FCC Annouces Tentative Agenda for June 2019 Open Meeting
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the June Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 6, 2019:
May 2019
Gannett retained control of its entire board in a proxy fight with Digital First Media (Wall Street Journal)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Thu, 05/16/2019 - 15:07Facebook bans Israeli company, saying it worked to disrupt elections (Associated Press)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Thu, 05/16/2019 - 15:06Sprint will launch 5G on May 31 in 4 cities and with two 5G devices (Sprint)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Thu, 05/16/2019 - 15:05FirstLight Expands Fiber Footprint with Maine Fiber Acquisition (telecompetitor)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Thu, 05/16/2019 - 15:045G Has a 'Not In My Backyard' Problem
For 5G boosters, the benefits of installing the wireless technology are obvious: It allows delivery of super-fast internet speeds. But to hook up the “small cells” that power 5G grids, wireless providers have to install thick wires and poles and antennae on nearly every block they want to cover, outfitted with equipment that is about the size of a large backpack. It’s not just that 5G requires a lot of gear, which alone can provoke the not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) backlash that puts a stop to all sorts of projects. It’s also that some people really don’t like it when they see it.
Centering Civil Rights in the Privacy Debate
Can Congress prevent the disproportionate harm inflicted on marginalized communities from at times irresponsible commercial data practices? As our lives increasingly shift online, so, too, have methods of discrimination—using individual data profiles—and our laws have been slow to keep up.
FCC's Hurricane Headache
House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) raised concern at the Federal Communications Commission oversight hearing about the agency’s response to “major consumer problems,” suggesting the commission had been deferring to corporate interests when it comes to fixing things like “robocalls or widespread communications failures after disasters like Hurricanes Maria and Michael.” The criticism came days after the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued a report detailing “the unac
Privacy + Antitrust?
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), whose House Commerce Subcommittee is leading efforts to craft privacy legislation, raised the prospect of tackling concerns over competition and data protection at the same time. Asked about next steps on privacy legislation, Chairwoman Schakowsky said the question is where to limit the “scope” of a bill. “You can really get into a whole lot of things,” she said. “There’s talk about breaking up the big tech companies. Is that a part of this? Is that a separate [issue]?