Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel welcomed. National industry groups called for a federal law, saying state-specific rules threaten broadband investment. Lawsuits could come, said observers, although three other states earlier enacted net neutrality bills without legal challenge.
A hallmark of the Ajit Pai FCC chairmanship is that he has almost complete support from fellow Republicans, who have maintained party discipline. Republican Mike O’Rielly has had one full dissent and 12 partial dissents, our review found. Former officials told us Pai has no reason to complain.
A hallmark of the Ajit Pai FCC chairmanship is that he has almost complete support from fellow Republicans, who have maintained party discipline. Republican Mike O’Rielly has had one full dissent and 12 partial dissents, our review found. Former officials told us Pai has no reason to complain.
FCC Republicans Ajit Pai, Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr have voted together the vast majority of the time. Carr partially dissented once and has been mostly in step with Pai since he became a member a year ago. O’Rielly, a commissioner throughout Pai's chairmanship, has disagreed more, based on our review. O’Rielly has had partial dissents 12 times and a full dissent once.
FCC Republicans Ajit Pai, Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr have voted together the vast majority of the time. Carr partially dissented once and has been mostly in step with Pai since he became a member a year ago. O’Rielly, a commissioner throughout Pai's chairmanship, has disagreed more, based on our review. O’Rielly has had partial dissents 12 times and a full dissent once.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., praised the FCC Wednesday for approving an order extending the Mobility Fund II challenge window. The order, approved unanimously but with partial dissent from Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, extends the challenge deadline to Nov. 26 (see 1808210044). It otherwise would have expired Aug. 27. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced his circulation of the order earlier this month at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, following up on a commitment to Hassan and other senators (see 1808160071). The challenge process "will help enable communities across our state to become eligible for funding to support wireless broadband where it is needed the most,” Hassan said. “I urge the Commission to take additional steps to address their flawed maps and to ease the arduous process stakeholders must go through as part of this challenge process."
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., praised the FCC Wednesday for approving an order extending the Mobility Fund II challenge window. The order, approved unanimously but with partial dissent from Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, extends the challenge deadline to Nov. 26 (see 1808210044). It otherwise would have expired Aug. 27. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced his circulation of the order earlier this month at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, following up on a commitment to Hassan and other senators (see 1808160071). The challenge process "will help enable communities across our state to become eligible for funding to support wireless broadband where it is needed the most,” Hassan said. “I urge the Commission to take additional steps to address their flawed maps and to ease the arduous process stakeholders must go through as part of this challenge process."
The FCC should reconsider pre-emption decisions in a pole-attachment order it adopted Thursday (see 1808020034), said U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO Tom Cochran Friday. Mayors strongly oppose FCC actions that “subordinate local governments and their property rights to the benefit of the nation's communications providers,” he said. “With little advance notice or engagement with local and state governments, the FCC action -- which effectively prohibits local and state actions or policies having the effect of barring for some duration a private telecommunications company for accessing the public's rights-of-way -- immediately disrupts local management regimes for the sole purpose of granting one group special federal protections and rights. It also upends a key provision of federal law that was enacted overwhelmingly by Congress in 1996 to protect and respect local and state government property rights and their authority to manage these public assets.” The FCC late in the day released the text of the order and ruling adopting one-touch, make-ready and other pole-attachment changes, and also declaring that state and local moratoriums on network facility siting deployment would be pre-empted. Earlier, others concerned about the FCC's decisions were withholding judgment. “Cities are still deciding on their legal strategies, and we’re going to take the lead from our members,” said a National League of Cities spokesman. NATOA hasn’t decided next steps, said General Counsel Nancy Werner, saying she’s not aware of any decisions by other local government groups. Electric utilities also awaited the text and hope the FCC made changes in response to their concerns, said Aryeh Fishman, Edison Electric Institute associate general counsel. “It depends on what they actually put out," he told us. "We’ll be looking out for whether the FCC changed the draft’s proposal for self-help in the electric space because we see that as being a real risk to worker safety.” He shared the concerns of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who said the order's ambiguity could lead to further disputes. "They’re presenting electric companies with a very substantial compliance challenge," he said. Electric utilities agreed with the FCC's draft decision not to give ILECs pole-attachment rate relief beyond new agreements, he noted.
The FCC should reconsider pre-emption decisions in a pole-attachment order it adopted Thursday (see 1808020034), said U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO Tom Cochran Friday. Mayors strongly oppose FCC actions that “subordinate local governments and their property rights to the benefit of the nation's communications providers,” he said. “With little advance notice or engagement with local and state governments, the FCC action -- which effectively prohibits local and state actions or policies having the effect of barring for some duration a private telecommunications company for accessing the public's rights-of-way -- immediately disrupts local management regimes for the sole purpose of granting one group special federal protections and rights. It also upends a key provision of federal law that was enacted overwhelmingly by Congress in 1996 to protect and respect local and state government property rights and their authority to manage these public assets.” The FCC late in the day released the text of the order and ruling adopting one-touch, make-ready and other pole-attachment changes, and also declaring that state and local moratoriums on network facility siting deployment would be pre-empted. Earlier, others concerned about the FCC's decisions were withholding judgment. “Cities are still deciding on their legal strategies, and we’re going to take the lead from our members,” said a National League of Cities spokesman. NATOA hasn’t decided next steps, said General Counsel Nancy Werner, saying she’s not aware of any decisions by other local government groups. Electric utilities also awaited the text and hope the FCC made changes in response to their concerns, said Aryeh Fishman, Edison Electric Institute associate general counsel. “It depends on what they actually put out," he told us. "We’ll be looking out for whether the FCC changed the draft’s proposal for self-help in the electric space because we see that as being a real risk to worker safety.” He shared the concerns of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who said the order's ambiguity could lead to further disputes. "They’re presenting electric companies with a very substantial compliance challenge," he said. Electric utilities agreed with the FCC's draft decision not to give ILECs pole-attachment rate relief beyond new agreements, he noted.