3/21. The House Commerce Committee's (HCC) Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (SCT) scheduled a meeting to mark up a draft of a STELA reauthorization bill on March 24 and 25, 2014. The SCT members will make open statements on Monday at 5:30 PM. The SCT will mark up the draft bill on Tuesday at 10:30 AM.

The HCC released a draft of this yet to be introduced bill. It provides a five year extension of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA). This bill also addresses retransmission consent, the integration ban, and other issues.

See also, the HCC's notice of the meeting, and the HCC's  draft summary.

Also, the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act" at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, March 26. See, SJC notice.

STELA Reauthorization. First, this draft bill would extend the exemption from retransmission consent for distant signals where a satellite subscriber is outside the area served by the broadcast signal, and extend the prohibition on exclusive retransmission consent deals and requirement that broadcasters negotiate in good faith with multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD). (See, Section 2 of this draft bill, at pages 1-2.)

The Congress last extended the statutory licenses that permit satellite television service providers to retransmit distant television broadcast station signals in the 111th Congress in 2010. See, S 3333 [LOC | WW], the "Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010", or "STELA", and story titled "Obama Signs Satellite TV Bill" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,089, May 28, 2010.

Retransmission Consent. Second, the draft bill would amend the retransmission consent regime, which is codified at 47 U.S.C. § 325.

Section 325 provides that "No cable system or other multichannel video programming distributor shall retransmit the signal of a broadcasting station, or any part thereof, except ... with the express authority of the originating station".

Under Section 325 broadcasters can charge cable companies and other MVPDs for retransmission of their programming. The companies have been negotiating retransmission consent contracts since this section was enacted by the Cable Act of 1992. Withholding of consent by broadcasters, and resulting the blackouts, have become common.

This draft bill would prohibit multiple broadcast stations from negotiating retransmission consent jointly unless the cable or satellite operator agrees to joint negotiations or the stations are directly or indirectly under common de jure control approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Specifically, this draft bill would add a new subsection iv to 325(b)(3)(C)) that would require the FCC to write regulations that "shall" "prohibit a television broadcast station from negotiating on a joint basis with another television broadcast station in the same local market ... to grant retransmission consent under this section to a" MVPD "unless -- (I) such stations are considered to be directly or indirectly owned, operated, or controlled by the same entity for purposes of section 73.3555(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation; or (II) such" MVPD "agrees to negotiate on such joint basis." (See, Section 3, at pages 2-3.)

Media Ownership Rules. Third, this draft bill would address attribution for the purpose of the FCC's obsolete media ownership rules.

The draft bill would prohibit the FCC from modifying its rules to treat stations under any "shared service agreement, local news service agreement, local marketing agreement, or joint sales agreement ... as resulting in the attribution of a cognizable interest in, or ownership, operation, or control of, a television broadcast station for purposes of the" FCC's local television multiple ownership rule, which is codified at 47 CFR 73.3555(b), until the FCC concludes its 2010 quadrennial review of its media ownership rules. (See, Section 4, at pages 3-4.)

Sweeps Week. Fourth, the draft bill would require the FCC to amend its rules, which are codified at 47 CFR 17 76.1601, within 90 days, to eliminate the sweeps week provision that prohibits cable operators from dropping broadcast signals during the weeks when Nielsen Media Research does its major audience measurements. (See, Section 5, at page 4.)

The HCC's bill summary states that "Since cable providers do not have a corresponding right to demand access to programming during a retransmission dispute, and satellite providers are not subject to the rule, the change will provide regulatory parity and remove the government from this aspect of the negotiation for signal carriage."

Integration Ban. Fifth, the draft bill would eliminate the integration ban. (See, Section 6, at pages 4-5.)

This provision is similar to an untitled bill introduced by Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) on September 26, 2013. See, HR 3196 [LOC | WW] and story titled "Reps. Latta and Green Introduce Bill to End FCC's Integration Ban" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,609, October 7, 2013.

The FCC's integration ban currently prohibits MVPDs from making available to consumers devices that contain both navigation of video content functions and security functions. The draft bill would amend Section 629 of the Communications Act, which is codified at 47 U.S.C. § 549, and which pertains to "Competitive availability of navigation devices".

GAO Study. Sixth, the draft bill would require that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issue a report on what regulatory changes would be necessary if the Congress were to repeal the statutory compulsory copyright regime that governs broadcast content.

