A revised substitute version of the Spectrum and National Security Act (S-4207) circulating Friday jettisons the bill’s mandate for the FCC to sell licenses on the 12.7-13.25 GHz band by the end of 2027, as some lobbyists expected (see 2406120058). The revisions, filed as a substitute amendment to S-4207, reflect changes the Commerce Department, DOD and Joint Chiefs of Staff sought in exchange for their endorsement of the measure last week. S-4207’s supporters hope the changes will help ease the bill’s path forward after Senate Commerce postponed three past markups of the measure since early May (see 2405010051). The amount of future auction proceeds S-4207 to be allocated to a range of telecom projects remains the same in the substitute amendment, including lending the FCC $7 billion to fund the expired affordable connectivity program in FY 2024 and $3.08 billion for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. The substitute amendment would reapportion $700 million in additional Chips and Science Act money that S-4207 previously allocated to National Institute of Standards and Technology research programs. Instead, it will go to the National Science Foundation for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education grants and other research. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., will seek a vote on the substitute amendment as part of a Tuesday markup session on S-4207. That meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell.
Big mainstream demand for ATSC 3.0-enabled TVs is coming, but it's a couple of years out, with a lack of widespread consumer familiarity causing the delay, CTA Senior Director-Business Intelligence Richard Kowalski said Friday during the NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington. CTA anticipates a big leap in set availability, starting in 2026. Meanwhile, broadcast and emergency alert system advocates talked about integrating ATSC 3.0 into the emergency alerts ecosphere.
A Senate Commerce Committee spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon the panel remains on track to mark up the Spectrum and National Security Act (S-4207) Wednesday, but negotiations between leaders signaled the situation remained extremely fluid, lobbyists told us. Senate Commerce postponed two May markups of S-4207 amid strong opposition from top committee Republicans (see 2405010051). The measure would restore the FCC’s spectrum auction authority through Sept. 30, 2029. It would lend the commission more than $10 billion in FY 2024 funding for the expired affordable connectivity program and fully pay for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. The Senate Commerce meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell.
Beacon Global Strategies, public policy strategic advisory firm, adds Divyansh Kaushik, ex-Federation of American Scientists, as vice president-global technology practice, and Ben Schramm, ex-Maxar Intelligence, as vice president-national security technology practice ... Semtech, semiconductor, IoT systems and connectivity service provider, taps current board member Hong Hou as president-CEO, succeeding departed Paul Pickle; Hou is former president of Brooks Automation’s semiconductor group, and previously was general manager of Intel’s cloud and edge networking group ... Curve, U.K.-based digital wallet, promotes Senior Vice President-Corporate Development Nancy Yaffa to U.S. CEO, and adds Silverfern Group co-founder Reeta Holmes to its board ... Cybersecurity company Securonix names Dev Singh, ex-ForgeRock, head-sales, Southeast Asia region.
Incompas CEO Chip Pickering and others from the group met with FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington to seek action on allowing fixed-wireless use of the lower 12 GHz band. Incompas and other proponents had hoped for movement early in 2024 (see [Ref:2312270045). Incompas also met with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a filing posted Friday in docket 20-443 said. “Taking immediate action to make 500 megahertz of spectrum available in the lower 12 GHz for fixed wireless service offers the promise of reliable and affordable connectivity for U.S. consumers and increases the ability of the Commission to address the digital divide as it will allow current license holders offering fixed wireless solutions to apply for federal broadband deployment programs, like NTIA’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program,” Incompas said.
