New Legislation Would Aid FCC Pursuit of Robocallers, Rosenworcel Says

The FCC would benefit from additional authority to go after robocallers rather than wait for the DOJ to take up the cases, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said during the FCBA's annual seminar Friday. Legislation for new authority, which she requested during a Thursday hearing of the House Communications Subcommittee (see 2203310060), would help speed the enforcement process, she said. Currently, after the FCC issues a fine, it can ask the DOJ to prosecute, she said: Those "requests for prosecutorial attention can sometimes take a long time." Spectrum is “a big, big priority” for new NTIA chief Alan Davidson, said Deputy Administrator April McClain-Delaney, during another session. “Innovation happens when you’re able to have more efficiencies in the spectrum,” she said. NTIA is working on a national spectrum strategy and focused on making sure federal agencies have the spectrum they need, she said. “There’s so much on our plate,” she said: “We’re hiring and putting the front office back together.” McClain-Delaney said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo tasked her to help with the campaign of American Doreen Bogdan-Martin’s as ITU secretary-general over Russian nominee Rashid Ismailov (see 2203020068). The election is important because of Russia’s focus on “top-down” control of the internet and potentially censorship, she said. Bogdan-Martin’s campaign is about “standards” and a “multistakeholder approach” to internet governance, McClain-Delaney said.