The House Science Committee plans a Dec. 2 hearing at 10 a.m. on maintaining U.S. leadership in semiconductors and other microelectronics. Intel General Manager-Technology Development Ann Kelleher and Purdue University Engineering College Dean Mung Chiang are to testify, the committee said Tuesday. Micron Executive Vice President Manish Bhatia and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Director Michael Witherell will also appear.
AT&T veteran Michael Balmoris tweets that as "the calendar approaches 2022, I will launch my public affairs/PR consultancy -- Balmoris Group" ... Mercury hires Eric Hersey, ex-House Financial Committee communications director, as a managing director, with clients likely to include tech stakeholders ... TDI appoints to board David Coco of Austin, representing the central region for a four-year term that began Aug. 1, replacing Mark Seeger, and it names Angela Rogers, a former intern, as community relations manager.
House Democratic leaders were optimistic Thursday they were on the cusp of holding a final vote that night or Friday on the Build Back Better Act budget reconciliation package (HR-5376) amid expectations that the Congressional Budget Office would publish a final cost estimate that afternoon. The CBO released its estimate earlier in the day for the House Commerce Committee’s portion of HR-5376, which includes $500 million for a new FTC data privacy and security bureau, $500 million for NTIA connected device vouchers, $490 million for next-generation 911 tech upgrades and $300 million for the FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund.
A unanimous FTC agreed to a Republican proposal to delay voting on whether to issue orders to large retailers and consumer-goods suppliers to study anti-competitive effects of supply chain disruptions (see 2111100084). Despite Chair Lina Khan’s desire to “expeditiously” begin research, the commission, which recently lost its Democratic majority, agreed 4-0 to table the vote until Wednesday, after a motion from Commissioner Christine Wilson.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission warned of a continuing security threat from Huawei but said U.S. sanctions are having an effect. In Q2, “Huawei reported a 38 percent year-on-year fall in revenue, the third straight quarter of decline,” said the annual report to Congress released Wednesday: “Huawei executives have attributed their troubles to U.S. sanctions, which restricted the company’s access to chips used in many of its phones.” Huawei and ZTE are gaining ground in Latin America, with China offering subsidies and government support for using technology from the two vendors, the commission said. “Huawei has already become a leader in the region’s mobile device market and is a top competitor to build out 5G infrastructure in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico,” it said: “By integrating Chinese technologies into the region’s digital infrastructure, China is setting the stage for building long-term commercial dependencies as the region’s market develops.” China can also shape 5G and other standards in the region. The panel said China is poised to make cloud computing gains in developing countries. “Chinese cloud computing companies have thrived in a protected home market and with few exceptions can operate freely in the United States while U.S. companies face barriers in China.”
The Senate is likely to consider its own version of the House-passed FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-4350) this week via a substitute version of the legislation from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., and “may add” the chamber-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S-1260) to the measure, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told senators Sunday. The House passed HR-4350 in September (see 2109240067) with language from the 911 Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act (HR-2351) and Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act (HR-3003). Senators are vying to attach some other tech and telecom amendments to the measure, including dueling amendments on Ligado’s L-band plans.
GPS Innovation Alliance Executive Director David Grossman departs; Wilkinson Barker Lead Policy Adviser Alex Damato becomes GPSIA acting executive director and remains at the law firm ... Ian Forbes from FCC Wireline Bureau returns to DLA Piper as an associate in the Telecom practice ... Invariant hires Kevin Walsh from IBM as a director and to advise clients on privacy, supply chain, semiconductors, cybersecurity and emerging technology policies ... Madison Square Garden Entertainment hires Jamal Haughton from Samsung Electronics America, also ex-Cablevision, as executive vice president-general counsel, effective Dec. 6 ... Contract manufacturer Kimball Electronics announces retirement of John Kahle as vice president-general counsel and chief compliance officer and secretary, effective Dec. 31, and promotes Associate General Counsel-Assistant Secretary Douglas Hass to succeed him.
Next year could bring better news for residential broadband providers' and broadcasters' rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, though streaming service new entrants and legacy pay-TV providers face a murkier future, Kagan said Friday. Federal investment in closing the digital divide should help drive 3.9 million residential broadband subscriber net additions next year, raising penetration to 92%, up from 88% at the end of 2020, it said. Midterm election and legalized sports betting advertisements will help aid broadcasters' rebound from the pandemic, it said, predicting TV broadcaster revenue of $38.2 billion, up $4.1 billion, and radio station revenue at $15.8 billion, up $2.1 billion. MVPD penetration globally, which peaked at 60.6% of households in 2018, is expected to decline to 58.2% next year as customers move to streaming services or virtual MVPDs. Subscription VOD sub growth could slow next year, it said. Kagan predicted the consumer electronics industry continuing to be hit by the global semiconductor shortage, with improvements to semiconductor supplies coming in 2023 at the earliest.
Amazon supports U.S. policy initiatives “that focus on diversifying and expanding the semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chain through building out domestic resources,” it said in comments posted Tuesday in docket BIS-2021-0036. Comments were due Monday in the Bureau of Industry and Security’s request for information on the global chip crunch to help the secretaries of Commerce and Homeland Security prepare a report for the White House by the one-year anniversary of President Joe Biden’s Feb. 24 executive order on U.S. supply chains (see 2109230038). Any new policy initiatives on the chip shortage should also focus on “preserving relationships with trusted partners outside the United States, and investing in the growth of leading-edge technology capabilities,” said Amazon. “We are particularly concerned about the current lack of U.S.-based manufacturing capacity or capability to produce leading edge semiconductors at or below 7 nanometers, which creates a significant gap" in the U.S. semiconductor supply chain, said the company. The “geographical diversification” of supply chains and “uninterrupted access” to semiconductor technology is “vital” to American companies, “including Amazon and our customers,” it said.
Wiley promotes Jennifer Hindin to co-chair, Telecom, Media and Technology Practice, along with existing co-Chair Kathleen Kirby; Hindin succeeds David Gross, who remains an active partner in the practice ... Association of National Advertisers Group Executive Vice President Dan Jaffe, who has led ANA’s Government Relations office in Washington for 36 years, retires at year-end and is succeeded by Senior Vice President Christopher Oswald, who ascends to executive vice president in January ... Glen Echo Group adds Andrea O'Neal, ex-National Geographic Society, as a director and Joey Battley, ex-MSB Analytics, and Katelin Murray, who was a fellow at the firm, as associates.