To Safe and Secure Holidays... and Networks

National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said the “number one concern” for democracy at home and abroad is the integrity of our communications networks.  In particular, he warned that installing equipment from Chinese firms in the backbone of our 5G networks could give the Communist Chinese government “backdoors to pull up every bit of data in the world.” I agree wholeheartedly. Or, as I’m fond of quipping on Twitter, “you don’t say.”  The FCC's December agenda includes:

• An Order implementing the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019
• Targeted enhancements to FCC equipment authorization rules to make sure the newest technologies and must-have devices reach consumers as quickly as possible while still meeting our substantive standards.
• A proposal to encourage the deployment of services using ATSC 3.0—the “next generation” broadcast television standard. The new standard promises to finally realize the potential for broadcast spectrum capacity to support so-called “Broadcast Internet” services—digital services beyond traditional over-the-air video, integrated into the broadband ecosystem. The FCC will consider a Report and Order that clarifies the basis on which to calculate ancillary and supplementary service fees, which are an assessment on the revenues earned by television stations from such services that we are required by statute to collect.