NTCA Director-Government Affairs Adam Jorde says he’s moving to Twilio as lead-government affairs, communications policy … State Senate confirms Ann Rendahl as commissioner-Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for second six-year term ending Jan. 1, 2027 …Intelsat names Raytheon’s David Wajsgras as its next CEO, effective April 4, succeeding Stephen Spengler, who announced his planned retirement in October ... Analog Devices taps Intel’s Gregory Bryant for newly created roles as executive vice president and president-business units, effective March 14, with oversight for industrial, automotive, communications, digital healthcare and consumer segments.
Telecom-focused lawmakers are trying to beat the legislative clock as they seek a way to renew the FCC’s spectrum auction authority, currently set to expire when FY 2022 ends Sept. 30. The House Communications Subcommittee is eyeing a March 16 hearing on auction authority reauthorization and potential ways to spend revenue from additional auctions, Hill aides and lobbyists told us. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently asked Congress to authorize the agency to use proceeds to pay for next-generation 911 tech upgrades (see 2202220057). Congress last extended the FCC’s auction authority via the 2012 spectrum law.
President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address spurred reaction from Democrats and Republicans looking to move comprehensive privacy and child privacy bills. Biden announced a sweeping agenda to address a social media-linked children's mental health “crisis” during his Tuesday speech, as expected (see 2203010072). “Protecting kids online starts by establishing a national privacy and data security framework and enacting legislation that stops Big Tech’s harmful abuse of power,” said House Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. Biden issued a “powerful call to action on the youth mental health crisis exacerbated by social media, which can be addressed by the Kids Online Safety Act, Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said of his bipartisan bill with ranking member Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. The president offered Congress a “blueprint,” and now it’s time to act, said Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass. Biden “clearly expressed what we know to be true: it’s time to prevent the abusive collection and retention of personal information online,” said Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., in favor of their Democratic privacy proposal (see 2111180048). “If companies can’t collect data, they can’t use that data to manipulate Americans for profit.” Biden urged Congress to swiftly send him a compromise bill marrying elements of the House-passed America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength Act (HR-4521) and Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S-1260), which both include $52 billion in subsidies to encourage U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing (see 2201260062). The House passed HR-4521 last month, but there has been no formal compromise between that measure and S-1260 (see 2202250054). “Let’s not wait any longer,” Biden said. “We used to invest 2% of our GDP in research and development. We don’t now. China is.” Biden praised Intel’s plan to build two new chip factories in Ohio, costing $20 billion (see 2201210027), as “the biggest investment in manufacturing in American history, and all they’re waiting for is for you to pass a HR-4521/S-1260 compromise. Biden also, as expected, touted the $65 billion in broadband money included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as a way to provide "affordable high-speed internet for every American -- urban, suburban, rural and tribal communities." Biden's broadband shutout was praised by Mignon Clyburn, co-chair of the Incompas-backed BroadLand campaign. "By taking an all of the above approach to deployment, we can build new future proof networks that benefit all Americans, urban and rural, who need access to low-cost internet solutions," she said. Free State Foundation Senior Fellow Andrew Long said Biden and Congress haven't "paid much attention -- big picture -- to how the various appropriations, agencies, and programs relating to the construction of broadband infrastructure will interoperate in a manner that uses precious taxpayer dollars wisely and efficiently. This must change."
President Joe Biden was to press Congress during his State of the Union speech Tuesday night to send a compromise bill marrying elements of the House-passed America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength Act (HR-4521) and Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S-1260) to his desk as soon as possible, a White House official said in a Monday conference call with reporters. The House passed HR-4521 last month, but there has been no formal compromise between that measure and S-1260 (see 2202250054). Both U.S. tech competitiveness measures include $52 billion in subsidies to encourage U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing (see 2201260062) but differ in other areas. Biden was expected to tout Intel’s plan to build two new chip factories in Ohio, for $20 billion (see 2201210027), during the speech, an administration official said. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen were to be among first lady Jill Biden’s guests at the speech, the White House said. Biden was also expected to tout the $65 billion in broadband money included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as a way to provide internet access “to every family in America,” a White House official said. Biden was to separately announce Tuesday night a sweeping agenda to address a social media-linked children's mental health “crisis” (see 2203010072).