The draft bill would require that the GAO "shall conduct a study that analyzes and evaluates the changes to the carriage requirements currently imposed on" MVPDs under the Communications Act and FCC regulations thereunder, "that would be required or beneficial to consumers, and such other matters as the Comptroller General considers appropriate, if Congress implemented a phase-out of the current statutory licensing requirements set forth under" 17 U.S.C. §§ 111, 119, and 122.

The draft bill adds that "the study shall consider the impact such a phase-out and related changes to carriage requirements would have on consumer prices and access to programming." Also, the GAO would have 18 months to issue its report. (See, Section 7, at pages 6-7.)

Satellite Reporting. Seventh, the draft bill would require each satellite direct broadcast service provider to report the local signals that it provides for each market in which it broadcasts such services and also report on the potential use of its technology for the retransmission of local signals in each mark. (See, Section 8, at pages 7-8.)

3/20. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings published a piece in the Netflix web site titled "Internet Tolls And The Case For Strong Net Neutrality".

He argues that "net neutrality must be defended and strengthened" to deal with the "lack of sufficient interconnectivity" by some broadband internet access service (BIAS) providers.

He wrote that "The essence of net neutrality is that ISPs such as AT&T and Comcast don't restrict, influence or otherwise meddle with the choices consumers make. The traditional form of net neutrality which was recently overturned by a Verizon lawsuit is important, but insufficient."

He continued that "This weak net neutrality isn't enough to protect an open, competitive Internet; a stronger form of net neutrality is required. Strong net neutrality additionally prevents ISPs from charging a toll for interconnection to services like Netflix, YouTube, or Skype, or intermediaries such as Cogent, Akamai or Level 3, to deliver the services and data requested by ISP residential subscribers. Instead, they must provide sufficient access to their network without charge."

He added that with some "big ISPs, due to a lack of sufficient interconnectivity, Netflix performance has been constrained, subjecting consumers who pay a lot of money for high-speed Internet to high buffering rates, long wait times and poor video quality".

Then, "Once Netflix agrees to pay the ISP interconnection fees, however, sufficient capacity is made available and high quality service for consumers is restored."

Hastings concluded that "Some big ISPs are extracting a toll because they can -- they effectively control access to millions of consumers and are willing to sacrifice the interests of their own customers to press Netflix and others to pay."

Comcast stated in a release on March 20 that "There has been no company that has had a stronger commitment to openness of the Internet than Comcast. We supported the FCC's Open Internet rules because they struck the appropriate balance between consumer protection and reasonable network management rights for ISPs. We are now the only ISP in the country that is bound by them."

However, Comcast continued that "The Open Internet rules never were designed to deal with peering and Internet interconnection, which have been an essential part of the growth of the Internet for two decades. Providers like Netflix have always paid for their interconnection to the Internet and have always had ample options to ensure that their customers receive an optimal performance through all ISPs at a fair price."

Comcast concluded that "We are happy that Comcast and Netflix were able to reach an amicable, market-based solution to our interconnection issues and believe that our agreement demonstrates the effectiveness of the market as a mechanism to deal with these matters."

Sarah Morris of the New America Foundation (NAF) stated in a release that "While the FCC's Open Internet Order provided important protections for Internet users, it is clear that network neutrality concerns extend beyond the relationship between the user and the ISP and to interconnection points in the network."

She added that "the only way that the FCC can address these problems effectively is by reclassifying broadband under the Telecommunications Act. Reclassification will ensure that the fundamental protections that have guided communications services for over a century can be applied in a modern age."

3/20. The Free Press (FP), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other interest groups sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the FCC to reclassify broadband internet access service (BIAS) as a Title II telecommunications under the Communications Act.

They wrote that "The D.C. Circuit’s decision in Verizon v. FCC dealt a huge blow to the open Internet", and urged the FCC "to use your clear authority under Title II of the Communications Act to protect the open Internet".

They asserted that "With the court's decision, however, broadband providers are now free to block or discriminate against online content, services and applications. Allowing broadband providers to control this once-open platform shifts power away from communities and individuals and toward entrenched companies like AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon. This will have a chilling effect on our rights to access, report and share information."

They concluded "the FCC must reclassify broadband access services as telecommunications services to prevent discrimination and blocking online".

