A petition asking the FCC to change the rules for the signals FM boosters are allowed to transmit to make geotargeted radio ads and content possible is widely supported and considered a likely candidate for eventual FCC approval, said broadcasters and their lawyers in recent interviews. Some big broadcasters have concerns, but that may not derail the whole proceeding, stakeholders said.
Country of origin cases
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai questioned Twitter’s policies, as the platform for a second day flagged President Donald Trump’s tweets (see 2005280060). Pai asked Friday whether tweets from Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei violate platform rules about glorifying violence, rules that Twitter cited in flagging Trump.
The North American Numbering Council will vote at its online meeting July 14 on recommendations from the Numbering Administration Oversight Working Group's billing and collection fund size projections and contributions factor and on the Toll Free Number Assignment WG's analysis of the 833 toll-free number auction (see 2005050032), the FCC said Wednesday. NANC decides July 28 on recommendations from the Nationwide Number Portability WG on an analysis of the IP local routing number solution and from the Interoperable Video Calling WG on implementation of a database to determine whether an originating video call can be completed.
The long-awaited launch of AT&T’s HBO Max subscription VOD service drew some early frustration on Twitter Wednesday from apparent cord cutters upset that the $14.99 monthly offering isn’t available on popular streaming platforms. WarnerMedia is offering the subscription directly and through many MVPDs and vMVPDs, not over Amazon Fire TV or Roku. Early Wednesday afternoon Comcast emailed that it reached an agreement to give Xfinity X1 and Flex customers access to HBO Max at no extra cost “via the HBO Max app and website while the companies work to quickly bring the HBO Max app” to the X1 platform and 4K Flex streaming device included with Xfinity Internet.
Legislatures took up broadband bills in California and other states this week. Bills address grants or change state policies including for electric cooperatives. “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the acute need to expand broadband access across the country,” and “some states have recognized -- and are responding to -- that need in their legislative responses to the public health crisis,” said Anna Read, Pew Charitable Trusts broadband researcher.
Frontier Communications shouldn’t complain about being a carrier of last resort, said West Virginia Public Service Commission staff, replying Thursday to the telco's response to a service-quality audit in case 18-0291-T-P. The provider said the PSC's regulating it like a large voice provider doesn’t consider landline losses and doesn’t help improve service quality, and service problems are frequently outside the company’s control (see 2005010012). “What Frontier fails to note is that this overly burdensome position is one that Frontier placed itself in when it purchased Verizon’s assets,” staff wrote. “Although Frontier got what it wanted, the state of West Virginia did not." Many excuses for service problems, including vegetation interference and rodent activity, “are within the control of Frontier through preventive maintenance and ongoing improvements to its systems,” staff said. Asking the commission to trust the company is “not good enough,” the West Virginia Consumer Advocate wrote. “Frontier must make a serious commitment to Audit compliance, including with capital spending under Commission jurisdiction and supervision.” The audit showed unions’ original complaint seeking investigation was “not an attempt to draw the Commission into a labor dispute,” responded the AFL-CIO and Communications Workers of America. "Undertake a robust oversight process" with "reporting, hearings, and metrics" and don't "rely on Frontier's assertions and vague promises,” they said.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Section 512, which governs online infringement, is “unbalanced” and out of sync with Congress’ original intent, the Copyright Office concluded (see 2005210029) in a years-in-the-making report Thursday. It highlighted areas where the tech and creative industries have clashed over the years, drawing mixed reviews. "While the Office is not recommending any wholesale changes to section 512, the Report points out these and other areas where Congress may wish to consider legislation to rebuild the original balance between rightsholders and online service providers,” the office said.
Ultra-high band spectrum remains a “wild, wonderful and challenging” world, said Ted Rappaport, director-NYU Wireless at New York University School of Engineering, during a National Science Foundation webinar Wednesday. The FCC tapped Rappaport to speak on the importance of spectrum above 95 GHz before a vote last year approving the spectrum horizons order (see 1903150054). Some are looking to spectrum as high as 700 GHz, he said. Commissioners will consider an NPRM on the 70, 80 and 90 GHz bands at their June 9 meeting (see 2005190058).
The Internet Governance Forum USA conference will be held virtually July 22-23, IGF-USA said Wednesday. Originally planned to be in Washington, the now two-day conference will cover topics including 5G security, IoT, COVID-19 response, education technology, network security, encryption, privacy, content moderation and artificial intelligence.
The FCC and FTC sent a second round of letters demanding gateway providers cut traffic allowing pandemic-related scam robocalls originating outside the country into the U.S. "or face serious consequences," said a Wednesday news release. The warning letters went to IntelePeer Cloud Communications, PTGi International Carrier Services and RSCom. The agencies recognized USTelecom industry traceback efforts. "IntelePeer has zero tolerance for companies participating in unlawful robocalls, and we shut down offending customers immediately," Senior Vice President-Marketing Alison Haynes emailed. "We have, and will continue, to work with the FCC and USTelecom to combat illegal robocalling and malicious spoofing to help protect consumers." PTGi and RSCom didn't comment.