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Kansas Broadband Map

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers announced the completion of the first iteration of a broadband availability map for the State of Kansas.  “High speed broadband access is no longer a luxury, and unfortunately, there are still many areas throughout Kansas without adequate access to quality, affordable advanced broadband services,” Governor Kelly said.

Virgin Islands Granted Waiver to Conduct Wireless Emergency Alert Test

The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued an order granting a limited waiver allowing Emergency Alert System (EAS) Participants and Participating Commercial Mobile Service (CMS) Providers to participate in a test to be conducted by the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency.  The test will be conducted on March 14, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. Atlantic Standard Time. 

Federal Blockchain Legislation Introduced 

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), both members of the House Energy and Commerce Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, and Senator Todd Young and Senator Ed Markey, members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced the introduction of the Blockchain Promotion Act of 2019 (HR 1361 and S 553). 

FTC Announces New Sessions of its Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection

The FTC sets new dates for the two previously scheduled sessions – broadband and consumer privacy – canceled due to the recent lapse in government funding.  The Hearings will also include sessions on international issues in competition, consumer protection and privacy, and the analysis of merger retrospectives, as well as a State Attorneys General roundtable. 

US President Issues Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence

President Donald Trump has issued an Executive Order launching the American Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative.  The Initiative will be coordinated through the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence (Select Committee). 

FTC CAN-SPAM Rule

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that it has completed its first review of the CAN-SPAM Rule, which establishes requirements for commercial e-mail messages and gives recipients the right to opt out of receiving them.  The FTC voted to keep the Rule with no changes.  The Rule requires that a commercial e-mail contain accurate header and subject lines, identify itself as an advertisement, include a valid physical address, and offer recipients a way to opt out of future messages. 

US Congress Hearing on Sprint/T-Mobile Merger

The House Energy and Commerce and Judiciary Committees announced their subcommittees on Communications and Technology and Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law will hold a joint hearing on the T-Mobile and Sprint merger on Wednesday, February 13.  The joint  hearing will examine the merger’s potential impacts on consumers, workers and the wireless industry.  While the complete list of hearing participants is still being confirmed, T-Mobile CEO John Legere and Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure have both agreed to testify. 

FCC to Hold January Open Meeting in Spite of Shutdown

The FCC announced that it will still hold it’s meeting on January 30, 2019, but due to the current partial lapse in appropriations, the items previously set forth in the Tentative Agenda released on January 3, 2019, will not be considered at the meeting.   The FCC noted that if the lapse in appropriations continues through January 29, 2019, the meeting will be held by conference call.  However, if the lapse in appropriations ends before January 29, 2019, and the FCC resumes normal operations by that date, then the meeting will be held in person at the FCC.  However, regardless of appropriations, the meeting will only consist of Commission announcements.  The Communications Act requires the FCC to meet at least once a month.

Online Data Privacy Bill Introduced by Senators Kennedy and Klobuchar

U.S. Senators John Kennedy (R-LA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced the introduction the Social Media Privacy and Consumer Rights Act.  The legislation is intended to protect the privacy of consumers’ online data, improve transparency, strengthen consumers’ recourse options when a breach of data occurs, and ensure companies are compliant with privacy policies that protect consumers. 

Court Denies Motion to Delay Oral Arguments in Net Neutrality Challenge

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied the FCC’s motion to postpone oral arguments in the challenge to the agency’s Restoring Internet Freedom (RIF) order.  In a previous filing the FCC cited that the lapse in its funding as well as the Department of Justice were the reasons why the arguments should be postponed.  The Court stated that oral argument is still scheduled for February 1, 2019.  The Court’s website states that oral arguments on the calendar for the month of January and February will go on as scheduled in spite of the government shutdown.