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The House will meet at 12:00 NOON for morning hour, and at 2:00 PM for legislative business. The House will consider several non-technology related items under suspension of the rules. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 PM. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule.

The Senate will meet at 2:00 PM.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Intellectual Property Committee will host a panel discussion titled "The WIPO Broadcasting Treaty". The speakers will be Ben Ivins (National Association of Broadcasters) and John Bergmayer (Public Knowledge). Bring your own lunch. Free. No webcast. Location: Wilkinson Barker Knauer, Suite 700, 2300 N St., NW.

1:00 - 2:30 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a panel discussion titled "Controlling Surveillance: Export Controls as a Tool for Internet Freedom". The speakers will be Marietje Schaake (Member of European Parliament), Arvind Ganesan (Human Rights Watch), Collin Anderson (European University Institute), and Tim Maurer (NAF). Free. Open to the public. Webcast. See, notice. Location: NAF, Suite 400, 1899 L St., NW.

1:00 - 3:15 PM. The The Brookings Institution (BI) will host an event titled "Wireless Spectrum and the Future of Technology Innovation". The speakers will include Tom Wheeler (FCC Chairman). See, notice. Location: BI, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW.

4:30 PM. The House Intelligence Committee (HIC) will hold a closed hearing on undisclosed matters titled "Ongoing Intelligence Activities". No webcast. See, notice. Location: HVC-304, Capitol Building.

5:30 PM. The House Commerce Committee's (HCC) Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (SCT) will meet to begin its mark up a yet to be introduced bill to extend expiring provisions of the Communications Act related to the retransmission of signals of television broadcast stations (reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act). This bill also addresses retransmission consent and the integration ban. This meeting is for opening statements only. See, notice of the meeting, discussion draft of the bill, and HCC's  draft summary. Location: Room 2123, Rayburn Building.

Deadline to submit requests to testify at the National Foundation on Arts and the Humanities' (NFAH) Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) April 17 hearing titled "Libraries and Broadband: Urgency and Impact". The purpose of this hearing is "establishing a public record specifically focused on the need for and impact of high speed broadband connectivity in America's libraries". See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 47, March 11, 2014, at Pages 13679-13680. See also, the FCC's 2013 NPRM and March 2014 Public Notice (PN) regarding expanding the FCC's e-rate tax and subsidy program.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for morning hour, and at 12:00 NOON for legislative business. The House will consider HR  2824, the "Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day one of a three day event hosted by the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) titled "Intersection of Cloud and Mobility Forum and Workshop". Open to the public. The deadline to register is 5:00 PM on March 17. See, event web site and notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 47, March 11, 2014, at Pages 13622-13623. Location: NIST, Red Auditorium, Building 101, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD.

10:00 AM. The House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) will meet to mark up HRes 494, the "Affirming the Importance of the Taiwan Relations Act". This resolution, among other things, reaffirms the commitment of the House "to deepen United States-Taiwan trade and investment relations as well as support for Taiwan's inclusion in bilateral and regional trade agreements". Webcast. See, notice. Location: Room 2172, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The Department of Commerce's (DOC) President's Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (PECSEA) will hold a partially closed meeting to discuss the Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) export regulation regime. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 47, March 11, 2014, at Pages 13612-13613. Location: DOC, Room 4830, Hoover Building, 14th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, NW.

10:30 AM. The House Commerce Committee's (HCC) Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (SCT) will meet to mark up a yet to be introduced bill to extend expiring provisions of the Communications Act related to the retransmission of signals of television broadcast stations (reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act). This bill also addresses retransmission consent and the integration ban. See, notice of the meeting, discussion draft of the bill, and HCC's draft summary. Location: Room 2123, Rayburn Building.

12:15 - 1:45 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a panel discussion titled "Transatlantic Solutions to Government Surveillance". The speakers will be Konstantin von Notz (Grünen Member of German Parliament), Jan Philipp Albrecht (German Green Member of European Parliament), Malte Spitz (German Green Party), and Kevin Bankston (NAF). Webcast. Free. Open to the public. See, notice. Location: NAF, Suite 400, 1899 L St., NW.

1:00 - 5:00 PM. The Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will host one of its series of meetings regarding privacy and facial recognition technology. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 235, December 6, 2013, at Pages 73502-73503. Location: American Institute of Architects, 1735 New York Ave., NW.

