T-Mobile is turning up the heat on the FCC to issue licenses bought in last year’s 2.5 GHz auction, linking the failure to do so to the agency’s focus on closing the digital divide. Neville Ray, T-Mobile president-technology, argued for issuing the licenses in a Thursday blog. Lawyers active in the proceeding said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel continues to believe the FCC doesn’t have the authority to issue the licenses after expiration of its auction authority, though the Office of General Counsel is studying the issue.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission seeks responses by April 17 to a Wednesday motion by the Minnesota Telecom Alliance and Minnesota Rural Electric Association in a review of LTD Broadband’s eligible telecom carrier designation, Administrative Law Judge James LaFave ordered Friday. And the ALJ set a telephonic prehearing conference for April 24 at 11 a.m. CST on the motion in docket 22-221. The associations asked the PUC to suspend LTD’s ETC designation until the company can show the PUC that it can meet obligations to serve about 102,000 locations. “Developments occurring since the Commission initiated this proceeding have confirmed LTD’s inability to perform its ETC obligations and heightened the risk to the public interest from allowing its expanded ETC designation to remain in effect,” the groups said. LaFave paused the commission’s LTD review in January (see 2301180038).
The Commerce Department will indefinitely pause its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on white grape juice concentrate from Argentina after reaching suspension agreements with Argentine exporters and the Argentine government, it said in a pair of notices released March 23.
Senate leaders acknowledged they’re beginning to consider using floor time to pass the House-approved bill to renew the FCC’s spectrum auction authority through May 19 (HR-1108) in case they can’t reach a deal with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., that would pave the way for enacting the measure via unanimous consent, but they insisted such a move isn’t their preference. An accord remained elusive Wednesday, with Rounds saying he's still opposed to the May 19 extension and leaders still resistant to his alternate bid to renew the authority through Sept. 30 (S-650). That impasse led to the FCC’s mandate lapsing just under two weeks ago (see 2303090074).
Ten trade groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Foreign Trade Council, the Express Association of America, the American Chemistry Council and the Coalition of Services Industries, are asking President Joe Biden to bring up businesses' concerns about changes to customs procedures, chemical regulations and digital services taxes.
The district court “improperly drew inferences in T-Mobile’s favor,” said plaintiff Simply Wireless in its opening brief (docket 22:2236) Thursday in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a trademark infringement case over the Simply Prepaid trademark.
The FCC’s administrative law judge won’t pause the hearing process and put the Standard/Tegna deal in front of the full commission, said an ALJ order Thursday. After that decision, Standard General asked three FCC commissioners to trigger “must vote” on the transaction, which would require Commissioner Geoffrey Starks to split with Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to side with the agency’s Republicans. That's considered unlikely.
Lumen executives misrepresented to investors and the public the company’s rate of investment and progress in expanding fiber services to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and residential markets, alleged a March 3 class action (docket 3:23-cv-00286) filed in U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana in Monroe.
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A June 2020 wireless infrastructure declaratory ruling merely clarified existing rules, the FCC told a federal appeals court Wednesday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month resumed a long-paused case on a League of California Cities challenge to the FCC decision clarifying shot clock and substantial change rules (see 2302070041). The FCC said in a brief it made no procedural errors and reasonably interpreted its rules (case 20-71765). "Wireless communications depend on a network of antennas and equipment placed on structures including towers, buildings, and utility poles,” the FCC wrote. “Local governments often use their zoning and land use authority to delay or block the installation of such equipment because of perceived aesthetic and other impacts." Congress, the agency said, has long sought to reduce such barriers.