Google Fiber is “ready to come back out of the shadows” and expand into more mid-sized cities, Public Policy Head John Burchett said Wednesday. On a Fiber Broadband Association webinar, Burchett acknowledged the once-hyped ISP slowed down in 2016. “We got out ahead of our skis and were building in ways that ended up not being the most profitable,” he said. It paused new construction and spent the past few years “figuring out how to retool our business,” he said. Earlier this year, it began increasing construction in existing markets, while exploring new business models with municipalities in which Google won’t handle everything as it did before, he said. In a project announced in July with West Des Moines, Iowa, the city is building conduit to people’s homes and Google Fiber will be among the provider options, Burchett said. “We’re talking to a bunch of other cities,” with talks furthest along in places that had already been thinking about how to expand broadband, have money for bonding and have municipally owned utilities, he said. Google seeks to “catalyze a movement” of “third network providers,” said Burchett. “What we’d like to do is show it’s financially viable and you can be successful coming in as the competitor.” The strategy isn’t only about getting internet to places that don’t have it “but also having competition so that the existing carriers and the new carriers are always incentivized to increase their speeds.” State limits on municipal broadband remain a barrier, the representative said. “All the restrictions on municipalities and on utilities for providing broadband themselves drives me nuts.” The ISP has talked to several cities that want to collaborate, “but the state laws ... prohibit muni broadband or put ridiculous restrictions on them” that make “a really close-call economic project infeasible.” National focus on funding unserved and underserved areas makes it “really hard for anybody but the incumbents to do meaningful expansions using federal resources," he added.
Google Fiber is “ready to come back out of the shadows” and expand into more mid-sized cities, Public Policy Head John Burchett said Wednesday. On a Fiber Broadband Association webinar, Burchett acknowledged the once-hyped ISP slowed down in 2016. “We got out ahead of our skis and were building in ways that ended up not being the most profitable,” he said. It paused new construction and spent the past few years “figuring out how to retool our business,” he said. Earlier this year, it began increasing construction in existing markets, while exploring new business models with municipalities in which Google won’t handle everything as it did before, he said. In a project announced in July with West Des Moines, Iowa, the city is building conduit to people’s homes and Google Fiber will be among the provider options, Burchett said. “We’re talking to a bunch of other cities,” with talks furthest along in places that had already been thinking about how to expand broadband, have money for bonding and have municipally owned utilities, he said. Google seeks to “catalyze a movement” of “third network providers,” said Burchett. “What we’d like to do is show it’s financially viable and you can be successful coming in as the competitor.” The strategy isn’t only about getting internet to places that don’t have it “but also having competition so that the existing carriers and the new carriers are always incentivized to increase their speeds.” State limits on municipal broadband remain a barrier, the representative said. “All the restrictions on municipalities and on utilities for providing broadband themselves drives me nuts.” The ISP has talked to several cities that want to collaborate, “but the state laws ... prohibit muni broadband or put ridiculous restrictions on them” that make “a really close-call economic project infeasible.” National focus on funding unserved and underserved areas makes it “really hard for anybody but the incumbents to do meaningful expansions using federal resources," he added.
Senate Republicans “need to get smart and confirm” FCC nominee Nathan Simington “ASAP,” President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday. Trump last month named Simington, an NTIA senior adviser, as his pick to replace Commissioner Mike O’Rielly (see 2009150074). Trump directed the tweet toward Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who sets the committee’s agenda. Wicker met with Simington last month and supports the committee advancing his confirmation (see 2009300022). Senate Commerce hasn’t set a hearing on the nominee, and the prospects of confirming him before the Nov. 3 election appear to be dimming further, after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., paused floor proceedings until Oct. 19 because three GOP senators tested positive for COVID-19 (see 2010050053). Wicker and Senate Commerce staff have reviewed Simington's "final paperwork," an aide told us. "We are performing the standard vetting process expeditiously as we determine a hearing date in the near future."
