It’s unlikely the Senate will significantly move forward in consideration of FCC nominee Nathan Simington before the November election, if at all this year, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews this week. The White House said Tuesday President Donald Trump intended to nominate Simington, currently a NTIA senior adviser, to the seat held by Commissioner Mike O’Rielly (see 2009150074). The White House formally sent Simington's nomination to the Senate Wednesday. Trump revoked O’Rielly’s renomination in early August (see 2008030072).
Apple energized its growing services business at its Tuesday event, announcing a subscription-based fitness app, Fitness+ ($9.99 a month; $79 yearly), and an expected bundled services offering (see 2008130029) under the moniker Apple One. “It’s all about recurring subscription revenue,” tweeted Futurum analyst Daniel Newman. Gartner's Mikako Kitagawa called the prices “competitive,” questioning if they will be enough to pull in users “other than existing Apple service customers.” Heavy Spotify or Netflix users need to have “a good reason to add Apple Music or TV," she emailed.
The bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus began pressing Tuesday for alternate COVID-19 aid legislation that includes broadband funding, amid a renewed push for a compromise. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wants the chamber to remain in session until passage. Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., during appearances at an Incompas event cited the need for COVID-19 legislation to address broadband. House Republicans cited broadband access in their preelection “Commitment to America” plan as a priority if their party regains a majority in the chamber.
Carriers, state regulatory commissions and public interest groups united in FCC docket 11-42 to again oppose an FCC proposal to raise the Lifeline wireless broadband minimum service standard. Three NARUC Telecom Committee members emphasized they want no change to the MSS, in a virtual news conference Tuesday. Raising the MSS was condemned by every filing in the docket responding to the National Lifeline Association (NaLA) petition.
The FCC made the right decision on Ligado, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told Incompas Tuesday during its virtual conference. Pai stressed FCC focus on 5G, saying the upcoming C-band auction will be “massive.” Pai said more is coming, including on the 5.9 GHz band and a follow-up order on 6 GHz (see 2008200040). “We have a lot of big irons in the fire,” he said.
Google has unprecedented control over the digital advertising market, which threatens news publishers and gives the platform unrivaled leverage, Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans and Democrats said at an Antitrust Subcommittee hearing Tuesday.
Congress should be cautious about creating new antitrust regulations, FTC Chairman Joe Simons and DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim said Monday. “Some are proposing regulatory solutions designed to curb or change the way” tech companies compete, Simons told a virtual International Competition Network conference. “I would advise strong caution before adopting any type of a regulatory regime rather than relying on a competition regime.”
Open radio access networks got a push from the FCC Monday, with a nearly daylong virtual forum headlined by Chairman Ajit Pai and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. All the commissioners, who have discussed the importance of ORAN and the growing dominance of China’s Huawei in equipment markets, also spoke.
Verizon’s proposed buy of Tracfone from America Movil for as much as close to $7 billion (see 2009140010) appears to show Verizon growing its prepaid wireless market in a big way. The early read is it should have few problems getting clearance from regulators. Tracfone is the largest U.S. reseller of wireless services, with 21 million subscribers.
Lawmakers will probably not be able to repeal the 2012 Spectrum Act's mandate for public safety to move off the 470-512 MHz T band until Congress’ post-election lame-duck session because of the likely lack of a viable legislative vehicle before that time, officials and lobbyists told us. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai simultaneously circulated an auction NPRM and urged Congress in May to repeal the mandate (see 2005150053) because the sale was “a bad idea.”