Ericsson North America CEO Niklas Heuveldop answered questions from FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks on supply chain and other issues in a recent call, said a filing posted Monday in docket 21-63. Starks asked “how Ericsson has been managing supply chain issues such as silicon chip shortages brought about by the COVID pandemic,” the company said: Heuveldop responded “that global component shortages are still a challenge," but Ericsson "continues to effectively mitigate the impact in close collaboration with our U.S. customers and component suppliers. Ericsson also benefits from the new USA 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas.” Starks also asked about the FCC’s rip-and-replace program for insecure network equipment and the future of open radio access network standards and products, the filing said.
Differences in chips funding legislation in the House and Senate aren’t “irreconcilable” and are “worthy of discussion,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Friday during a news conference at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. She was referencing the House-passed America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength Act (HR-4521) (see 2202040054). Pelosi's office didn’t comment about timing and participants for the conference committee. “We are almost there,” said Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif. “We know what we already agree on, which is the majority of it, and there’s some little tweaks” and other differences. “There’s nothing there that’s going to be a deal stopper at all. ... This is going to get done.” The U.S. in 1990 had a 37% global share of semiconductor manufacturing capacity, which has fallen to 12% today, she noted. Since the bill was introduced, similar legislation has passed in Korea, Taiwan, Japan, India and Europe, said Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger: “They want the fabs built on their own soil.”
Broadcasters have evolved to no longer depend on automotive ads for revenue, said several broadcast executives on company quarterly earnings calls last week. The executives also discussed ATSC 3.0 projections, their M&A outlook and the continued rise of sports betting. “Back in the day, when auto sneezed, broadcasters got a cold,” said Gray Television co-CEO Hilton Howell. That’s no longer the case, he said. “We’ve become less reliant on auto,” said Sinclair Chief Operating Officer Rob Weisbord. Auto ads are likely to rebound but will never be as central to broadcaster balance sheets, said Nexstar CEO Perry Sook.
Senate maneuvering on newly named Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, FCC nominee Gigi Sohn and FTC nominee Alvaro Bedoya is expected to draw many telecom and tech policy stakeholders’ attention in the coming weeks. President Joe Biden nominated Jackson, a U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit judge, Friday to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Jackson has little record on communications law matters but has played a larger role on administrative tech-focused legal matters, legal experts said.
The alarm industry had outages after AT&T started shutting down its 3G network Tuesday, Connect America Chief Operating Officer John Brady told us Wednesday, speaking on behalf of the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC). As expected, the FCC didn’t order a delay (see 2202180067). “Clearly the sunset has begun,” Brady said: “We have not been told by AT&T or given any of their plans yet, which is totally unfortunate.” The FCC and some members of Congress, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are pressing the AT&T to provide more information, he said. AT&T and Schumer’s office didn’t comment.
The House and Senate should take "immediate action" to reconcile their China competition bills and authorize funding for the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors Act and other domestic semiconductor sector investments by sending the combined legislation to President Joe Biden, more than 20 tech, automotive and business groups wrote congressional leadership Wednesday. The Business Roundtable signed the letter, as did CTIA, the Information Technology Industry Council, the Semiconductor Industry Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others. A prolonged negotiation on a compromise bill “risks placing our country further behind in the competition for economic growth, supply chain resilience, technology leadership, and strengthened national security,” said the groups. “We urge immediate action to commence negotiations and work towards a final compromise bill that can swiftly pass both chambers and send this vital legislation to the president’s desk.” House Democrats should allow an official score from the Congressional Budget Office on the chips legislation before it advances further, House Budget Committee ranking member Jason Smith, R-Mo., and House Science Committee ranking member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., wrote Wednesday. House Democrats have passed more than $7.5 trillion of new spending since President Joe Biden took office, they wrote. “It’s irresponsible to proceed without knowing the true costs of this legislation,” said Lucas.