Senate Republicans “need to get smart and confirm” FCC nominee Nathan Simington “ASAP,” President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday. Trump last month named Simington, an NTIA senior adviser, as his pick to replace Commissioner Mike O’Rielly (see 2009150074). Trump directed the tweet toward Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who sets the committee’s agenda. Wicker met with Simington last month and supports the committee advancing his confirmation (see 2009300022). Senate Commerce hasn’t set a hearing on the nominee, and the prospects of confirming him before the Nov. 3 election appear to be dimming further, after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., paused floor proceedings until Oct. 19 because three GOP senators tested positive for COVID-19 (see 2010050053). Wicker and Senate Commerce staff have reviewed Simington's "final paperwork," an aide told us. "We are performing the standard vetting process expeditiously as we determine a hearing date in the near future."
Over four in 10 U.S. consumers plan to buy a TV this holiday season, with smart TVs leading gift-giving and receiving tech lists, said a Roku survey conducted by Harris. Some 70% plan to spend the same or more on gifts this holiday season, said Tuesday's report. Average holiday spending is expected to be $885, up 2.5% from the 2019 survey; a third plan to buy more gifts due to sheltering in place rules barring them from visiting family and friends. Also due to COVID-19 concerns, consumers expect to do 65% of their holiday shopping virtually. Most consumers are primary streamers, with nearly one in three having cut the cord. For the first time in the survey’s history, Americans reported spending more time streaming than watching pay TV; average reported streaming hours grew 19% year over year vs. traditional TV viewing hours, which fell 13%. Some marketers are adapting their advertising strategies to meet consumers where they spend most of their viewing time, said Roku Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Anderson. About 43% of consumers (including two-thirds of millennials) said an ad on a streaming service led them to pause content, go online and shop for the product advertised. Citing a “tipping point” for the future of TV, Abbey Lunney, director-trends and thought leadership at Harris Poll, said the shift to streaming shows that marketers need to adjust their engagement strategies. The survey polled 2,000 U.S. adults Sept. 8-12.
Over four in 10 U.S. consumers plan to buy a TV this holiday season, with smart TVs leading gift-giving and receiving tech lists, said a Roku survey conducted by Harris. Some 70% plan to spend the same or more on gifts this holiday season, said Tuesday's report. Average holiday spending is expected to be $885, up 2.5% from the 2019 survey; a third plan to buy more gifts due to sheltering in place rules barring them from visiting family and friends. Also due to COVID-19 concerns, consumers expect to do 65% of their holiday shopping virtually. Most consumers are primary streamers, with nearly one in three having cut the cord. For the first time in the survey’s history, Americans reported spending more time streaming than watching pay TV; average reported streaming hours grew 19% year over year vs. traditional TV viewing hours, which fell 13%. Some marketers are adapting their advertising strategies to meet consumers where they spend most of their viewing time, said Roku Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Anderson. About 43% of consumers (including two-thirds of millennials) said an ad on a streaming service led them to pause content, go online and shop for the product advertised. Citing a “tipping point” for the future of TV, Abbey Lunney, director-trends and thought leadership at Harris Poll, said the shift to streaming shows that marketers need to adjust their engagement strategies. The survey polled 2,000 U.S. adults Sept. 8-12.
A trio of Hill Republicans is urging the FCC not to move forward with a July draft order that would raise the Lifeline wireless broadband minimum service standard to 4.5 GB per month (see 2007300064). The proposal has drawn opposition (see 2009150072). “The formula the FCC adopted to update the [MSS] for Lifeline mobile broadband data capacity” in 2016 (see 1603310056) was flawed, “resulting in drastic, year-over-year increases that would undoubtedly impact the ability of Lifeline carriers to continue providing affordable service,” said Sen. David Perdue of Georgia in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. The FCC in 2019 “rightfully stepped in to avoid this outcome, limiting the increase from 2 GB to 3 GB per month, instead of an unsustainable 8.75 GB per month.” Perdue’s “concerned that another increase will serve only to cause Lifeline carriers to drastically raise prices, thereby forcing subscribers to drop out of the program in order to avoid costly co-pays.” He encouraged the FCC to “pause” any further increase until it has “completed and reviewed” a planned 2021 Lifeline market report and can “strike a more feasible balance between affordability and robustness.” Reps. Mark Green of Tennessee and Jody Hice of Georgia also sought a pause, urging the FCC to temporarily increase the monthly Lifeline benefit to at least $18 from the current $9.25 amid the pandemic. “We are concerned that although Americans need more mobile broadband data, it seems contrary to free market principles that a government agency would mandate that a private company must provide a costly service without compensation,” the GOP lawmakers wrote Pai. “It is a classic unfunded mandate” that appears the FCC is taking “without statutory authority.” The agency didn’t immediately comment Tuesday.
