Telecom Business Alert-NTIA Head David Redl Resigns; Auction 103 Public Notice; Regulatory Fees NPRM; Tribal Workshop Vol. XVI, Issue 19

NTIA Head David Redl Resigns

Last Thursday, Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary David Redl, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), announced his resignation.  Mike Platt, Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs for NTIA, also resigned.  Both resignations came as a surprise to industry and NTIA staff.  Multiple news sources have reported that disagreements about freeing up government spectrum were the reason for Redl and Platt stepping down.  On Friday, government and industry leaders issued statements commending Redl and thanking him for his leadership at NTIA.  

Auction 103 Public Notice Published in Federal Register

The Auction 103 Public Notice, which sought comment on proposed competitive bidding procedures for the incentive auction of the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands (Vol. XVI, Issue 16), has been published in the Federal Register.  The Commission proposes to use an ascending clock auction design to offer licenses for spectrum held by the Commission and for spectrum relinquished by incumbent licensees.  Comments are due by May 15 and Reply Comments are due by May 30.  For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239).

Regulatory Fees NPRM Adopted

On May 8, the Commission adopted the Regulatory Fees NPRM, which proposes regulatory fees for Fiscal Year 2019.  The NPRM proposes to collect $339,000,000 in regulatory fees in FY 2019.  The NPRM also seeks comment on modifications to the Commission’s regulatory fee authority under the RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018 (Vol. XV, Issue 8).  The proposed annual regulatory fees for Part 90 Exclusive Use and Part 101 Microwave services are $25 per license, unchanged from last year.  These fees are assessed as ten-year lump sums upon license grant and renewal.  Comments and Reply Comments are due on June 7, 2019 and June 24, 2019, respectively.  For more information, please contact Greg Kunkle (kunkle@khlaw.com; 202.434.4178). 

Tribal Workshop

The Commission issued a Public Notice announcing a Tribal Workshop that will be held at the Chicksaw Nation.  The event aims to “help Tribal Nations identify and evaluate opportunities to develop more robust broadband, telecommunications, and broadcast infrastructure and services in Tribal communities… and to encourage Tribal participation in the regulatory process.”  The workshop will provide information on the Universal Service Fund and spectrum opportunities, among other topics.  The workshop will take place on June 12-13, 2019 at the Riverwind Casino in Norman, Oklahoma.  For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239). 

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Keller and Heckman LLP's Telecom Business Alert is a complimentary weekly electronic update created by the Telecommunications Practice Group of Keller and Heckman LLP.  All articles, videos, and quotations are on topics of general interest and do not constitute legal advice for particularized facts.  Keller and Heckman LLP's Telecom Business Alert © 2019.  All rights reserved.  Articles may be copied with attribution.  To sign up for our weekly alert, please send us an email at telecomalert@khlaw.com and provide us with your name and email.  Please follow us on twitter at @KHtelecom.