House Communications Subcommittee member Rep. Tony Cardenas of California is leading a letter with almost two dozen other chamber Democrats urging the FCC not to refresh the record in docket 14-261 on reclassifying linear streaming services as MVPDs. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has maintained the agency doesn’t have the authority to reclassify streaming services, and the FCC said her thinking hadn’t changed after a June letter from Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., (see 2306230062). Twenty other Senate Democratic caucus members pushed last month in favor of a proceeding refresh (see 2310180067). “It was clear even in the 2014 FCC proceeding on this issue that video streaming and the video streaming marketplace were different, and therefore the FCC decided not to proceed,” Cardenas and the other Democratic lawmakers said in a draft of the letter to Rosenworcel we obtained Monday. “Aside from being an inappropriate standard to apply to the streaming marketplace, there is also reason to believe that these issues may be outside of FCC’s scope. The 2014 FCC proceeding record shows that there were issues with the FCC asserting jurisdiction. Ultimately, it is the role of Congress to determine changes to the streaming marketplace, and for these reasons, we urge you to close the 2014 proceeding.” Other House Democrats signing on to the letter include Innovation Subcommittee ranking member Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Communications member Yvette Clarke of New York.
Look to June as a major tipping point when Dish Network has sufficient scale in its 5G network and enough devices on that network to start turning a corner, company officials said Monday in a call with analysts as it announced Q3 financial results. Chairman Charlie Ergen said he was decreasingly optimistic about an 800 MHz deal with T-Mobile but hadn't written the prospects off. Liberty Latin American said it was buying Dish spectrum assets and 120,000 prepaid mobile subscribers in the Caribbean for $256 million, with Dish saying the deal frees it up to focus more on the continental U.S.
Broadband providers and allies are heavily lobbying the 10th floor regarding the pending digital discrimination order on the FCC's November agenda (see 2310240008), raising red flags and pushing for changes, per docket 22-69 filings Monday. Fans of the draft order are also calling for changes.
Officials affiliated with NATOA and other local government groups called on their supporters during a Monday webinar to lobby or otherwise communicate with House members in a bid to oppose the Commerce Committee-cleared American Broadband Deployment Act (HR-3557) ahead of what they view as chamber leaders’ impending bid to ram through passage of the measure without adequately consulting them. The measure, which House Commerce advanced in May without any Democratic support (see 2305240069), packages multiple GOP-led connectivity permitting revamp measures.
Broadcasters that support geotargeted radio are confounded the FCC hasn’t approved the technology, said Roberts Radio CEO Steve Roberts in a letter to the agency posted Friday in docket 20-401. “What is the Commission waiting for? More of us to exit the market?” wrote Roberts. Consolidation is forcing smaller broadcasters out of the industry, and geotargeting technology would help them to compete by allowing hyperlocal advertising and information, he said. NAB and several larger radio groups have opposed proposed rule changes that would allow the use of GeoBroadcastSolutions’ geotargeting technology, and the docket for the proceeding has largely been quiet since 2022, until recently. Last week, representatives of the U.S. Black Chambers (USBC) and the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council meeting with Commissioner Geoffrey Starks pushed for geotargeted radio. Several months ago, the USBC acquired the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, which had been a vocal proponent of geotargeted radio until November 2022, when it publicly withdrew its support (see 2210310070). Roberts is a founding member of NABOB. NABOB didn’t comment on whether the USBC letter means its stance on geotargeted radio has changed. “Time is running short for the Commission to make this change while it can still make a difference,” said the USBC ex parte filing.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr joined House Republicans last week in urging the U.S. to take action against TikTok and its Chinese “brainwashing” of American youth. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., in a Free Press opinion article Wednesday continued his call for Congress to ban the popular Chinese social media app (see 2303130042). He accused TikTok of brainwashing American youth and inspiring “morally bankrupt” views of the world. Gallagher cited a Harvard/Harris poll showing 51% of Americans ages 18-24 “believe Hamas was justified in its brutal terrorist attacks on innocent Israeli citizens on October 7.” Carr posted on X Thursday, saying Gallagher is “exactly right.” The U.S. “would never allow a foreign adversary to seize control of a vital means of broadcast communication without completing a national security review that neither TikTok nor the [Chinese Communist Party] could ever pass -- the outcome should be no different here,” said Carr. On Friday, Carr reposted comments from House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who has called for a TikTok ban in the U.S. Gallagher is “right,” she posted Friday. “TikTok is a tool of the Chinese Communist Party to spy on and manipulate Americans. It's a serious threat to our national security. Congress must act to protect Americans from the CCP’s ‘digital fentanyl.’”
The FCC has granted waivers allowing deployment of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology in the 5.895-5.925 GHz band to eight applicants, per an order Friday in docket 19-138. Awarded the waivers for use of Intelligent Transportation System radio service were the North Carolina Department of Transportation, New York City DOT, Chattanooga, P3Mobility, Denso International, Rolling Wireless, Spoke Safety and Yunex. The Public Safety and Wireless bureaus and the Office of Engineering and Technology granted the waivers.
The FCC wants comments by Dec. 14, replies by Jan. 17, in docket 23-320 on its NPRM seeking to reestablish net neutrality rules, said a notice in Friday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the item in a 3-2 vote in October (see 2310190020).
Senate Commerce Committee member Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is pressing FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to explain by Nov. 16 the legal justification for pursuing her proposal to largely reinstate the commission’s rescinded 2015 net neutrality rules and reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 2310190020). Senate Commerce ranking member Ted Cruz of Texas and other congressional Republicans vigorously criticized Rosenworcel for considering the reboot but are holding back from pursuing legislation to stop her, for now (see 2310170071). “I will not stand idly by as the FCC under your leadership attempts to usurp Congress and claim Article I Branch legislative authority for yourself,” Schmitt said in a Thursday letter to Rosenworcel. “If you decide to move forward with this reckless action, expect my colleagues and I” on Senate Commerce “to call for your appearance before the committee to be held accountable. Though your recent decisions demonstrate that you clearly believe that Congress is a mere speedbump, I will defend the will of Missourians who elected me to the Senate to stand up against economy killing regulations such as the one you are proposing.” Schmitt is asking Rosenworcel to detail “the specific authority granted by Congress to support” the new net neutrality NPRM. He also wants her to “confirm that you believe” Title II reclassification “would be a regulation of ‘vast economic and political significance'” and “explain how the Commission is preparing for an almost certain legal challenge under the major questions doctrine” that the U.S. Supreme Court invoked in its 2022 West Virginia v. EPA ruling (see 2206300066).
Harmonize FCC Part 25 rules governing satellites so that out-of-band-emission limits for non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) earth stations in motion are consistent with emissions limits for terrestrial wireless, Verizon representatives told FCC Space Bureau Chief Julie Kearney, per a docket 18-315 filing Friday. That harmonization would promote regulatory parity and efficient spectrum sharing between ESIM and upper microwave flexible use service operators, the wireless carrier said. But absent that harmonization, Verizon said it was "amenable" to keeping the current 50 MHz guard band between UMFUS operations in the 27.5-28.35 GHz band from NGSO ESIM operations in the adjacent 28.35-28.6 GHz band.