The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecom Services Sector didn't object to Fusion's transfer of control request as part of its bankruptcy reorganization, NTIA said Tuesday in FCC docket 20-44.

Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Adolfo Cuevas, interim chairman of Mexico’s Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones, met virtually and agreed to work together on “an array of bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues,” said a notice in Monday’s Daily Digest.

An Atlanta-based Bitcoin service provider was fined more than $500,000 for allowing people in sanctioned countries to use its services. BitPay committed more than 2,000 sanctions violations when it allowed people in Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Syria and the Crimea region of Ukraine to use digital currency on the platform to transact with U.S. parties, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said Thursday. OFAC said BitPay allowed $129,000 worth of digital currency transactions that should have been blocked. OFAC said the case highlights the compliance risks faced by digital currency services. Those companies “are responsible for ensuring that they do not engage in unauthorized transactions,” OFAC said, saying they should develop a tailored compliance program that screens “all available information,” including IP addresses and location data. "During the transaction period, and since, BitPay has steadily enhanced its already rigorous compliance program," the company said. "Our commitment to compliance has been continuous and unwavering."

The administration should work with Congress to “reinvigorate” U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and increase semiconductor R&D by funding the initiatives in the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (Chips) for America Act, the Semiconductor Industry Association, Information Technology Industry Council, CTIA, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Telecommunications Industry Association and 11 other groups wrote President Joe Biden Thursday. “Strengthening the U.S. position in semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing is a national priority.” They seek “robust funding for these programs." The White House didn’t comment. The Chips Act is part of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (see 2101030002).

The White House should take “technology-neutral action” to resolve the semiconductor shortage without playing favorites among the various tech sectors, Telecommunications Industry Association CEO David Stehlin wrote President Joe Biden Wednesday. “America’s broadband networks and the secure deployment of new technologies such as 5G are vital to U.S. interests, necessitating a level playing field." As Biden weighs an executive order addressing supply chain fixes for the chip shortage (see 2102120022), “we strongly encourage a balanced approach to U.S. government action that does not favor one sector over others,” the TIA chief said. The White House didn’t comment.

Trade rules should “continue to evolve” under the Biden administration and new World Trade Organization leadership, blogged Semiconductor Industry Association Director-Global Policy Devi Keller Tuesday. U.S.-China trade tensions during the Trump administration “put into sharp relief the reality that we need stronger disciplines to tackle challenges related to state subsidies and state-owned enterprises,” she said. Cybersecurity barriers to trade, forced technology transfer and intellectual property theft are “in great need of attention at the WTO and elsewhere,” she said. Washington policymakers have the opportunity “to leverage trade policy to tackle large-scale global challenges,” like bridging the digital divide, said Keller.

The global shortage of semiconductors is “one of the central motivations” for the executive order President Joe Biden will sign “in the coming weeks” to begin a “comprehensive review of supply chains for critical goods,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told a media briefing Thursday. The review will focus on “identifying the immediate actions we can take, from improving the physical production of those items in the U.S. to working with allies to develop a coordinated response to the weaknesses and bottlenecks that are hurting American workers,” she said. The administration is “currently identifying potential choke points in the supply chain and actively working alongside key stakeholders in industry and with our trading partners to do more now,” said Psaki. Her disclosure of a coming EO on the semiconductor shortage came the same day top U.S. chipmakers wrote Biden urging his support for tax credits to fund U.S. manufacturing and R&D (see 2102110023). The Semiconductor Industry Association, which orchestrated the letter to the White House, didn’t comment Friday.

There's a “historic opportunity” to fund initiatives in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and research, 21 Semiconductor Industry Association board members wrote President Joe Biden Thursday. “Include in your recovery and infrastructure plan substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, in the form of grants and/or tax credits, and for basic and applied semiconductor research,” asked IBM, Intel, Qualcomm and other executives. The U.S. is “uncompetitive in attracting investments in new fab construction and our technology leadership is at risk," including for artificial intelligence and 5G/6G, they wrote. The White House didn’t comment.

Viasat, Russian telco TMC and Russian satellite operator Gazprom Space Systems partnered to provide aeronautical connectivity to Russian and international airlines when flying into and over Russian space, Viasat said Wednesday: This starts with Viasat procuring Ku-band capacity on Gazprom's Yamal-401.

Smartphone imports to the U.S. declined 15% in 2020 to 181.69 million under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule’s 8517.12.00 subheading, show Census Bureau data we accessed through the International Trade Commission. It's the first time since Census began keeping such records in 2007 that shipments fell below 200 million.