Jonathan Make

Industry and others should take many steps to ensure phone customers are aware of call blocking options, an FCC advisory panel recommended. At Monday's Consumer Advisory Committee meeting, CAC members unanimously approved the recommendations to the commission (see 1909160019). Text was released Wednesday in docket 17-59. People should get "blocked call information where consumers customarily view information about the call-blocking and labeling service," such as in wireless and wireline customers' online account information, the proposal said. "Consumers should have options to manage robocall blocking preferences, such as through a customer portal, in-store, by phone, or other choices." Customer service personnel should be trained to help, the committee said. "Providers should maintain a webpage that includes information about opt-out blocking and labeling tools, clearly explaining to consumers the robocall-related services provided, which calls are blocked, and how to opt in and out. The service should be provided at no additional line-item charge." Don't forget traditional wireline service, CAC suggested. "Explore potential means to protect legacy copper line customers from illegal robocalls," it asked of telcos. "The FCC should continue to directly collaborate with consumer advocacy groups and industry to educate consumers on the options for and risks of various methods of combatting robocalls." Stakeholders should together consider "public service ad campaigns, possibly including a celebrity spokesperson, to educate and alert consumers to the efforts of government and industry to tackle the robocall epidemic, and to educate and alert consumers to the robocall-blocking options," the group said. The agency seeks default call blocking services to be free, an agency spokesperson confirmed. FCC representatives wouldn't say whether CAC wants the same. “NCTA voted in favor of the recommendation" by CAC, emailed a spokesperson for the association. "We appreciate all the hard work of the ... committee in developing it.” The Competitive Carriers Association, amid its conference in Providence, Rhode Island (see 1909180061), declined to comment. America's Communications Association backed the declaratory ruling allowing "robocall blocking, including popular third-party robocall blocking tools, on an opt-out basis," an ACA spokesperson emailed. It hopes "CAC’s recommendations will provide helpful guidance to voice providers in deploying opt-out call blocking that protects their customers from the torrent of unwanted and illegal robocalls.” Incompas declined to comment, while USTelecom said it didn't have a comment right away.

DOJ and FTC tensions led to scrutiny Wednesday of how the antitrust agencies and their state counterparts can better coordinate and cooperate on investigations, including on privacy issues. At Tuesday's Senate Antitrust Subcommittee hearing, FTC Chairman Joe Simons and DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim confirmed tensions in their privacy investigations of major platforms (see 1909170066). The friction isn't new, dating back to Justice concerns about the trade commission's formation, experts note.

Staff is entering the second phase of a lengthy process to update the FCC's main filing system. After spending about a year on internal communications and other early work, agency employees are now poised to speak with external stakeholders. The update may include ways to help prevent the agency's filing system from being overwhelmed with fraudulent or spam comments that could slow it down, and it could register users, officials told the agency's Consumer Advisory Committee. Unlike past filing system revamps, this one may have bigger changes, staff told CAC.

Federal policymakers are looking backward in technology assessments, observers said on a podcast emailed Friday. FAANGs -- Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google -- "are the past," said Needham & Co.'s Laura Martin Aug. 20 after moderating a panel on content (see first Notebook 1908200027) at the Technology Policy Institute in Aspen, Colorado. "They’re the past decade. They got big, now they’re being looked at. But the thing that’s going to get big based on consumer time will get ignored" by government "until it’s really, really big and hurtful." Esports and videogame dominance are rising in terms of time consumers spend there, the analyst noted. "Even Wall Street is just coming to grips with this, which means it’s probably three years in the future." CNBC's Brian Sullivan, who earlier that day spoke with DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim, noted government "isn’t the fastest moving entity." That mantra could be "move slow and break things," responded podcast moderator and TPI President Scott Wallsten. DOJ didn't comment and the FTC declined to comment now. While media companies are focused on over the top video, they may be missing out on the rise of esports popularity, especially among those younger than 25, Martin said in an interview Friday. "They’re not even watching TV," she said of that demographic. Scrutinizing advertising-based incumbent platforms means "government is late," Martin told us. "All those monopolists are going to compete with each other, they are going to put each other out of business. The government doesn’t need to." Policymaker views tend to look "backwards, but only a few years. They seem to have no historical perspective," Wallsten emailed us Friday. "It's difficult to know how to look forward since nobody can predict the future, but they do seem inclined to believe that the present is forever despite being much different than even a few years ago."

One of four members left a group of satellite operators seeking to have its sector sell about 200 MHz that would be repurposed for 5G. Eutelsat dropped out of the C-Band alliance, it said in a brief FCC filing and release Tuesday. It cited disagreements with other CBA members, without being more specific. The company wishes to “take a direct active part on discussions on C-band clearing and repurposing,” it said. The departure stirred more speculation about what might happen to the swath of airwaves.

State regulators found much to like in what little they know about coming FCC Lifeline changes, when we surveyed all NARUC Telecom Committee members this and last week. All respondents are happy their federal counterparts appear poised to clarify states can continue being the ones to decide whether telecom providers can be designated as eligible for the USF program for the poor. Many like the idea of the Universal Service Administrative Co. sharing more information. An FCC "backgrounder" given to news media said that would boost "transparency with states to improve oversight of the Lifeline program, including by directing USAC to share information regarding suspicious activity with state officials."

ASPEN, Colo. -- DOJ likes its chances of prevailing with its structural remedies on T-Mobile's buy of Sprint and a divestiture to Dish Network, said Antitrust Division head Makan Delrahim in an interview after a Technology Policy Institute Q&A. About a dozen states sued to block the deal. Also at TPI, Delrahim confirmed his department and several states are probing tech issues. He wouldn't object to a look by others at Communications Decency Act Section 230.

ASPEN, Colo. -- Difficulties measuring digital effects on the economy are unresolved, economists said Monday in a Technology Policy Institute discussion (see page 2) of challenges gauging productivity. Many contend government statistics aren't fully measuring productivity growth and other indicators because of problems with measurement methods and other shortcomings. Speakers agreed agencies need to do a better job, though federal statistics collectors are making some improvements.

ASPEN, Colo. -- Heightened policymaker and public scrutiny of the tech industry doesn't amount to a full-scale backlash, panelists generally agreed (see page 2). That may change as skepticism increases, one tech critic told a Technology Policy Institute audience. Since potential antitrust changes to perceived tech problems could take many years, if not a decade-plus, don't look for remedies there, TPI was told Monday.

ASPEN, Colo. -- Unfounded hype about 5G could have wide fallout, a longtime spectrum expert worried. Silicon Flatirons Executive Fellow Dale Hatfield isn't "so sanguine" about 5G wireless, which he nonetheless called interesting and exciting. Others on a Technology Policy Institute panel Monday conceded too much hype could pose harms but don't think it's being overhyped.