The U.K. government said it will allow equipment from Huawei on “non-core” parts of the country’s communications infrastructure but will bar it from “sensitive locations” like military bases. The UK’s National Security Council didn’t mention Huawei by name in its Tuesday announcement, instead saying it’s allowing a “high risk vendor” into some parts of the country’s infrastructure because the government believes the risks the company poses can be “safely managed.” The government also said it will cap Huawei’s share of the U.K. market at 35 percent. Huawei “is reassured by the UK government’s confirmation that we can continue working with our customers to keep the 5G roll-out on track," said Vice President Victor Zhang in a statement. "This evidence-based decision will result in a more advanced, more secure and more cost-effective telecoms infrastructure that is fit for the future." Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with President Donald Trump after the announcement about “working together to ensure the security of our telecommunications networks,” a White House spokesperson said. The U.K.’s decision drew the ire of many U.S. lawmakers, some of whom recently filed legislation to bar the U.S. from sharing intelligence “with any country that permits operation within its national borders” of Huawei-produced 5G equipment (see 2001080002). “Allowing Huawei to build the UK’s 5G networks today is like allowing the KGB to build its telephone network during the Cold War,” tweeted Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. “The short-term savings aren’t worth the long-term costs," Cotton said. He and two other Senate Republicans -- John Cornyn of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida -- wrote Johnson Monday urging the country to fully ban Huawei from that country’s infrastructure. “Seeking to limit Huawei to ‘non-core’ infrastructure, as today’s decision attempts, will not succeed in limiting Huawei’s ability to conduct espionage, interfere with critical infrastructure or mobilization, or even access more sensitive nodes in the telecom network,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. “America has never been weaker” and has “never had less influence," tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. "Not even our closest ally Britain, with a Trump soulmate in Downing Street, listens to us anymore." Johnson “has chosen the surveillance state over the special relationship” between the UK and U.S., tweeted House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming. It’s “tragic to see our closest ally, a nation [former President] Ronald Reagan once called “incandescent with courage,” turn away from our alliance and the cause of freedom.”
The House Communications Subcommittee’s Wednesday hearing on broadband access and digital equity is expected to be an opportunity for Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and others to highlight their proposal for allocating proceeds from the FCC’s coming auction of spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band. The panel will also help Democrats showcase broadband issues before the expected rollout of their new infrastructure proposal, lobbyists told us. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., indicated the infrastructure plan would come out this week (see 2001160063). House Communications’ hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman John Kennedy, R-La., Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., filed their Spectrum Management And Reallocation for Taxpayers (Smart) Act Tuesday in a bid to designate the proceeds from a coming auction of bandwidth on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band. Aides to Kennedy and Schatz confirmed the bill’s filing to us ahead of a formal announcement.
House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., want GAO review of NTIA’s federal spectrum management process due to the lawmakers’ concerns about what they termed a year of “chaotic” relationships between that agency and other government entities. “Last year, it was clear that the federal spectrum management process broke down,” Pallone and Walden said Friday in a letter to U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. “Rather than working through the NTIA as the central repository and manager of federal spectrum, we are concerned that many of the federal agencies with spectrum allocations may have circumvented this statutory process.” NTIA is on its third administrator in less than a year, after David Redl’s abrupt resignation in May 2019 (see 1905090051) and acting head Diane Rinaldo’s December departure. Doug Kinkoph is acting leader (see 1912230065). The turnover and changes at other agencies perpetuated concerns that spectrum policy disarray remains within President Donald Trump’s administration (see 2001060013). That “played out in multiple arenas,” including the public fracas between the FCC and Commerce Department over potential effects that commercial use of 24 GHz spectrum sold in an FCC auction would have on weather forecasting technology (see 1906120076), Pallone and Walden said. The ensuing “inefficient management ... undermined the U.S. government’s efforts in international spectrum coordination proceedings” like the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference, which produced mixed results for U.S. interests (see 1912180045). The lawmakers want GAO to determine “what lessons can be drawn from breakdowns in the most recent coordination process” for WRC. GAO last reviewed NTIA's processes in 2011 (see 1105130091). GAO received the request and will now "go through our usual review process before any decisions," a spokesperson emailed. "That usually takes a few weeks." NTIA didn't comment.
House Democrats’ upcoming infrastructure bill package is expected to use composite broadband legislative language drawn from existing measures, communications lobbyists told us last week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California announced earlier this month Democrats would unveil the legislative package this week (see 2001160063). Lawmakers and industry observers question the extent to which Congress will be able to make substantial headway on infrastructure legislation this year given expectations of gridlock before the November presidential election.
