Legislators and industry players urged action in response to Facebook-Cambridge Analytica reports and big data’s relationship to privacy (see 1803200047 and 1803210056). And House and Senate Commerce Committee leadership submitted formal requests Friday for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before their respective committees (see 1803220052).
Legislators and industry players urged action in response to Facebook-Cambridge Analytica reports and big data’s relationship to privacy (see 1803200047 and 1803210056). And House and Senate Commerce Committee leadership submitted formal requests Friday for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before their respective committees (see 1803220052).
Industry players urged actions rather than words Friday in response to Facebook-Cambridge Analytica reports and big data’s relationship to privacy (see 1803200047 and 1803210056). They ranged from Mozilla, which produces the Firefox browser, to Sonos and others, while a tech group expressed concern. On Capitol Hill, scrutiny intensified each day last week.
Consolidated Communications and a Vermont agency supported Comcast’s motion for stay of phase two of the Vermont Public Utility Commission’s VoIP regulation proceeding. The second phase asks how Vermont should regulate interconnected VoIP, but Comcast challenged the PUC’s Feb. 7 ruling that interconnected VoIP is a telecom service under federal law (see 1803070060). For “judicial efficiency,” the PUC should “exhaust all process” on its decision on VoIP classification before deciding how to regulate the services, Consolidated said Wednesday in case 18-0443. The Vermont Department of Public Service said it “does not oppose” the stay requested by Comcast, though it supports the PUC's Feb. 7 ruling. The department agreed “with Comcast that it would be appropriate to have a final determination on the Commission's authority to regulate VoIP services before the parties and the Commission expend significant time and resources litigating the manner in which such authority should be exercised.”
Consolidated Communications and a Vermont agency supported Comcast’s motion for stay of phase two of the Vermont Public Utility Commission’s VoIP regulation proceeding. The second phase asks how Vermont should regulate interconnected VoIP, but Comcast challenged the PUC’s Feb. 7 ruling that interconnected VoIP is a telecom service under federal law (see 1803070060). For “judicial efficiency,” the PUC should “exhaust all process” on its decision on VoIP classification before deciding how to regulate the services, Consolidated said Wednesday in case 18-0443. The Vermont Department of Public Service said it “does not oppose” the stay requested by Comcast, though it supports the PUC's Feb. 7 ruling. The department agreed “with Comcast that it would be appropriate to have a final determination on the Commission's authority to regulate VoIP services before the parties and the Commission expend significant time and resources litigating the manner in which such authority should be exercised.”
Imposition of upcoming Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum products will be paused for a set of countries currently in negotiations with the U.S. over potential exemptions, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said March 22 in testimony to the Senate Finance Committee. The European Union, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and South Korea will join Mexico and Canada as initially and temporarily exempt from the tariffs, which are set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. March 23 (see 1803080025).
The Competitive Carriers Association urged the FCC to approve changes to wireless infrastructure rules at Thursday's commissioners’ meeting. But the agency also continues to receive filings from tribal, historic preservation groups and groups representing local governments slamming the draft order. Former Commissioner Michael Copps said the FCC should take a pause. “There is no compelling need for FCC to rush approval next week of new wireless infrastructure rules until it has met in good faith its trust and consultation obligations to affected tribal areas,” Copps tweeted Thursday. “Doesn’t appear that’s really happened yet.”
Consideration of ViaSat use of the Ka-band for inter-satellite links (ISL) should be put on pause until technical studies are done, EchoStar officials told an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai, according tlo a docket 16-408 ex parte filing posted Friday. EchoStar said Ka-band hasn't been authorized for ISL use largely because there's plenty of spectrum available already for ISL, and ViaSat hasn't shown why a non-conforming use should be allowed. At the least, the agency should defer ViaSat consideration until standards for antenna pointing accuracy and interference avoidance can be addressed internationally and in the U.S. It also repeated its call for the agency to keep the domestic coverage requirement for non-geostationary orbit constellations (see 1801030039). And it said streamlining of earth stations in motion rules should include use of off-axis equivalent isotropically radiated power density limits instead of antenna pointing accuracy requirements, and ending what it said were needless data logging requirements. ViaSat outside counsel John Janka of Latham & Watkins said ViaSat isn't proposing ISLs but satellite-to-satellite links connecting a medium earth orbit constellation with a geostationary orbit constellation and that the FCC and ITU tables of frequency allocation covering fixed satellite service (FSS) include such links. Meanwhile, in a docket 14-177 ex parte filing Friday on a meeting with International Bureau staff, EchoStar said it also backed allowing individually licensed FSS earth stations in the 24.75-25.25 GHz band, but opposed employing spectrum frontiers-like limits on deploying satellite gateways in the bands above 95 GHz, and instead sharing rules should be put off until satellite and terrestrial technologies for those bands are developed.
Sinclair's divestiture trust proposal to bring its planned buy of Tribune into compliance with FCC rules (see 1802210062) doesn’t contain enough specifics to merit turning the deal’s paused shot clock back on, opponents said Wednesday in interviews and filings. “Sinclair hasn’t delivered with this filing,” said Brian Thorn, strategic research associate at the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA). “There isn’t enough to assuage our concerns.”
Sinclair's divestiture trust proposal to bring its planned buy of Tribune into compliance with FCC rules (see 1802210062) doesn’t contain enough specifics to merit turning the deal’s paused shot clock back on, opponents said Wednesday in interviews and filings. “Sinclair hasn’t delivered with this filing,” said Brian Thorn, strategic research associate at the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA). “There isn’t enough to assuage our concerns.”