Policymakers should consider new liability frameworks when assessing AI technology's impact, tech industry and consumer groups told NTIA in comments due Friday (NTIA-2023-0009).
NTIA said Friday it's making more than $800 million in digital equity capacity grant funding available. The capacity grant program is "the largest single investment in digital equity in our nation's history," NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said. Established under the Digital Equity Act, $1.44 billion was made available for NTIA to support digital equity through the program.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel appears likely to circulate proposed net neutrality rules for a vote at the commission’s April 25 meeting, which would mean releasing a draft Thursday under current commission policy. A prime motivation for moving now would be avoiding having the order overturned by a Congressional Review Act vote, should Republicans take the House and Senate in the November elections, said industry officials supporting and opposing new rules.
Expect the U.S. Supreme Court to support the White House and reject Missouri’s First Amendment challenge claiming administration officials colluded with Big Tech to censor COVID-19 content, legal experts said in interviews last week. Others in the case were less certain, saying the high court provided mixed signals during March 18 oral argument in Murthy v. Missouri (docket 23-411) (see 2403180051).
Though space agencies are starting to invest in orbital debris removal, most experts believe a commercial marketplace for it is years away. "It's really interesting technology, but where is the customer?" said BryceTech analyst Nick Boensch. Companies and startups in the debris removal space anticipate a sizable commercial demand emerging; however, for now it's a government-driven market only.
Wi-Fi advocates and 6 GHz incumbents clashed on an FCC proposal that would expand parts of the 6 GHz band where new very-low power (VLP) devices can operate without coordination, beyond the initial 850 MHz commissioners approved last year (see 2310190054). The VLP rules took effect March 9. 6 GHz incumbents have lined up in opposition to further changes (see 2403270055).
Advocates of the FCC’s affordable connectivity program and Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program believe funding for both priorities remains available this year, despite Congress having omitted funding in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act FY 2024 minibus spending package enacted last week (see 2403210067). Program backers acknowledge funding will be more difficult as the FY24 package was their best opportunity. They also admit appropriations politics will only prove trickier with Capitol Hill hunkering down for the 2024 election campaign.
The FCC violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it amended rules incorporating four new equipment testing standards, and did so without the proper notice and comment protocol, alleged iFixit, Public Resource and Make Community in the opening brief Wednesday (23-1311) of their petition for review at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The opening brief asks that the court remand the rules to the FCC for what the three organizations contend should be a proper rulemaking (see 2311090002).
CTIA is hopeful a legislative vehicle will be found soon that will restore general FCC auction authority, more than a year after it lapsed, CTIA Senior Vice President-Spectrum Umair Javed said Wednesday during a Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy webcast. “It sort of feels like there’s a lot of smoke, and maybe not fire yet,” Javed said. He hopes a bill floated by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will provide the needed “spark.”
The federal government should set auditing standards for evaluating “high-risk” AI systems and impose liability for tech companies failing to honor their terms of service, NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson told reporters Tuesday in remarks embargoed until Wednesday, when the agency released its AI Accountability Report.