Matt Daneman

FCC commenters disagreed about whether there's consumer confusion concerning the price of cable and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) video service, with video providers warning in docket 23-203 replies l that the FCC's "all-in" video pricing proposal will cause rather than fix consumer uncertainty. Confusion is already here, countered locality and broadcast interests. The sides also continued to disagree about whether the commission has legal authority for its pricing disclosure proposal. Initial comments made similar points (see 2308010028). The all-in pricing NPRM was adopted in June (see 2306200042).

NTIA expects that 90% of broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) equipment spending will go for American-made equipment and materials, said NTIA Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) Policy Advisor Will Arbuckle Wednesday in an FTI Consulting webinar. That expectation stems from an NTIA analysis of the availability of American-made items and from numerous companies announcing capacity expansion, he said. "We don't think we are done," with more companies announcing manufacturing expansions to fill BEAD made-in-America demand, he said.

ASPEN, Colo. -- The level of content moderation that online platforms exercise -- and how much leeway they should have to moderate -- was the subject of dispute in a panel Tuesday at the Technology Policy Institute (TPI) Aspen Forum. Odds are good the U.S. Supreme Court will consider NetChoice's challenge of Florida and Texas social media content moderation laws in its coming session since there's a Circuit Court split on the issue, said Ashkhen Kazaryan, Stand Together senior fellow. Laura Bisesto, Nextdoor global head-policy, privacy and compliance, said she hopes the Texas and Florida laws are enjoined, but there's also a problem of state-by-state approaches to legislating moderation rules and Congress instead should take it up. Nextdoor is a NetChoice member.

ASPEN, Colo. -- The FCC broadband equity, access and deployment program’s spending will have a “huge stimulative effect” on private investments in network infrastructure over the next decade, said New Street Research’s Jonathan Chaplin Tuesday. BEAD will drive a lot of buildout by mobile carriers and wireless ISPs, said Will Adams, T-Mobile vice president-strategic policy and planning, at the Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum. FCC Chief of Staff Narda Jones said robocalls will remain a consumer issue focus for the agency. Panels also discussed online platform content moderation controversies (see 2308220048) and broadband deployment in Mexico and Canada.

ASPEN, Colorado -- State and federal lawmakers have significant interest in regulating AI, but that may be premature, said industry, government and academic experts Monday at Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum. Later, Oren Etzioni, Allen Institute for AI CEO, was critical of what he said was AI alarmism. Speakers also discussed Congress' tech, media and telecom legislative priorities (see 2308210009).

ASPEN, Colo. -- House and Senate priorities when they're back in session in September include reauthorizing the FCC's spectrum auction authority, agency oversight and filling FCC and FTC commissioner openings, legislative aides said Monday at Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum. Panels and speakers also discussed the inevitability of further media consolidation and social media's effect on political polarization. UScellular CEO Laurent Therivel urged revisiting the decision to allocate the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use. The prospects of AI regulation also were discussed (see 2308210029).

Dish Network's planned buy of EchoStar (see 2308080009) could point to New Dish trying to gain traction in the in-flight/maritime connectivity market, we were told. Industry followers see a variety of potential aero/maritime options.

Multiple cable operators faced residential broadband struggles in the first half of 2023, with year-over-year residential subscriber declines in Q1 and Q2. They face different issues, but fixed wireless is a major competitive challenge for many, Leichtman Research Group's Bruce Leichtman told us.

Dish Network's proposed buy of EchoStar, announced Tuesday, should help debt-laden Dish shore up its finances as it spends heavily to complete its terrestrial 5G network, analysts told us. The deal is considered unlikely to face antitrust or other regulatory challenges. Dish spun off EchoStar in 2008.

The FCC's default spectrum-splitting mechanism for dealing with non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service satellite systems interfering with one another had both backers and detractors in docket 21-456 Tuesday. The comments were in response to an NGSO spectrum sharing order and Further NPRM adopted in April (see 2304200039), with the FNPRM seeking input on technical aspects of the order. Multiple operators were critical of an aggregate interference cap.