Coming and Recent Events (5 August)

Still on holiday, but just a quick post on some recent hearings of interest and some future ones of interest.

Coming Events

• On 6 August, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold an open meeting to likely consider the following items:
  • C-band Auction Procedures. The Commission will consider a Public Notice that would adopt procedures for the auction of new flexible-use overlay licenses in the 3.7–3.98 GHz band (Auction 107) for 5G, the Internet of Things, and other advanced wireless services. (AU Docket No. 20-25)
  • Radio Duplication Rules. The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would eliminate the radio duplication rule with regard to AM stations and retain the rule for FM stations. (MB Docket Nos. 19-310. 17-105)
  • Common Antenna Siting Rules. The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would eliminate the common antenna siting rules for FM and TV broadcaster applicants and licensees. (MB Docket Nos. 19-282, 17-105)
  • Telecommunications Relay Service. The Commission will consider a Report and Order to repeal certain TRS rules that are no longer needed in light of changes in technology and voice communications services. (CG Docket No. 03-123)
  • Inmate Calling Services. The Commission will consider a Report and Order on Remand and a Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would respond to remands by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and propose to comprehensively reform rates and charges for the inmate calling services within the Commission’s jurisdiction. (WC Docket No. 12-375)
• On 7 August, Australia’s Parliamentary Joint Committee On Intelligence and Security will hold a public hearing “to review amendments made to Commonwealth legislation by the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018.” The committee is supposed to wrap up this inquiry by 30 September.
• The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will hold the “Exploring Artificial Intelligence (AI) Trustworthiness: Workshop Series Kickoff Webinar,” “a NIST initiative involving private and public sector organizations and individuals in discussions about building blocks for trustworthy AI systems and the associated measurements, methods, standards, and tools to implement those building blocks when developing, using, and testing AI systems” on 6 August.
• On 18 August, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host the “Bias in AI Workshop, a virtual event to develop a shared understanding of bias in AI, what it is, and how to measure it.”

Recent Past Events

• On 3 August the House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing on the tenth “Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act” (FITARA) scorecard on federal information technology.
• On 4 August, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing titled “Findings and Recommendations of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission” that follows a 30 July House Armed Services hearing on the same topic. These witnesses appeared before the committee:
  • Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Co-Chair, Cyberspace Solarium Commission
  • Representative Michael J. Gallagher (R-WI), Co-Chair, Cyberspace Solarium Commission
  • Brigadier General John C. Inglis, ANG (Ret.), Commissioner, Cyberspace Solarium Commission
• On 5 August the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held an oversight hearing on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with the agency’s chair and four commissioners.
• On 5 August, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to “Examine Efforts to Improve Cybersecurity for the Energy Sector” with these witnesses:
  • Mr. Alexander Gates, Senior Advisor, Office of Policy for Cybersecurity, Energy Security, & Emergency Response, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Mr. Joseph McClelland, Director, Office of Energy Infrastructure Security, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
  • Mr. Steve Conner, President and CEO, Siemens Energy, Inc.
  • Mr. Thomas F. O’Brien, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, PJM Interconnection

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