Public interest and consumer groups proposed that the FCC allocate revenue from future auctions to endow a Digital Equity Foundation to help close the digital divide. The groups announced the initiative on a webcast Wednesday, the day after FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urged that some auction proceeds be used to pay for improved 911 (see 2202220057).

U.S. importers made smartphone shipments to the U.S. a nearly $60 billion business in 2021, with the highest yearly dollar volume since 2007 when customs authorities began tracking handsets in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule’s 8517.12.00 subheading, according to Census data accessed Monday through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb portal. Inflationary trends from supply chain woes and semiconductor shortages, plus a higher mix of 5G-enabled handsets with higher average value, likely fueled the record-high dollar volume.

Some 42 markets have access to ATSC 3.0 broadcasts, under 10% of the viewing public in the U.S., and just 3 million 3.0-capable TVs were shipped in the U.S. last year, said Digital Tech Consulting President Myra Moore, moderator on a Streaming Media Connect panel last week.

A federal judge mulled Thursday whether Maryland’s digital ad tax is in fact a penalty on big tech. At virtual oral argument, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby in Baltimore weighed jurisdictional issues on the challenge by U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NetChoice Internet Association and Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) (case 21-cv-00410).

U.S. TV sales will remain “below pre-COVID levels” short term, said Roku Chief Financial Office Steve Louden on a Q4 earnings call Thursday. Supply-chain disruptions “will continue to negatively affect the size of the TV market and our player margins,” Louden said. Roku's stock plunged to a 52-week low Friday before closing the day 22.3% lower at $112.46.

Global supply chain issues and materials shortages continue to have a “direct and indirect impact” on shipments, said Universal Electronics Inc. CEO Paul Arling on a Q4 earnings call Thursday. Q4 sales dropped 7% year on year to $144.9 million, said the company. It swung to a $6.3 million net loss from a $12.2 million year-earlier profit.

Consumer demand was strong, and Walmart’s team overcame COVID-19 and supply chain challenges in Q4 FY 2022 to post 7.6% sales growth to $152.9 billion, excluding divestures of the Japan and U.K. businesses, said CEO Doug McMillon on the company’s Thursday earnings call.

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks urged industry to start preparing for 6G, during a Thursday virtual meeting of ATIS’ Next G Alliance. The group released a "Roadmap to 6G," seeking increased collaboration between industry and government, and proposing areas for future research. The report projects a 2030 start for 6G.

Ohio lawmakers skipped a planned vote on a privacy bill Wednesday, but comprehensive measures continued to advance in other legislatures. Oklahoma and Indiana committees teed up privacy bills for floor votes.

The concept of the Matter protocol was hatched in 2019 to address “what comes next” in the IoT to overcome barriers to adoption, growth and use, particularly in the smart home, said Michelle Mindala-Freeman, head-marketing and member services, Connectivity Standards Alliance, on a Parks Associates webinar Wednesday. Release 1.0 of Matter is due midyear.