C-Band Alliance Executive Vice President-Advocacy and Government Relations Peter Pitsch and others briefed Senate Commerce Committee aides Thursday on what Intelsat Vice President-Investor Relations Dianne VanBeber called “the value to the” U.S. government “of efficiently clearing” the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band. They focused on a Brattle Group analysis detailing how the FCC could use an accelerated clearing fee paid by C-band auction winners to satellite operators that have to relocate (see 2001170027), she told us. CBA argues the FCC has broad authority under Communications Act Title III to require companies buying licenses in a C-band auction to pay for clearing the band as a condition (see 2001160059). Handouts included an overview of CBA’s proposal. That outline argues “getting C-band spectrum cleared more quickly not only means more money, faster, for the U.S. government, but also supports Congress’s goal of unleashing 5G deployments, creating high-tech jobs and staying competitive against China.” CBA said its proposal has the “same goal” as the Utilizing Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act (S-3189), “to counter Chinese companies’ dominance in building 5G.” The bill would create a $500 million fund to accelerate global adoption of trusted and secure telecom equipment (see 2001140067). The measure would also require the FCC to direct at least $750 million, or up to 5 percent of annual spectrum auction proceeds, to create an NTIA-managed open radio access network R&D fund to spur software-based wireless technologies. Lawmakers remain interested in addressing how to allocate proceeds from the coming auction (see 1912240001). Divisions that prevented congressional leaders from reaching agreement have been unresolved (see 2001090021).
Facebook, T-Mobile and CTIA reported increases Tuesday in Q4 lobbying spending, compared with the same period in 2018, while AT&T and NAB expenditures decreased. Google dropped, while Cox, NCTA and Sprint rose (see 2001210073). Facebook spent $4.43 million, up 56 percent. CTIA reported $4.41 million, a 22-plus percent gain. Amazon had $4.21 million, up more than 13 percent. Comcast laid out $3.65 million, down more than 5 percent. NAB and Charter Communications each reported $2.84 million. Charter gained almost 19 percent from 2018, while NAB’s declined 13-plus percent. Verizon expended $2.6 million, up almost 8 percent. AT&T posted $2.44 million, down 25 percent. T-Mobile had $2.41 million, up 24 percent. Apple spent $1.83 million, up more than 19 percent. Disney spent $940,000, up 13 percent. The Internet Association was $800,000, down more than 4 percent. Twitter spent $300,000, down 6 percent. NTCA reported $100,000, down 9 percent.
Former NTIA Administrator David Redl and his consulting firm Salt Point Strategies have been lobbying on behalf of Facebook, he said in a registration filing. Redl reported he’s been lobbying for the social media platform since the beginning of October on the 6 GHz band. Facebook is among the tech sector entities that urged the FCC to allow sharing of that frequency for unlicensed Wi-Fi use (see 1911060046). Salt Point Strategies separately reported $90,000 in lobbying income from Facebook, which is thus far its only registered client. Facebook didn’t comment. Redl resigned as NTIA head in May (see 1905090051).
House Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., ranking member Sam Graves, R-Mo., and 36 other committee members raised "substantial" concerns Wednesday about the FCC’s 5.9 GHz NPRM. The rulemaking (see 1912120058) proposes to reallocate the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi and cellular vehicle-to-everything, preserving some for dedicated short-range communications. Four House Communications Subcommittee members backed the proposal earlier this month (see 2001100066). The House Infrastructure members cited Transportation Department calls to preserve the band for DSRC (see 1909160018) in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. The commission significantly changed the proposal in response to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and other DSRC advocates (see 1911200055). “We have made the adoption of technology in our transportation system a key priority and expect to take further steps in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization to encourage greater use of [intelligent transportation systems]," the House Infrastructure members wrote. "Removal of this dedicated spectrum would be counter to our national transportation policy goals, as affirmed by the DOT and the Congress" in the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. “For over 20 years, the vast majority of the 5.9 GHz band has sat unused, and it is therefore time to turn the page on the failed status quo,” an FCC spokesperson emailed. The NPRM “would improve automotive safety by allocating 20 MHz for C-V2X, a promising technology that currently does not have any spectrum available to it. The FCC is committed to transportation safety and is pursuing a balanced approach.” WifiForward said the 5.9 GHz band “is unused in the vast majority of the country the vast majority of the time and this is the best near-term opportunity to help with that crunch. The FCC has proposed a win-win; providing airwaves for wireless broadband and innovative automotive safety applications broad bipartisan and cross-industry support.”
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and some executives urged the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday to advance the Telecom Opportunities for Workers Engaging in Real (Tower) Infrastructure Deployment Act (S-2363) and other measures to address perceived shortcomings in industry’s ability to recruit and retain workers to deploy 5G infrastructure. The committee's Wednesday hearing focused on workforce issues, with some talk about how to address regulatory barriers to 5G deployment. The Senate Commerce hearing drew light committee member attendance, amid the second day of the chamber’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.