Over four in 10 U.S. consumers plan to buy a TV this holiday season, with smart TVs leading gift-giving and receiving tech lists, said a Roku survey conducted by Harris. Some 70% plan to spend the same or more on gifts this holiday season, said Tuesday's report. Average holiday spending is expected to be $885, up 2.5% from the 2019 survey; a third plan to buy more gifts due to sheltering in place rules barring them from visiting family and friends. Also due to COVID-19 concerns, consumers expect to do 65% of their holiday shopping virtually. Most consumers are primary streamers, with nearly one in three having cut the cord. For the first time in the survey’s history, Americans reported spending more time streaming than watching pay TV; average reported streaming hours grew 19% year over year vs. traditional TV viewing hours, which fell 13%. Some marketers are adapting their advertising strategies to meet consumers where they spend most of their viewing time, said Roku Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Anderson. About 43% of consumers (including two-thirds of millennials) said an ad on a streaming service led them to pause content, go online and shop for the product advertised. Citing a “tipping point” for the future of TV, Abbey Lunney, director-trends and thought leadership at Harris Poll, said the shift to streaming shows that marketers need to adjust their engagement strategies. The survey polled 2,000 U.S. adults Sept. 8-12.
A trio of Hill Republicans is urging the FCC not to move forward with a July draft order that would raise the Lifeline wireless broadband minimum service standard to 4.5 GB per month (see 2007300064). The proposal has drawn opposition (see 2009150072). “The formula the FCC adopted to update the [MSS] for Lifeline mobile broadband data capacity” in 2016 (see 1603310056) was flawed, “resulting in drastic, year-over-year increases that would undoubtedly impact the ability of Lifeline carriers to continue providing affordable service,” said Sen. David Perdue of Georgia in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. The FCC in 2019 “rightfully stepped in to avoid this outcome, limiting the increase from 2 GB to 3 GB per month, instead of an unsustainable 8.75 GB per month.” Perdue’s “concerned that another increase will serve only to cause Lifeline carriers to drastically raise prices, thereby forcing subscribers to drop out of the program in order to avoid costly co-pays.” He encouraged the FCC to “pause” any further increase until it has “completed and reviewed” a planned 2021 Lifeline market report and can “strike a more feasible balance between affordability and robustness.” Reps. Mark Green of Tennessee and Jody Hice of Georgia also sought a pause, urging the FCC to temporarily increase the monthly Lifeline benefit to at least $18 from the current $9.25 amid the pandemic. “We are concerned that although Americans need more mobile broadband data, it seems contrary to free market principles that a government agency would mandate that a private company must provide a costly service without compensation,” the GOP lawmakers wrote Pai. “It is a classic unfunded mandate” that appears the FCC is taking “without statutory authority.” The agency didn’t immediately comment Tuesday.
Senate floor proceedings are delayed until Oct. 19, complicating the timeline for consideration of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and FCC nominee Nathan Simington. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was expected to have sought unanimous consent Monday for the chamber to meet pro forma through next week after GOP members Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina tested positive for COVID-19. Johnson and Lee are members of the Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Simington pick. Lee and Tillis are on the Judiciary Committee, which is handling the Barrett nomination. Lee and Tillis attended the event last month where President Donald Trump announced he was picking Barrett. Trump (see 2010020044) and other attendees also tested positive. Johnson attended Senate GOP caucus lunches with Lee and Tillis last week. McConnell said the delay in floor proceedings won’t preclude committees from holding hearings virtually, a practice that’s been in place since the spring (see 2005180042). Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., intends to begin hearings on Barrett next week. A committee vote to advance Barrett is planned for Oct. 22; it's unclear whether Lee and Tillis will recover by then. Republicans hold a 12-10 Judiciary majority, making Lee's and Tillis' presence crucial for advancing Barrett amid likely unanimous Democratic opposition. Commerce could hold a virtual hearing on Simington; there’s no chatter about one coming (see 2009300022). The committee has postponed Wednesday's railroads hearing and didn't comment on any further schedule changes.