The FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comment on Key Bridge Global’s proposal that it be designated a database manager for link registrations by licensees in the 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz and 92-95 GHz bands. Federal and non-federal users currently share the three bands on a mostly co-primary basis, but the government holds the 94.0-94.1 GHz portion on a primary basis, the FCC said. Key Bridge is asking the FCC to designate it as an additional manager under the 2004 WTB proposal or waive Key Bridge from the original 2004 filing deadline. Key Bridge says it will comply with the duties and responsibilities included in the 2004 FCC order. Comments are due Dec. 12, reply comments Dec. 23, the FCC said (http://bit.ly/1aDIinM).

A Senate Democrat called for stronger limits on U.S. surveillance activities following revelations from leaked documents that the U.S. tracks the cellphone location information for millions of people abroad. The tracking program described in recent reports focuses on foreigners but collects data from millions of Americans who travel abroad. “Secretly tracking millions of Americans raises urgent, serious legal questions -- never apparently presented to any court,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in a statement Thursday, calling for immediate resolution “by Congress and the courts. These reports are additional powerful evidence that the system needs to be reformed, which must include more transparency and accountability enforced by a constitutional advocate.” Blumenthal has backed bills to that effect. The information came from documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, which The Washington Post reported online Wednesday (http://wapo.st/IIaYWp). The American Civil Liberties Union slammed the revelations in a statement from staff attorney Catherine Crump. She called the news “staggering” and labeled the activities “dragnet surveillance,” flouting “international privacy obligations” when the U.S. should be targeting its surveillance. The Center for Democracy & Technology also criticized the practices and pressed for congressional action. “It’s time for Congress to finally act to rein in NSA surveillance,” Senior Counsel Greg Nojeim said in a statement. “Passing the USA FREEDOM Act would be a strong step.” Blumenthal also backs that legislation.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere visited Congress and FCC officials this week during a trip to Washington. He tweeted a photo of himself and House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., Wednesday. “I absolutely love this woman!” Legere wrote. In another tweet, he wrote, “Two days in DC with FCC, Commerce and Congressional Representatives … wore my clean sneakers out of respect!” and showcased a photo of the shoes. He also visited area T-Mobile stores, according to photos he posted. FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai tweeted to Legere that it was great to see him and that Pai would be “ditching the Washington uniform for a t-shirt and Chuck Taylors” for their next visit. T-Mobile declined comment on a request for more information about Legere’s visit, though a spokesman said an ex parte document will be filed.

Harris CapRock won a 10-year contract worth $46 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to continue supporting the Alaskan Satellite Telecommunications Infrastructure (ASTI). Harris CapRock will provide “a fully redundant satellite solution utilizing a two-satellite system to ensure dependable connectivity for voice and data,” Harris said in a press release (http://bit.ly/19jDF2q). The two-satellite system “achieves exceptionally high availability and reliability,” it said. The ASTI program supports the FAA’s air traffic control mission “between remote and hub facilities in Alaska and other remote locations,” Harris said.

Martha Wright and other supporters of inmate calling service changes oppose a CenturyLink request to stay the FCC’s prison phone order, they said in a filing Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1biRktT). CenturyLink asked for a stay pending judicial review, but the ICS provider is unlikely to be successful in court, said the filing, made by the D.C. Prisoners’ Legal Services Project, Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants, the Policy Initiative, and the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice. “CenturyLink is simply wrong in concluding that third parties will not be harmed by the grant of the Petition,” the filing said. “The record in this proceeding overwhelmingly demonstrates significant and adverse effects are caused the unjust, unreasonable and unfair rates and fees charged by the ICS providers on a daily basis."

Comments on the FCC Wireless Bureau proceeding to improve wireless facilities’ siting policies are due Feb. 3, and replies March 5, the FCC said in a Federal Register notice (http://1.usa.gov/18olNDr). The FCC seeks to promote the deployment of infrastructure “that is necessary to provide the public with advanced wireless broadband services, consistent with governing law and the public interest,” it said.

