Overnight Tech: FCC Republican floats postponing wireless auction

LEDE: Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said in a speech Thursday that the commission should “have the courage” to postpone next year’s incentive auction of wireless spectrum if it is not adequately prepared.

“If we can get everything done in time to start the auction as scheduled on March 29, that would be great,” he said at an event hosted by 4G Americas.

{mosads}”But March 29 wasn’t etched onto a tablet, Biblical or electronic. If we are not 100 percent confident that the software will perform flawlessly as we make our way to the end of March, we must have the courage to postpone the auction rather than charging ahead and courting disaster.”

The incentive auction scheduled for March 2016 involves the commission buying spectrum, the frequencies that carry signals to and from mobile devices, from broadcast stations and selling them to wireless providers. Pai said that the commission should hold multiple faux auctions so participants can get used to the systems that will run the sale in advance of the auction. CTIA, the wireless trade group, has made a similar request.

CALLS FOR FCC TO MOVE FAST ON DISH SPECTRUM: Pai also said that he hoped the agency would sell wireless spectrum forfeited by Dish by the end of 2016. “We should not let this spectrum gather dust. In fact, I think the FCC should reauction those licenses in 2016, immediately after the conclusion of the incentive auction,” he said. “This spectrum should be put to use as quickly as possible.”

DRONES, 5G FOCUS FOR US DELEGATION AT SPECTRUM SUMMIT: U.S. officials are hoping that they can reach a deal with other world powers to reallocate spectrum for use with 5G as well as drones and flight tracking, Reuters reports from Geneva’s World Radiocommunication Conferences. “The big question here is will the other countries of the world be participating in meeting that spectrum need in a way that produces scope and scale economies that allows the wonder of wireless and truly the transformative power that this represents to individual human beings, let alone to economies,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler reportedly said.

DEMS SEE THUNE’S NET NEUTRALITY PREDICTION AS WELCOME SIGN: Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) applauded Senate Commerce Committee John Thune’s (R-S.D.) prediction Tuesday that it is unlikely any policy riders to block net neutrality rules will make it into the must-pass spending bills this year: “Well I think that is certainly good news coming from Sen. Thune,” Franken told The Hill. Meanwhile, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) predicted it is “unlikely that very many significant policy riders are going to make it in the end. We’ve been pretty clear that, you know, we are not going to tolerate it.”

“I’m still hoping we can legislate in this space,” Schatz said about net neutrality, adding the ongoing court battle and 2016 election factor in negotiations. “But sticking a rider that would overturn the order into an appropriations bill is not legislating.”

FANTASY DRAMA, STATE BY STATE: The right-leaning Mercatus Center at George Mason University has put together a map tracking regulatory challenges to the daily fantasy sports industry in individual states.

FOX BUSINESS TO LIVE STREAM DEBATE: Fox Business Network will provide a free live stream the GOP primary debate it is hosting next Tuesday, Reuters reported. Cable networks have taken differing positions on free online streams. Fox News decided against it for the first debate, while CNN has offered one. All the debates have received record-breaking ratings compared to past cycles.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The federal judge presiding over a class-action lawsuit filed by Uber drivers in California who say they should be classified as employees, rather than independent contractors, said Thursday the trial would start on June 20, 2016. The trial is estimated to last no more than five weeks and will be heard by a jury.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 

Cox, the third-largest cable company in the U.S., has agreed to pay $595,000 to settle charges with the Federal Communications Commission over a breach of customers’ personal information last summer.

A House bill introduced on Thursday would require federal law enforcement officials to get a warrant if they want to conduct aerial surveillance inside the country.

Two congressmen want to study vehicle cybersecurity after several high-profile car hacking incidents thrust the issue into the limelight.

Comcast customers in five more markets will see their data use limited this winter.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will take on the issue of online privacy in the “next several months,” Chairman Tom Wheeler said during an interview with Charlie Rose this week. 

Please send tips and comments to David McCabe, dmccabe@digital-staging.thehill.comand Mario Trujillo,mtrujillo@digital-staging.thehill.com Follow us on Twitter:@HilliconValley, @dmccabe, @_mariotrujillo