Verizon, CTA Representatives Want Federal Privacy Legislation

Verizon would “very much like to see federal privacy legislation passed in 2019,” said Vice President-Public Policy Melissa Tye Thursday at an FCBA event. Director-Regulatory Affairs Rachel Sanford Nemeth also pledged CTA’s support for federal legislation to avoid a patchwork of state regulations.

Asked which agency is best-suited to enforce online privacy regulations, FCC Chief Technology Officer Eric Burger deferred to legal experts but noted FTC consumer protection expertise. “That’s what they do. They’re experts in that,” Burger told us.

Verizon has supported federal privacy legislation since 2011, Tye said. “Over the past couple years, it’s become increasingly apparent that the systems and the policy approach that we have in place in the U.S. just isn’t sufficient to support and protect” consumer privacy, she added. “We’re really hopeful that’s something that Congress can accomplish.”

CTA supports federal privacy legislation because a patchwork of state laws is “not necessarily as easy to navigate,” Nemeth said. The FTC is the optimal privacy enforcer, she added.

Qualcomm Vice President-Regulatory Counsel John Kuzin said his No. 1 goal for 2019 is getting FCC approval for 5G devices. It's estimated that sometime in Q2 2019, "you will start to see commercially available 5G phones,” he said.

Much 5G work concerns state and local approvals for deployment, Tye said. Some communities are easier to work with than others, she said, saying residents of communities that are “reticent” or make deployment more “expensive or burdensome” might have to “wait longer.”

Kuzin discussed drone development, saying FAA pilot programs and efforts for allowing flights at night and over people have been “very positive developments.” Kuzin and Tye agreed remote identification is necessary for expanding drone technology capabilities. “To enable flights over people, flights at night, remote ID has to be in place first,” Kuzin said.

Allowing operation of drones without direct line of sight is something Verizon is focused on. The carrier is in discussions with the FAA, other companies and “thought leaders” on “how to make that possible before we can move forward,” Tye said. The company hopes for a remote ID rulemaking in early spring.