EAGLE-Net representatives are scheduled to appear before the Colorado Legislative Audit Committee Monday to provide an update on its “new joint venture,” a committee spokeswoman told us (http://bit.ly/18bOCs0). EAGLE-Net appeared before the committee in September to give an update on the network’s next steps following its audit (CD Sept 26 p16). At the September committee hearing, EAGLE-Net CEO Mike Ryan said EAGLE-Net was in negotiations to find a network operator. Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., questioned EAGLE-Net’s choice of Affiniti as its operator in a letter to NTIA Administrator Lawrence Strickling (CD Nov 1 p8). Gardner asked NTIA to look at how Affiniti was formed as a merger between Trillion Partners and Sting Communications, how it plans to work with providers that have been overbuilt by fiber, Affiniti’s fiscal sustainability, and to provide detailed plans of where Affiniti plans to build to unserved and underserved areas in Colorado. EAGLE-Net released an RFP Wednesday seeking price quotes to build a 27.6 route-mile fiber network from Durango to Cascade Village (http://bit.ly/18FXdDK). Proposals are due to EAGLE-Net Dec. 23.

An FCC oversight hearing of the House Communications Subcommittee will take place at 10 a.m. on Dec. 12, Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., told reporters Thursday. Walden met separately with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Mike O'Rielly this week, and those meetings included “good” discussion focused on public policy, Walden said. “We look forward to a productive relationship in the years ahead,” Walden said, citing this as important in the subcommittee’s oversight work. The hearing will feature all five FCC commissioners, who also will hold an FCC meeting later that same day from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Walden and House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., have been “passionate” about FCC process overhaul for three years, House Commerce Committee Republican Chief Counsel David Redl said during a Practising Law Institute event in Washington Thursday, pointing to the FCC Consolidated Reporting Act that unanimously passed the House earlier this year. But Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., “publicly stated that he does not intend to move those measures in the Senate,” said Committee Democratic Senior Counsel John Branscome during the same panel discussion. “In terms of FCC process reform legislation, Sen. Rockefeller will be looking at how this legislation ultimately strengthens the FCC’s consumer protection role. I think that’s how he'll judge any measure.” Redl and House Commerce Democratic Chief Counsel Shawn Chang, both pointed to the incentive auctions as a major concern and said they remain optimistic the FCC can meet its deadlines. Chang cautioned, however, that observers should be “mindful of the Healthcare.gov experience,” which was fraught with problems. “We've got to get this right.” Redl described various known “hurdles” and questions: “What’s the repacking process going to look like?"

USTelecom asked the FCC for a waiver extension for various rules adopted in the Lifeline order (http://bit.ly/1biS02p). The Wireline Bureau granted the ILEC association a waiver until Feb. 1, but that’s not long enough, USTelecom said. “Some state Lifeline administrators or other state agencies have indicated that they will not be prepared to begin providing [eligible telecom carriers] in their states with copies of subscriber certification forms” by that date, it said. USTelecom asked for an additional six-month extension for these states: Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah and Vermont. USTelecom also asked for a five-month waiver of the same rules for carriers in California.

The office of the U.S. Trade Representative seeks comment by Jan. 3 on the “operation, effectiveness, implementation of and compliance with” U.S. telecom product and services provisions in U.S. international trade agreements, said a USTR notice to appear in Friday’s Federal Register (http://1.usa.gov/1kfCdTZ). USTR seeks input on areas including whether any World Trade Organization member is acting in a manner inconsistent with its obligations under WTO agreements affecting market opportunities for telecom products or services. The office asked about telecom trade issues in countries including Australia, Canada, Mexico and Singapore. Comment also is sought on whether any measures or practices of a WTO member nation or for which a free trade agreement or telecom trade agreement with the U.S. impedes access to its telecom markets. Submit comments to www.regulations.gov, docket USTR-2013-0039.