Despite telecom industry arguments it needs longer (see 2006230022), a 24-month nationwide implementation of the 988 suicide prevention hotline seems feasible, experts told us. Others see meeting that deadline being a big challenge, though everyone agrees the FCC isn't likely to budge further, having already compromised from an 18-month implementation deadline. The commission didn't comment. The draft order directing providers to have 988 operational by July 16, 2022, will be voted on at the July 16 commissioners' meeting.
States and privacy advocates hailed a federal court ruling Tuesday that said Maine’s ISP privacy law isn’t preempted by Congress or the FCC. The U.S. District Court of Maine order (in Pacer) is a preliminary win for Maine’s 2019 law countering Congress’ 2017 Congressional Review Act (CRA) repeal of 2016 FCC broadband privacy rules. It could pave the way for more state privacy laws and may have implications for state net neutrality laws, said the state law's supporters.
The FCC is likely to move forward on reallocating part of the 3.1-3.55 GHz band, after release of an NTIA report Monday (see 2007060054), industry and FCC officials said in interviews Tuesday. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly called the report overly conservative, though it does appear to open the door for 5G in at least 100 megahertz. The band has been a longstanding O’Rielly focus (see 2001080035).
Broadcast news stations and journalism watchdog groups told us this month that incidents between reporters and police remain a concern throughout the U.S. during protests against racial inequality. That's despite assurances from government officials (see 2006080051) as well as an outpouring of support for the news media doing their jobs.
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act Monday (see 2007060009), in much-watched Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants. Justices upheld the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, which declared a 2015 government debt collection exemption unconstitutional and severed the provision from the remainder of the law. Experts said after SCOTUS heard arguments in April the court was unlikely to overturn all of the TCPA (see 2005060051).
Threats to wireless security are “continuously evolving” and artificial intelligence will play a key role in protecting networks as 5G is deployed, said GSMA Chief Technology Officer Alex Sinclair at the association’s virtual China conference Thursday. Officials said it's launching an AI in Security Taskforce.
Despite a rift between two of the parties challenging the FCC's C-band order in federal court, PSSi's effort to get SES' appeal dismissed isn't expected to significantly affect the consolidated challenges to the order, we were told. A lawyer involved in the FCC proceeding said SES isn't really a petitioner but a conditional cross-petitioner. The company has told the court it won't file a petitioner's brief.
Texas' Public Utility Commission disagrees with Lifeline providers telling the FCC the PUC's Texas Low-Income Discount Administrator (LIDA) process is preventing reimbursement and hurting low-income consumers. Texas commissioners voted 3-0 at a Thursday meeting livestreamed from Austin to clear staff comments due July 10 at the FCC on a National Lifeline Association (NaLA) petition to revoke Texas’ opt-out of the national Lifeline accountability (NLAD) (see 2006110023).
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced the Earn It Act (S-3398) (see 2007010058) Thursday. A manager’s amendment from Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and another amendment from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., passed.
Customers are seeing speeds on 5G “dramatically faster” than on 4G, except in the U.S., said Ian Fogg, Opensignal vice president-analysis, at GSMA’s virtual China conference Wednesday. 5G won’t replace Wi-Fi in the U.S., he said. Others said Asia-Pacific carriers are adopting many of the same approaches as in the U.S.