A CTIA executive on Wednesday criticized DOD’s work so far on the potential clearing of parts of the lower 3 GHz band. “We need more spectrum to meet commercial demand” and the federal government holds the most spectrum, said CTIA Senior Vice President-Spectrum Umair Javed during an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation webinar on Wednesday. Other panelists praised the Biden administration for releasing a national spectrum strategy (see 2403120006). The strategy includes a co-led NTIA and DOD study of the lower 3 GHz band.
The FCC’s Technological Advisory Council held its first meeting under its new charter, with a focus on wireless technology. As such, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told TAC members they should help change Washington's negative tone when it discusses AI. The new TAC's efforts are just starting under three working groups: advanced spectrum sharing, AI/machine learning (ML) and 6G.
The FCC disagrees with the motion of 20 industry petitioners for expedited briefing and oral argument of their consolidated challenges to the commission’s Nov. 20 digital discrimination order, according to the agency’s opposition brief Tuesday (docket 24-1179) in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Faced with an increasingly antagonistic developing world, the commercial satellite industry must do a better job selling itself and its benefits, NTIA senior spectrum advisor Scott Blake Harris said Tuesday during Access Intelligence’s Satellite 2024 conference in Washington. Regions that feel left out by the low earth orbit satellite boom expressed hostility toward LEO issues during the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference, he said. Throughout the day, multiple satellite operators and space industry experts mentioned the developing world as a large potential target market, particularly for satellite broadband. Harris said he’s concerned that the ITU and regulatory processes could delay existing satellite systems and development of new ones. Between now and WRC-27, the satellite industry must convince the developing world “it has something to offer."
Stopgap funding for the FCC’s affordable connectivity program is not included in an FY 2024 appropriations “minibus” package Congress is aiming to approve this week, several lobbyists told us Tuesday. The omission also makes it doubtful congressional leaders attached an additional $3.08 billion for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, lobbyists said. Advocates of both programs were pushing for their funding in the minibus (see 2403150063) as recently as last weekend. The White House and Capitol Hill reached a deal on FY24 funding for the FCC and most other agencies over the weekend; they reached a final agreement on the bill Monday night.
Lumen’s CenturyLink faced regulatory setbacks at multiple state commissions last week. On Friday, the Utah Public Service Commission denied a CenturyLink petition seeking statewide exemption from carrier of last resort (COLR) requirements for new customers. Earlier in the week, a Minnesota Public Utilities Commission administrative law judge recommended that the commission find the carrier failed to provide adequate service. In addition, the Montana PSC denied a CenturyLink petition and the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission recommended a penalty.
Direct-to-device (D2D) services enjoy strong demand worldwide, but putting a dollar figure on that potential market is challenging, speakers said Monday at Access Intelligence's Satellite 2024 conference in Washington. Multiple launch providers discussed new rockets coming online. Satellite operators touted the role of satellites closing the digital divide worldwide.
Industry largely welcomed an FCC proposal to rely on the broadband serviceable location fabric for updating and verifying compliance with certain high-cost program support recipients’ deployment obligations in comments posted Monday in docket 10-90 (see 2402130058). Some sought assurances and support thresholds for rural carriers and those nearing their final deployment milestones.
The FCC released the Further NPRM added to an order on a voluntary cyber trust mark program that commissioners approved 5-0 last week (see 2403140034). The final order includes numerous other tweaks to the draft, addressing security and excluding motor vehicles and related equipment. The order and FNPRM were posted in Monday’s “Daily Digest.”
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez received a waiver of her White House ethics pledge that will allow her to vote on agency enforcement items involving clients at her former employer, prominent telecom law firm Wiley.