2:00 PM. The House Appropriations Committee's (HAC) Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The witnesses will be Thomas Wheeler and Ajit Pai. See, notice. Location: Room B-308, Rayburn Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC) will hold a closed hearing on undisclosed matters. See, notice. Location: Room 219, Hart Building.

Deadline to submit nominations (and written comments regarding nominations) to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) for membership on its Public Interest Trade Advisory Committee. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 37, February 25, 2014, at Pages 10596-10598.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for morning hour, and at 12:00 NOON for legislative business. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule.

9:00 AM. The House Appropriations Committee's (HAC) Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and FBI reform. The witnesses will be James Comey (FBI Director), Timothy Roemer (APCO, and former Representative), Bruce Hoffman (Georgetown University), and Edwin Meese (Heritage Foundation, and former AG). See, notice. Location: Room H-309, Capitol Building.

9:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) will host an event titled "The U.S.-Japan Alliance: Planning for President Obama's Trip to Japan". The speakers will be Michael Schiffer (Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff), Yasuhiro Matsuda (University of Tokyo), Naoyuki Agawa (Keio University), Michael Green (CSIS) and Scott Miller (CSIS). See, notice. Location: Room 215, Dirksen Building.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day two of a three day event hosted by the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) titled "Intersection of Cloud and Mobility Forum and Workshop". Open to the public. The deadline to register is 5:00 PM on March 17. See, event web site and notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 47, March 11, 2014, at Pages 13622-13623. Location: NIST, Red Auditorium, Building 101, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD.

9:30 AM - 3:00 PM. The Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's (ONC/HIT) HIT Standards Committee will meet. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 243, December 18, 2013, at Page 76627-76628.

10:00 AM. The House Science Committee (HSC) will hold a hearing titled "A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Request for Science Agencies". The witness will be John Holdren (Director of the EOP's Office of Science and Technology Policy). See, notice. Location: Room 2318, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act". The witnesses will be Stanton Dodge (DISH Network), Marci Burdick (Schurz Communications), Ellen Stutzman (Writers Guild of America, West), and John Bergmayer (Public Knowledge). Webcast. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (SHSGAC) will hold a hearing titled "Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships to Reduce Cyber Risks to Our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure". The witnesses will be Phyllis Schneck (DHS Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity), Donna Dodson (NIST Chief Cybersecurity Advisor), Stephen Caldwell (GAO), Elayne Starkey (Delaware's Chief Security Officer), David Velazquez (Pepco Holdings), Doug Johnson (Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council), and Steven Chabinsky (CrowdStrike, Inc.). See, notice. Location: Room 342, Dirksen Building.

1:00 - 5:30 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host an event titled "Beyond Screen Time: Early Learning and Digital Media". Free. Open to the public. Webcast. See, notice. Location: NAF, Suite 400, 1899 L St., NW.

1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) North American Numbering Council (NANC) will hold a closed meeting. The agenda is selection of the Local Number Portability Administrator. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 49, March 13, 2014, at Pages 14250-14251. Location: FCC, Room CY-A257, 445 12th St., SW.

2:00 PM. The House Appropriations Committee's (HAC) Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government will hold a hearing on the budget for the federal judiciary. The witnesses will be Julia Gibbons (Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit) and John Bates (Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts). See, notice. Location: Room 2359, Rayburn Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Protecting Personal
Consumer Information from Cyber Attacks and Data Breaches". The witnesses will be Edith Ramirez (FTC Chairman), John Mulligan (Target Corporation), Wallace Loh (University of Maryland), David Wagner (Entrust, Inc.), Peter Beshar (Marsh & McLennan), Ellen Richey (Visa Inc.). Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

4:00 - 5:00 PM. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) will host a panel discussion titled "Social Media and Protest Movements in Venezuela: A Blogger's Perspective". The speakers will be James Bosworth and Carl Meacham (CSIS). See, notice. Location: CSIS, 1616 Rhode Island Ave., NW.

6:30 - 8:00 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Young Lawyers Committee will host an event titled "Bingo Night". No webcast. Location: Covington & Burling, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave.,  NW.

Deadline to submit comments to the Department of Transportation (DOT) in response to its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding banning voice communications on passengers' mobile wireless devices on flights. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 36, February 24, 2014, at Pages 10049-10054.

The House will meet at 9:00 AM for legislative business. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule.

9:00 AM. The House Intelligence Committee (HIC) will hold a closed hearing on undisclosed matters titled "Ongoing Intelligence Activities". No webcast. See, notice. Location: HVC-304, Capitol Building.

