State lawmakers may be more inclined to pursue broadband affordability policies in the wake of recent FCC and court rulings as well as last month's ending of the federal affordable connectivity program (ACP), multiple telecom experts said last week. Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D) told Communications Daily he hopes “these developments will lead to stronger support in 2025” for an affordable broadband proposal that failed this year. However, some anticipate ISPs will likely object, and fiscal constraints could limit states' efforts.
CTIA and other commenters raised concerns about an FCC notice seeking comment on rules for implementing multilingual wireless emergency alerts. Comments were due last week in dockets 15-91 and 15-94 on a notice from the FCC Public Safety Bureau (see 2405130047).
Incorporating kids’ privacy language is complicating the House Commerce Committee's effort to move ahead with a comprehensive bill, members told us in interviews last week. A full committee markup is possible when the chamber returns the week of June 24.
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.
Vermont’s comprehensive data privacy bill “creates an unnecessary and avoidable level of risk,” said Gov. Phil Scott (R) Thursday as he vetoed H-121. It was a win for tech industry opponents (see 2405300038) and a setback for consumer group supporters of the bill that would have made Vermont the first state with a broad private right of action (PRA). It's possible, however, for lawmakers to override Scott’s veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Also Thursday, the Rhode Island legislature approved a privacy bill that consumer groups say is too weak.
The U.S. needs to move toward a firm date for the end of mandatory simulcast of ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 signals and fully transition to ATSC 3.0, but it's too early to say when that date should be, NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt said Thursday at the NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington. Conference-goers applauded the call for a transition deadline, and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr echoed it, saying he would support a proceeding about the issue. Carr also suggested gauging broadcast and wireless industry interest in an "incentive auction 2.0" for low-band spectrum.
Federal and industry officials raised concerns about the impact of pole attachments and replacements as states prepare for NTIA's broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. In addition, make-ready processes and economic incentives can complicate efforts to expand high-speed internet -- and rules aren’t always enough, a panel of state officials said during a Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition symposium Thursday.
Microsoft accepts “every finding” in the Department of Homeland Security’s report about a 2023 Chinese cyberattack against the company, President Brad Smith told the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday that she circulated for a commissioner vote an NPRM seeking comment on further changes to rules for the citizens broadband radio service band. An FCC and NTIA agreement unveiled Wednesday on broader use of CBRS (see 2406120027) shows what's possible when you push the boundaries of how spectrum is shared, experts said Thursday during a discussion at the International Symposium on Advanced Radio Technologies (ISART) conference in Denver.
The FTC’s merger guidelines will become “useless” if they are rescinded each time an opposing party takes power, FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson said Thursday.