Legislative Activity Senate Approves Joint Resolution to Repeal the FCC’s Broadband Privacy Rules On March 23, the U.S. Senate passed S.J. Res. 34, a joint resolution to repeal the broadband privacy rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in October 2016. Introduced by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), the joint resolution, which states that “Congress … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Broadband-Focused Bills Introduced in House Several Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) have introduced bills focused on broadband. The bills are as follows: H.R.1546, the Rural Wireless Act of 2017. Introduced on March 15 by Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA), the bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Approves Email Privacy Act On February 6, the U.S. House of Representatives (House) passed H.R.387, the Email Privacy Act, by voice vote. The bill updates part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) by enhancing the privacy protections applicable to electronic communications such as emails, social media posts, and other … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Anti-Spoofing Act Introduced in Senate Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee (Senate Commerce Committee) Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) has introduced S.134, the Spoofing Prevention Act of 2017. The legislation, the text of which has not yet been released, targets the practice of caller identification (caller ID) “spoofing,” which is a practice whereby … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity D.C. Circuit Rules 2-1 to Uphold FCC Net Neutrality Rules On June 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (D.C. Circuit) in a 2-1 decision upheld the FCC’s “net neutrality” rules applicable to providers of broadband Internet access service (BIAS), which were released in a March 12, 2015 Report and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Democratic Senators Express Concern over Charter-Time Warner Merger On February 25, five senators, including Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA), Al Franken (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), wrote a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler expressing “significant concern” regarding the high-profile … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senators Voice Concern over Broadband Speeds in Advance of FCC’s 2016 Broadband Progress Report Days before the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) January Open Meeting at which the FCC adopted its 2016 Broadband Progress Report, six Senate Republicans wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler arguing that the FCC’s broadband speed benchmarks were … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Subcommittee Advances Spectrum Bill and Broadband Deployment Package On December 2, the Communications and Technology Subcommittee (Communications Subcommittee) of the House Energy & Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) advanced two pieces of legislation to the full committee. The first, H.R.1641, the Federal Spectrum Incentive Act of 2015, was approved by voice vote. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Sen. Thune Introduces Bill Regarding Spectrum Auction Deposits On November 19, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee (Senate Commerce Committee), introduced S.2319, a bill that reduces some of the administrative burden associated with the handling of auction deposits. Specifically, the bill would require spectrum auction deposits … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Sees Flurry of Proposed Spectrum Legislation Three spectrum-related bills or drafts thereof have been introduced in the Senate. First, on November 3, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced S.2227, the Private Spectrum Relocation Funding Act of 2015. The bill would amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act, (NTIA Act), 47 U.S.C. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Federal Spectrum Reallocation and More Auctions Included in Budget Bill Congress’ budget bill contains a number of important spectrum policy items, including a plan for reallocating and auctioning more federal wireless spectrum to commercial providers. Title X of the bill calls on the Secretary of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Will Hold Confirmation Hearing for FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel’s Second Term On Wednesday, October 28, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation (Senate Commerce Committee) will hold a confirmation hearing for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. As previously discussed here, President Obama announced the renomination of Commissioner Rosenworcel on May … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House & Senate Leaders Urge Action on European “Safe Harbor” Ruling Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate Commerce Committee) Chairman John Thune (R-SD) along with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) wrote a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Federal Trade Commission … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congressional Lawmakers File Amicus Brief in Net Neutrality Challenge On September 21, twenty-nine members of Congress, led by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), filed an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief in the pending challenge to the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) net neutrality rules in the U.S. Court … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Expected to Introduce Spectrum Legislation Soon Though nothing has been introduced, recent reports suggest that that the public can expect members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee (Senate Commerce Committee) to introduce legislation aimed at freeing up government … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Leaders Press FCC to Delay Vote on Incentive Auction Procedures On July 14, Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (House Commerce Committee), and Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (Communications Subcommittee) of the House Commerce Committee, wrote … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes DOTCOM Act as Senate Considers Companion Bill On June 23, the House of Representatives (House) passed H.R.805, the Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters Act of 2015 (DOTCOM Act), by a vote of 378 to 25. The DOTCOM Act, previously discussed here and here, prohibits the National Telecommunications and Information Administration … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity DOTCOM Act Approved by House Commerce Committee On June 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R.805, the Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters Act of 2015 (DOTCOM Act) by voice vote. The DOTCOM Act, previously discussed here, prohibits the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) from terminating its contract with the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Holds Spectrum Policy Hearing On March 26 the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) held a hearing entitled “Next Steps for Spectrum Policy.” The hearing focused on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) preparations for the broadcast incentive auction, set to begin … Continue Reading
