Message-ID: <20230518170901.GA319168@telecomdigest.us> Date: 18 May 2023 13:09:01 -0400 From: "The Telecom Digest" <submissions@telecom-digest.org> Subject: FCC Open Meeting Recap: April 2023 Part 1 (Podcast) by Winafred R. Brantl Full Spectrum's FCC Open Meeting Recaps feature a first take and analysis following the FCC's monthly Open Meetings, with an emphasis on the agenda items directly impacting our clients. On today's episode of Full Spectrum, Senior Associate Winafred Brantl discusses the Commission's proposed significant changes to the International Section 214 regime (1:11.515). Responding to growing concerns regarding undisclosed foreign ownership of international Section 214 carriers, the FCC will conduct a one-time data collection from all international Section 214 authorization holders and has proposed a requirement for periodic renewals or reviews of international Section 214 authorizations as well. At the same time, the FCC proposes to expand the scope of information required in any international Section 214 application and to implement recurring update filing requirements. In addition, Special Counsel Mike Dover discusses the Commission's proposals relating to expanded accessibility and transparency in the Wireless Emergency Alert program (15:36.614). https://www.mondaq.com/article/news/1314460?q=1803232&n=789

Message-ID: <20230520105326.GA332542@telecomdigest.us> Date: 20 May 2023 06:53:26 -0400 From: "Bill Horne" <digest-replies@telecomdigest.net> Subject: Another Twist In The Maryland Digital Advertising Services Tax Saga by Jeffrey Marks Readers of this blog may recall that in February 2021, Maryland became the first U.S. state to enact a tax on digital advertising services, which was summarized here(1), noting that it was sure to face heavy opposition on several fronts, including arguments that it (i) violated the Internet Tax Freedom Act ("ITFA"), a federal law which prohibits discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce, (ii) failed a dormant Commerce Clause analysis under the U.S. Constitution by setting rates based on the worldwide gross revenues of advertising platforms -- economic activity that has nothing to do with Maryland -- and targets specific companies (including Amazon, Facebook and Google), and (ii) would disproportionately harm Maryland businesses. Sure enough, in October 2022, a Maryland state judge struck down the tax, concluding that it (i) discriminates against electronic commerce in violation of ITFA because it applies to digital advertising, but not traditional advertising, (ii) violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents states from enacting legislation that discriminates against or unduly burdens interstate commerce, and (iii) violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Con- stitution because it "singles out the Plaintiffs for selective taxation and is not content-neutral." Comcast of California/Maryland/= Pennsylvania/Virginia/West Virginia LLC, et al. v. Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland, Case No. C-02-CV-21-000509 (Md. Cir. Ct. Anne Arundel County). This decision was discussed in a prior post here(2). 1. https://tinyurl.com/5xjscvjc 2. https://tinyurl.com/2v7z4jz6 https://www.mondaq.com/article/news/1316156?q=1803232&n=792&tp=4&tlk=1&lk=31

Message-ID: <f1d71e4487294d8ea0572487d80e1a48@mishmash.com> Date: 24 May 2023 22:30:51 +0000 From: "Fred Atkinson" <fatkinson@mishmash.com> Subject: Re: Congress moves to preserve AM radio in cars > In article <u4j6e0$m8a1ドル@usenet.csail.mit.edu>, Garrett Wollman wrote: >> In article <accf3565f4114b2db0c466354ec7fce1@mishmash.com>, >> Fred Atkinson <fatkinson@mishmash.com> wrote: >> The problem is that if our Internet goes down, we won't get those alerts. > You're not getting those alerts over "your Internet". > "CMAS messages, although displayed similarly to SMS text messages, > are always free and are routed through a separate service which will > give them priority over voice and regular text messages in congested > areas." You are splitting hairs here in a semantics issue. Suppose the cellular infrastructure is down due to an attack on our nation. Think you are gojng to get those alerts then? Whereas with AM or FM you have a far better chance of getting that information. -Fred