Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., stopped short Tuesday of agreeing to a push from Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., for a full re-vetting of FCC nominee Gigi Sohn, after her re-selection to be the commission’s third Democrat (see 2301030060). Other Sohn supporters, meanwhile, hailed her renomination and urged the Senate not to unnecessarily delay advancing her. President Joe Biden first nominated Sohn to the FCC in October 2021 (see 2110260076), but her confirmation process never made it past the committee level. Senate Commerce tied 14-14 on advancing her in March (see 2203030070), leading to a monthslong stall.
Strand Consult warned that 2023 will be a “wild, uncomfortable year,” with the upheaval ahead having big implications for the mobile wireless industry. “There is war in Europe, a global energy crisis, and inflation which has made almost everything more expensive and disrupted many financial markets. China’s menace in Taiwan puts the world’s leaders on edge and imperils the supply of 90 percent of the world’s semiconductor manufacturing,” CEO John Strand blogged Thursday: “Board leaders and directors should ask themselves what is their plan [in the] case of China shutting down supply lines tomorrow.” He warned of implications for wireless. “Rising interest rates depress returns on capital, and investors' willingness to invest in infrastructure,” Strand said. “Relationships with authoritarian governments pose reputational risks,” it said: “An operator can’t stick its head into the ground and pretend nothing is happening. Indeed operators which have opted out of Huawei and ZTE will gain an advantage over those which claim that there are no risks to using Chinese network equipment. … This message will resonate with policymakers, customers, and shareholders.” Strand also noted many questions about spectrum, with Congress failing to reauthorize FCC auction authority beyond a three-month extension. “It’s hard to contemplate a modern nation being so irresponsible,” he said. “It is remarkable that the US has achieved such incredible wireless success to date given the limited access to frequencies. But to compete with China in the future, the US will need a more aggressive approach to making mid-band spectrum available for exclusive licensed use,” he said.
The House voted 225-201 Friday to pass the FY 2023 appropriations omnibus legislative package (HR-2617), which would extend the FCC’s spectrum auction authority through March 9. The Senate passed the measure Thursday (see 2212220075). President Joe Biden said Friday he planned to sign it “as soon as it reaches my desk,” averting a shutdown that would otherwise have occurred Friday night. Biden separately signed off Friday on the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-7776), which includes language to restrict the federal government’s use of products with semiconductor manufacturers deemed to be Chinese military contractors (see 2212070056). The omnibus includes increases in federal funding for the FCC, FTC, NTIA, other Commerce Department agencies, the DOJ Antitrust Division and CPB (see 2212210077). Lawmakers agreed to temporarily renew the FCC’s auction authority via the omnibus after Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., objected to the inclusion of a spectrum legislative deal reached by the leaders of the House and Senate Commerce committees (see 2212200077). House Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash, who’s set to take the committee gavel when the 118th Congress convenes in January, criticized the process that led to the omnibus’ passage, saying, “There simply isn’t enough accountability built into this bill. It’s long past time that Congress do its job and consider legislation to fund the government in a way that prioritizes an open and accountable process.”
President Joe Biden signed off Friday on a continuing resolution (HR-1437) that extended the FCC's spectrum auction authority through Dec. 23 and maintains federal appropriations until the same deadline, the White House said. The Senate passed the CR 71-19 Thursday, providing a temporary lifeline to Senate Commerce Committee leaders' talks aimed at reaching a deal on spectrum legislative language they want to attach to an expected FY 2023 appropriations omnibus package (see 2212150076). Senate leaders may release omnibus text Monday, lobbyists told us. The Senate also voted 83-11 to pass the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-7776) that includes language to restrict the federal government’s use of products with semiconductor manufacturers deemed to be Chinese military contractors (see 2212070056).
Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, now a Brookings Institution visiting fellow, and David Simpson, FCC Public Safety Bureau chief under Wheeler, called for a more focus on the risks posed by 5G, during a Brookings in-person and virtual event Thursday. The two released a paper earlier this week on making 5G more secure. They were joined by Joyce Corell, senior technology adviser to the White House cyber director, who said the administration is working to get on top of 5G security.
Senate Commerce Committee leaders hadn’t resolved a longstanding disagreement Thursday night over how hoped-for compromise spectrum legislative language would structure repurposing parts of the 3.1-3.45 GHz band for commercial 5G use, a hurdle that could derail a bid to attach the proposal to an FY 2023 omnibus appropriations measure (see 2212070068). Those leaders made progress on some parts of the measure, including moving closer on amounts of spectrum auction revenue they will allocate to fully fund the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program and finance next-generation 911 tech upgrades.
CTIA names Jeremy Crandall, ex-National Association of Community Health Centers, assistant vice president-state legislative affairs … HWG promotes telecom lawyer Jason Neal to partner … Former FCC Media Bureau Deputy Chief Michelle Carey joins Charter Communications as vice president-policy.
NTIA asked for comments by Jan. 27 on implementing the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, which is part of the Chips and Science Act signed into law in August (see 2208090062), said a notice for Tuesday’s Federal Register. NTIA also announced a virtual listening session on the program set for 10 a.m. EST Jan. 24. “This historic $1.5 billion investment aims to support U.S. leadership in the global telecommunications ecosystem, foster competition, lower costs for consumers and network operators, and strengthen our supply chain,” NTIA said: The 5G infrastructure market “is highly consolidated, with a small group of vendors making up the majority of the marketplace. This lack of competition can reduce supply chain resilience and security, contribute to higher prices, make it challenging for new, innovative U.S. companies to break into the market, and ultimately will exacerbate the digital divide.”
Global Semiconductor Alliance names Marvell Technology CEO Matt Murphy its new chair ... Contract manufacturer Sanmina adds Bramshill Investments Chief Strategy Officer David Hedley to its board ... IoT platform LocatorX names Chris Janko, ex-Celonis, senior vice president-sales ... Collaborative commerce platform Innoviti Technologies hires Debashree Basu, former Intel head-corporate communications for India and South Asia, as senior vice president-marketing and communications, Innoviti India ... Haivision Systems names Synamedia’s Jean-Marc Racine chief product officer effective Jan. 2 ... Helios Technologies taps Welbilt’s Lee Wichlacz as president-electronics, newly created position ... World Film Industry Conference elects Haige Wang as chairman for a four-year term; Wang, a representative of Macau and chairman of the Aollywood Film Workers Association, is the first Chinese representative elected as conference chairman.
Communications sector observers don’t see any early evidence to indicate Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's shift Friday from the Democrats to become a registered independent will materially affect FCC nominee Gigi Sohn's prospects of winning confirmation. Sohn faces long odds of getting a floor vote during the lame-duck session amid Senate Democratic leaders’ decision to prioritize passage of year-end bills like the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (see 2211300074). The House voted 350-80 Thursday to pass a compromise version of the NDAA, filed as an amendment to shell bill HR-7776, that includes language to restrict the federal government’s use of products with semiconductor manufacturers deemed to be Chinese military contractors (see 2212070056).