Today: FCC October Open Meeting, FTC Agenda for Third Session of Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection
FCC October Open Meeting
The FCC announced the tentative agenda for its October 23, 2018, Open Meeting. The following items are included:
- Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band – A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that promotes the use of mid-band spectrum for broadband by proposing to allow new unlicensed uses of the 5.925-7.125 GHz band while protecting existing and future licensed operations.
- Promoting Investment in the 3550-3700 MHz Band – A Report and Order that would make limited changes to the Citizens Broadband Radio Service in 3.5 GHz band to increase incentives for innovation and investment, including for mobile 5G services.
- Revitalizing the 800 MHz Band – A Report and Order and Order opening up new channels in the 800 MHz Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) band, eliminating outdated rules, and reducing administrative burdens on PLMR licensees.
- Cable Rate Regulation – A Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Report and Order to modernize the FCC’s cable television rate regulations and update or eliminate outdated rules.
- Paper Filing of Contracts – A Report and Order eliminating the requirement that broadcast stations routinely file paper copies of contracts and other documents with the FCC.
- Business Data Services for Rate-of-Return Carriers Receiving Fixed Universal Service Support A Report and Order that will allow rate-of-return carriers that receive fixed universal service support to elect incentive regulation for their business data services; a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on eliminating ex ante pricing regulation for lower capacity TDM services offered by rate-of return carriers receiving fixed support; and a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to eliminate ex ante pricing regulation for TDM transport services offered by price cap carriers.
The tentative agenda and draft items are available here.
FTC Agenda for Third Session of Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the agenda for its Hearings initiative with three full-day sessions, co-sponsored with the Global Antitrust Institute and held at the Antonin Scalia Law School of George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, on October 15-17, 2018. The three-day event will examine the potential for collusive, exclusionary, and predatory conduct in multi-sided, technology-based platform industries. The sessions will also examine antitrust frameworks for evaluating acquisitions of nascent competitors or occurring in nascent markets, including in the technology and digital marketplace; and the approach to addressing antitrust issues regarding labor markets. A detailed agenda is available. The FTC invites public comment on these issues, including the questions listed below. Comments can be submitted electronically no later than December 14, 2018.
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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.