Correction: Puerto Rico's AeroNet is a fixed wireless and fiber ISP (see 1711060013).

Massachusetts, California, Washington, Virginia and Delaware lead states in a globalized economy, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said. The lowest-scoring was Mississippi, preceded by Arkansas, West Virginia, Wyoming and Louisiana. Massachusetts ranked first in every ITIF index since 1999; Mississippi got last place in every one except 2007 when it was 49th. Nebraska and Tennessee each climbed eight places -- to 28th and 32nd -- since the last ranking in 2014, while Alaska dropped 10 to 42. States should invest in big firms that invest heavily in research and development, while rolling back policies that “stack preferences in favor of small businesses,” ITIF President Robert Atkinson said Monday.

Fox and Disney didn't comment Monday on reports they had been in talks that would see Disney buying most of Fox, though not its broadcasting or sports assets. Fox stock closed at $27.45, up 9.9 percent, and Disney closed at $100.64, up 2 percent.

Puerto Rico fixed wireless and fiber ISP AeroNet expects to have service 100 percent restored by early January, President Gino Villarini emailed us Friday. He said the company began re-establishing infrastructure immediately after Hurricane Maria and expects to be 90 percent restored by early December. He said damage was mostly broken antennas, wear damage, and damaged and cut fiber, plus 15 collocated towers fell down. Restoration will cost more than $3 million, he said. Communications network recovery in Puerto Rico has been hampered by lack of electricity (see 1711010012). Villarini said minus the power outage, about 70 percent of its customers would have service Monday, but actually about 50 percent do. He said that for the first four weeks after the hurricane, recovery efforts also were hampered by employee issues. "We had a lot of issues without housing, food and gas," he said, with employees staying at AeroNet facilities and the company providing meals and gas. He said the FCC expedited a company request for special temporary authority to operate backhaul radios in the 5.9 GHz band, with approval in about two days. As of Monday, 48 of 78 counties had more than 50 percent of their cellsites out of service, down from 49 the previous day, according to the FCC's latest Maria status report. It said 47.8 percent of cellsites in Puerto Rico and 38 percent of cellsites in the U.S. Virgin Islands were out. It said two Puerto Rico TV stations and 61 AM and FM radio stations are confirmed or suspected to be off-air.

CEDIA issued a call for presentations for the CEDIA 2018 Expo Sept. 4-8 in San Diego. It's looking for talks on current or emerging technologies or business practices relevant to the residential systems industry, said a blog post. Suggested technology topics include voice integration, network security and liability, lighting and net zero buildings.

Comments are due Dec. 1 on an Entertainment Software Association petition asking for extension of the class waiver of advanced communications services accessibility requirements for videogame software, the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau said in a public notice Wednesday. The extension would be for 12 months, until Jan. 1, 2019.

Correction: The name of Atlantic-ACM senior partner is Aaron Blazar (see 1710250041).

The IFA-produced CE China show will be May 3-5 in Shenzhen, organizers said in a Monday announcement. The 2017 show drew 120 exhibitors and 11,500 visitors from 38 countries, they said. IFA representatives didn’t comment Monday on their expectations for 2018 show participation. The rival CTA-produced CES Asia show is June 13-15 in Shanghai.

A variety of political leaders, community groups and viewers expressed disappointment at the Univision blackout on Verizon (see 1710190034), the network said Friday. The National Hispanic Media Coalition in a letter to the telco's CEO, Lowell McAdam, that was released Thursday by Univision said it was "outraged" and Verizon "risks being ostracized by Latino consumers" and threatened to "agitate for public condemnation." Verizon didn't comment Friday.

The FCC shouldn’t change new video description rules in response to NCTA’s request for relaxation of regulations (see 1710040031) limiting how often repeat programming can count toward the 87.5 hour-per-quarter quota, the National Federation of the Blind and American Council of the Blind said in opposition filings in docket 11-43. Commissioners unanimously voted to expand the video description requirement in July, and companies have until next July to comply (see 1707120055). “We hope the Commission will continue to affirm its own commitment exercised this past July in its vote to expand video description,” said ACB. NFB said “87.5 hours is less than one hour of video-described programming per day.” Using a “single episode of an hour long program” through repeats to satisfy five hours of that quarterly quota is “counterproductive,” NFB said, acknowledging adapting to the new requirements could be tough for non-broadcast networks. NFB said one NCTA request was reasonable, saying, “After a period of time the networks should be able to re-air video-described programming and have it count toward the minimum hour requirement.” Problems within the regulation “should be approached with a legitimate solution, and not a quick loophole to exploit in a path toward easy compliance,” NFB said.