More than 100 amateur radio operators have now filed objections to a NextNav proposal asking that the FCC seek comment on revised rules for the 902-928 MHz band (see 2408120024). Comments are due Sept. 5, replies Sept. 20, on a public notice from the FCC in docket 24-240.
House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone of New Jersey, Communications Subcommittee ranking member Doris Matsui of California and the subpanel’s 10 other Democrats said Wednesday they’re backing the FCC’s proposal that requires disclosures on political ads created with generative AI (see 2407250046). The FCC is facing pushback from congressional Republicans over the AI proposal, as demonstrated during a July House Communications hearing (see 2407090049). NAB and the Motion Picture Association are seeking a 30-day extension for comments on the proceeding in docket 24-211 (see 2408120034). Comments are currently due Sept. 4, replies Sept. 19. “We believe that this action is necessary considering the growing impact of generative AI tools on our electoral process,” the House Communications Democrats said in a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “While AI is not new, the speed at which we are witnessing the deployment of generative AI is staggering. During this election season, we have already seen AI deployed to manipulate, confuse and misinform voters.” The Democratic lawmakers pushed back against claims by Republican Federal Election Commission Chairman Sean Cooksey and others that the FEC has sole authority over political reporting requirements and disclaimers (see 2406060051). “Such arguments ignore the relevant statutes and decades of precedent,” the Democrats said: “We also find it worrisome that such a simple, consumer-friendly proposal that imposes minimal burdens has evoked such strong opposition from Republicans -- even well before the full text of the proposal was released to the public” in late July (see 2407250046).
Seventy-eight Puerto Rican and three U.S. Virgin Islands’ municipalities remain in the disaster area of Tropical Storm Ernesto, the FCC said in Wednesday’s disaster information reporting system report (see 2408130047). No public safety answering points were reported down, though nearly 10% of cellsites in Puerto Rican affected counties were. The U.S. Virgin Islands reported 26.4% of cellsites down. Cable and wireline companies reported 287,294 subscribers without service in the disaster area. No TV or radio stations were said to be down.
The objective of Consumers' Research was getting a case about the Universal Service Fund contribution methodology before the U.S. Supreme Court. That case resulted in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' recent 9-7 en banc decision that found the contribution factor is a "misbegotten tax," legal experts said during a Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition webinar Wednesday. The 5th Circuit remanded the contribution factor for Q1 2022 to the FCC for further work.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (see 2406280043) doesn’t foreclose the FCC's ability to act on net neutrality and other important public issues, Stephanie Joyce, senior vice president-chief of staff at the Computer & Communications Industry Association, said during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday.
It's "astonishing that the FCC is once again seeking to impose heavy-handed regulation on internet access," TechFreedom and the Washington Legal Foundation told the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. The groups urged the court in an amicus brief Wednesday that it should reverse the commission's order restoring Title II classification of broadband (see 2408130001). Their brief said the "only question for this court" is whether the FCC has the statutory authority to act (docket 24-7000), arguing the order is a violation of the major questions doctrine.
Serverless platform technology company DBOS appoints Jeremy Edberg, ex-Lambda, as CEO and to board ... Canadian mobile carrier Videotron and Freedom mobile promote Jean-Francois Lescadres to senior vice president-CFO and Jean Peladeau to senior vice president-chief marketing officer ... Senior Vice President-CFO Mike Lopez retiring from Ribbon Communications end of year ... FCC announces members of Communications, Equity and Diversity Council including Chair Heather Gate, Connected Nation executive vice president-digital inclusion; Vice Chairs Nicol Turner Lee, director-Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation, and Susan Au Allen, CEO-US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation; Digital Empowerment and Inclusion Working Group Chair Anisa Green, AT&T director-federal regulatory; and Diversity and Equity Working Group Chair Christopher Wood LGBT Tech executive director (see 2408130043) … Telecom fraud prevention company Somos appoints Sinch’s Stacy Graham to advisory board ... Platform, cloud and managed services company Calix names Wade Oosterman, ex-Bell Canada, to board.
Clarify whether imaging operations for space domain awareness missions make a space vehicle an in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing vehicle under the FCC's proposed ISAM definition, True Anomaly representatives told FCC Space Bureau staffers, said a filing Tuesday (docket 22-271). They also discussed the need for clarity around information submitted in ISAM applications, given that some ISAM missions might arise suddenly, in response to a customer's needs. TA urged that the FCC's proposed ISAM licensing framework be optional, not required, for eligible applicants. That would provide agency staff and applicants flexibility on authorizations for novel space activities, it said.
The FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee will meet Sept. 24, starting at 1 p.m., at FCC headquarters, a notice in Tuesday’s Daily Digest said. The main topic is a report on how AI “can help protect vulnerable consumer populations from unwanted and illegal calls, along with other consumer protection issues,” the FCC said.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau said on Tuesday its 911 reliability certification system is open for filing annual reliability certifications. The certificates are due Oct. 15. FCC rules require 911 service providers take reasonable measures to provide reliable service with respect to 911 circuit diversity, central office backup power and diverse network monitoring (see 2308220047).