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM. Day three of a three day event hosted by the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) titled "Intersection of Cloud and Mobility Forum and Workshop". Open to the public. The deadline to register is 5:00 PM on March 17. See, event web site and notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 47, March 11, 2014, at Pages 13622-13623. Location: NIST, Red Auditorium, Building 101, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD.

10:00 AM. The House Appropriations Committee's (HAC) Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing on the budget for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The witness will be Cora Marrett (acting NSF Director). See, notice. Location: Room H-309, Capitol Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold an executive business meeting. The agenda includes consideration of S 1720 [LOC | WW], the "Patent Transparency and Improvements Act of 2013". The agenda also includes consideration the nominations of Gregg Costa (to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit), Tanya Chutkan (USCD/DC), Hannah Lauck (USDC/EDVa), and Leo Sorokin (USCD/DMass).Webcast. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) North American Numbering Council (NANC) will meet. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 50, March 14, 2014, at Pages 14511-14512. Location: FCC, Room 5-C162, 445 12th St., SW.

11:45 AM - 2:00 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a panel discussion regarding gender gaps in STEM fields. Free. Open to the public. Webcast. Lunch will be served. See, notice. Location: Dupont Circle Hotel, 1500 New Hampshire Ave., NW.

2:30 PM. The Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC) will hold a closed hearing on undisclosed matters. See, notice. Location: Room 219, Hart Building.

CANCELLED. 6:00 - 8:15 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Mobile Payments Committee will host an event titled "The Advent of Mobile Payments: Evolutionary or Revolutionary?". Location: Hogan Lovells, 555 13th St.,  NW.

Deadline to submit to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oppositions to the petition for reconsideration of the FCC's Report and Order regarding reliability and resiliency of 911 networks filed by Intrado, Inc. on February 18, 2014. The FCC adopted and released its order on December 12, 2013. It is FCC 13-158 in PS Docket Nos. 13-75 and 11-60. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 48, March 12, 2014, at Pages 13975-13976.

Rep. Cantor's schedule states that "no votes are expected" in the House.

Supreme Court conference day. See, October Term 2013 calendar.

10:00 - 11:15 AM. 28. The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) will meet. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 41, March 3, 2014, at Pages 11876-11877. Location: IRS, Room 3716, 1111 Constitution Ave., NW.

10:30 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) will host an event titled "China's Human Rights Diplomacy: Past, Present and Future". See, notice. Location: CSIS, 1616 Rhode Island Ave., NW.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Commissioners' media legal advisors will host a closed meeting. Maria Kirby (advisor to Tom Wheeler), Adonis Hoffman (Mignon Clyburn), Clint Odom (Jessica Rosenworcel), Matthew Berry (Ajit Pai) and Courtney Reinhard (Michael O'Reilly) will preside. Free. Bring your own lunch. No webcast. No reporters. The FCBA asserts that this is an FCBA meeting. Location: FCC, Meeting Room TW-C305, 445 12th St., SW.

The House will meet the week of March 31-April 4. See, 2014 House calendar.

Deadline for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) to conclude its review of the operation, effectiveness, and implementation of, and compliance with the various trade agreements affecting telecommunications products and services. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 235, December 6, 2013, at Pages 73583-73584. See also, story titled "OUSTR Seeks Comments Regarding Trade Agreements Affecting Telecommunications" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,620, December 16, 2013.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the two Further Notice of Proposed Rulemakings (FNPRMs) contained in its huge item [114 pages in PDF] adopted on January 30, 2014, and released on January 31, regarding technology transitions in voice communications. This item is FCC 14-5 in GN Docket No. 13-5 and WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 13-97. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 40, February 28, 2014, at Pages 11366-11373.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding "Experiment Proposals". See, Part III of the FCC's huge item [114 pages in PDF] adopted on January 30, 2014, and released on January 31, regarding technology transitions in voice communications. This item is FCC 14-5 in GN Docket No. 13-5 and WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 13-97.

Deadline to submit comments to the Executive Office of the President's (EOP) Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to assist it in conducting its review titled "Big Data Study". See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 42, March 4, 2014, at Pages 12251-12252.

Deadline to submit to the Public Knowledge (PK) nominations for its "Internet Protocol, Intellectual Property and Information Policy" awards. See, notice.