US Congress E-Frontier Act

U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) have reintroduced the Eliminate From Regulators Opportunities to Nationalize The Internet in Every Respect Act (E-FRONTIER Act). This bipartisan legislation would put into place protections for commercial 5G broadband networks from nationalization without the explicit authorization from Congress.  It would also require the Comptroller General to issue, within 180 days a report on potential threats facing broadband networks in the US from China, Iran, and the Russian Federal and the risks associated with using foreign equipment and services in US broadband networks.   Reps. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Filemon Vela (D-Texas) will introduce a House companion bill shortly.

"Last year, the United States made tremendous strides as a global leader in mobile broadband technology," Sen. Cruz said. "There is no denying that China and other competitors remain, therefore we must continue our efforts to further build, deploy, and secure 5G networks. In order to achieve our full potential as the dominant mobile broadband technology leader, it is imperative we prevent government overreach in 5G nationalization efforts. That's why I am reintroducing the E-FRONTIER Act, a crucial piece of legislation that would prevent federal overreach in the private sector, while maintaining Congress' role in the decision-making process."

"Fostering broad public and private partnerships that expand 5G networks and ensure they're secure is critical to fueling America's innovation and driving our economy," said Senator Cortez Masto. "Various attempts to nationalize America's broadband network are a threat to our competitiveness in the world. We must continue to focus our efforts in Congress on fostering the growth of America's 5G infrastructure through private investment and ensure we're developing a secure and reliable set of broadband networks that serve all Americans, including those currently underserved in urban and rural America."

Read the full text of the bill here.

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The Regulatory Mix Today:  US Congress E-Frontier Act, FCC 39GHZ Webinar

FCC 39GHz Webinar

The FCC announced that it will host a webinar on the initial 39GHz reconfiguration procedures on April 4, 2019, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  The webinar will help interested parties understand and provide comment on the Initial 39 GHz Reconfiguration Procedures Public Notice, DA 19-196, released March 20, 2019. The webinar will include an overview of the reconfiguration process and examples of key steps in it, including the proposals on which we are seeking comment.

The webinar will be streamed live with open captioning over the Internet. The web address, login, and dial-in information can be found on the “39 GHz Reconfiguration Procedures Webinar” event page.  During the event, those watching the live video stream of the event may email questions to 39ghzreconfiguration@fcc.gov.  After the event, a recording of the webinar will be available for streaming from the event page. Participation in the webinar is not required, but incumbent 39 GHz licensees are strongly encouraged to view the event.

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.