The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily 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 a TMI Briefing.
US Congress Mobile Now Act
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, reintroduced S. 19, the MOBILE NOW Act, which proposes reforms to boost the development of next-generation 5G wireless broadband by ensuring more spectrum is made available for commercial use and by reducing the red tape associated with building wireless networks. The bill closely follows legislation approved last Congress by the Commerce Committee by a voice vote. Among other things, the bill contains provisions that would: require the government to meet its target of making 500 MHz of federal spectrum for private sector use by 2020; speed up 5G infrastructure deployments; direct the Federal government to conduct assessments of spectrum in the 3 GHz band and in the millimeter wave frequencies to determine whether authorizing licensed or unlicensed wireless broadband services in those bands is feasible; allow the adoption of “dig once” policies by Federal agencies; and create a central, online inventory of federal government property assets available or appropriate for private-sector deployment of broadband facilities.
FTC Internet of Things Security Competition
The Federal Trade Commission announced an Internet of Things (IoT) challenge to the public to create an innovative tool that will help protect consumers from security vulnerabilities in the software of home devices connected to the IoT. The FTC is offering a cash prize of up to $25,000 for the best technical solution, with up to $3,000 available for up to three honorable mention winner(s). The tool might be a physical device that the consumer can add to his or her home network that would check and install updates for other IoT devices on that home network, or it might be an app or cloud-based service, or a dashboard or other user interface. Contestants also have the option of adding features such as those that would address hard-coded, factory default or easy-to-guess passwords. Submissions will be accepted as early as March 1, 2017, and are due by May 22, 2017, at 12:00 p.m. EDT. Winners will be announced on or about July 27, 2017. Up to 20 contestants will be selected in the first round. Click here for more information.
CRTC Releases Wireless Code Public Opinion Research Fall 2016
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released its 2016 Fall survey on wireless issues. According to the survey, Canadians are complaining less frequently about their wireless services.
Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman of the CRTC stated that, “We are pleased to see that complaints have been decreasing since 2014, but the survey results show that many Canadians are still having issues managing the data and calling minutes they use, as well as international roaming fees. We will be addressing these results with interveners during the upcoming public hearing. We want to make sure that the Wireless Code is helping Canadians to remain empowered and informed about their wireless services.”