Wilkinson Barker rehires Karen Milne, former TelevisaUnivision senior vice president-U.S. regulatory, as a partner in its D.C. office ... Consulting firm Crest Hill Advisors taps Kyle Victor, ex-VMware global head-government relations and public policy, as founder of its legislative practice; Victor also is former legislative director to Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., ranking member on House Communications and Technology Subcommittee ... Maryland Public Service Commission announces retirement of Commissioner Anthony O'Donnell, effective immediately ... Responsive, strategic response management software provider, forms advisory board whose inaugural members include: Lakecia Gunter, chief technology officer, Microsoft Global Partner Solutions; Dan Springer, former DocuSign CEO; Stephen Diorio, managing director, the Revenue Enablement Institute; and Amy Wilkinson, Ingenuity CEO and lecturer in management, Stanford University Graduate School of Business ... Viad, trade show exhibition services provider, promotes Derek Linde to president of its GES business, in addition to his existing role as Viad’s chief operating officer ... Lattice Semiconductor names Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Esam Elashmawi interim CEO; President-CEO Jim Anderson departs to pursue an opportunity at another company... Ataccama, AI-powered data management company, hires former IBM AI lead Jay Limburn as chief product officer, newly created role ... DXC Technology, global tech services provider, taps Kaveri Camire, former vice president for IBM’s hybrid cloud business, as senior vice president-chief marketing officer.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., announced legislation Tuesday that would have the Commerce Department leading a “government-wide approach” to monitoring and identifying gaps in U.S. supply chains. The Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act targets supply chains for “emerging technologies” and “critical industries.” Cantwell’s office cited supply chain disruptions, including a global chip shortage, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic as motivation for introducing the bill. The legislation would direct that the Commerce Department create a program to “map, monitor and model U.S. supply chains.” The department would identify and anticipate gaps for “critical goods,” including “any gaps in manufacturing, warehousing, transportation and distribution.” Commerce would create an “early warning supply chain disruption system” using AI and quantum computing to “identify potential supply chain shocks before they occur.”
Cybersecurity company Sophos moves interim CEO Joe Levy to permanent post and taps Imperva’s Jim Dildine as chief financial officer … GVTC Communications, fiber optics communications provider, elevates Josh Pettiette, vice president-product, business development and strategic planning, to president-CEO, effective July 1, following retirement of current President-CEO Ritchie Sorrells ... SambaNova Systems, chipmaker for generative AI, adds founding Chairman Lip-Bu Tan, also former Cadence Design Systems CEO, as executive chairman ... Infinera optical networking and semiconductors company announces Regan MacPherson, ex-SunPower, as chief legal officer-corporate secretary, succeeding David Teichmann.
AST SpaceMobile, space-based cellular broadband network company, hires 3D Systems’ Andrew Johnson as chief legal officer ... Lumen Technologies appoints Sabre’s Chad Ho as executive vice president-chief legal officer, effective next month; he succeeds Stacey Goff, remaining “a few weeks” for transition … Vsora AI chip startup announces former Stimio CEO David Dorval as vice president-operations and test …Cyemptive Technologies, cybersecurity solutions provider for business and government, names former IBM and Hitachi executive Wessel Graatsma vice president-cybersecurity solutions, Europe ... Searchlight Cyber, dark web intelligence company, names Tim Warner, ex-Zscaler, vice president-global enterprise sales ... Blue Sky Networks becomes part of NAL Research with NAL President Robert Bills leading the combined company ... MwareTV cloud-based multitenant platform provider taps Daniel Conde Coto, ex-Emergent, as director-sales operations.
The FCC should scrutinize requests from restructuring radio group Audacy for expedited foreign-ownership review as part of the purchase of its stock by George Soros-affiliated entities (see 2404230054), said letters to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel from Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Nicholas Langworthy, R-N.Y., posted in docket 24-19 Friday. In nearly identical replies, Rosenworcel told the legislators that Media Bureau staff “would review the record and decide if the transfer is in the public interest.” She added, “A copy of your letter will be placed into the record of the proceeding.” Transfer of control of Audacy, the nation’s second-biggest radio group, “to a fund that itself is owned by a deeply partisan individual, could have a fundamental impact on the nature of local radio and potentially silence political viewpoints,” Langworthy wrote. “I believe that this sale is the latest in a series of moves by a partisan, progressive billionaire to consolidate control over the media and flood hundreds of local radio stations with far-left ideology and propaganda.” Roy focused on Audacy’s request for an expedited review process. “The FCC’s review of this Soros transaction will naturally draw close public scrutiny,” Roy wrote. “It is imperative that the FCC run a fair and transparent process -- one that abides by the requirements of the law -- that thoroughly reviews the concerns posed by foreign ownership of American radio stations.” Roy said Rosenworcel should “commit to not creating a Soros shortcut” by May 7. Rosenworcel’s reply didn’t mention Roy’s deadline.