Viasat is getting an additional 10 months to launch and begin operations of its ViaSat-3 satellite, with the FCC International Bureau on Thursday ordering a milestone date extension to Oct. 31. It said the extension from the Dec. 31 original milestone date reflects COVID-19 pandemic delays that were beyond the company's control. It said the time will let Viasat finish the nearly completed manufacturing phase and launch the satellite.
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CTIA, the Aerospace Industries Association and Airlines for America are sharing data and working together to find a way to allow use of the C band for 5G, they said Wednesday. “We are pleased that after productive discussions we will be working together to share the available data from all parties to identify the specific areas of concern for aviation,” the groups said: “The best technical experts from across both industries will be working collectively to identify a path forward, in coordination with the FAA and FCC.” Verizon and AT&T have been deploying gear but agreed not to turn it on until Jan. 5, a month later than originally planned (see 2111040042). Aviation interests noted concerns, in calls with commissioner aides (see 2112210063). “The wireless industry remains on track to launch 5G in the C-band on Jan. 5,” CTIA said. CTIA also reported on a call with staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology, Wireless and International bureaus. “C-Band 5G operations commencing in January will co-exist safely with aircraft and altimeters,” said a filing in docket 18-122. “The aviation industry’s public, unredacted data … does not support its sweeping pronouncements about coexistence concerns.” The FCC and FAA didn’t comment.
Interactive Advertising Bureau hires Lartease Tiffith, ex-Amazon, as executive vice president-public policy, "on the heels of news that the Internet Association is dissolving at the end of the year" (see our recent report on IA); IAB also adds Brendan Thomas, ex-Plastics Industry Association, as vice president-public policy communications ... Aimee Meacham, who recently left NTIA (see this section, Dec. 8 issue of this publication), says she's going to BT as vice president-government affairs, U.S. and international.
ICANN shortened its ICANN73 virtual community forum to four days "to support better working hours for attendees and encourage greater participation," it announced Friday. Originally slated to begin March 5, it will now run March 7-10. The prep week schedule for the meeting was changed to Feb. 22-24.
CTIA asked a 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel to reconsider a Kentucky 911 case. Earlier this month, the 6th Circuit said the U.S. District Court of Eastern Kentucky erred in concluding that a Kentucky 911 law conflicts with and is preempted by the 2018 federal Wireless Telecom Tax and Fee Collection Fairness Act (see 2112030060). The wireless association asked the original 6th Circuit panel Friday to rehear or, “at minimum,” vacate the district court opinion, “decline to definitively address these questions of law, and permit the district court on remand to address these issues in the first instance.” The appeals judges “took too narrow a view of the federal interests that would be obstructed should Kentucky be permitted to impose these special burdens on Lifeline participation,” CTIA wrote. “The panel left unaddressed a few key arguments CTIA made that illuminate the ‘full purposes’ of Congress under the Communications Act” and the wireless tax fairness law “to safeguard federal universal service funds,” it said.
Subscription-based companies should watch a growing field of state automatic renewal laws, said business lawyers in interviews this month. Colorado and Delaware laws take effect Jan. 1, joining states including California and New York. With a recent explosion of streaming and other online subscription services, consumer groups support rules and enforcement for more transparency on renewal policies.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., acknowledged Friday that the Senate won’t be able to act on the House-passed Build Back Better Act budget reconciliation package (HR-5376) this year while talks with centrist Democrats remain at an impasse. The measure includes $500 million for NTIA connected device vouchers, $490 million for next-generation 911 tech upgrades and $300 million for the FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund (see 2111190042). The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and some 85 other groups are urging the Senate to remove the FTC privacy bureau funding (see 2112160038), and the National Emergency Number Association wants the chamber to restore the full $10 billion for NG-911 lawmakers originally proposed. Schumer acknowledged the delay after President Joe Biden said Thursday his talks with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, will “continue next week.”
An NTIA request for comment on implementing programs funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could come “before Christmas holiday or shortly thereafter,” said Director-Communications Policy Initiatives Russell Hanser at a Fierce Technology virtual event Monday (see 2112140086). Experts debated during panels throughout the week how states and federal agencies should prioritize the new broadband funding, with several suggesting public-private partnerships.
Terminating voice service providers operating IP networks may use session initiation protocol code 603 in addition to SIP codes 607 and 608 to meet the immediate call blocking notification requirement beginning Jan. 1, said an FCC order unanimously adopted last week and released Tuesday (see 2106070051). And a Further NPRM seeks comment on the use of SIP code 603 and whether it should be allowed permanently or for a defined period.
Altice USA Executive Vice President-Government & Community Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer Lee Schroeder leaves the company in July, with community affairs and chief diversity officer roles going to Executive Vice President-Communications Lisa Gonzalez Anselmo, who continues to report to CEO Dexter Goei; the cable operator "will look to appoint a new head of Government Affairs" ... Among others leaving the FCC whose departure was announced Tuesday by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see this section, Dec. 15 issue of this publication) are Wireline Bureau's Pricing Policy Division Deputy Chief Robin Cohn, who says retirement begins at year-end.