David A. Gross

The United States and United Kingdom are preparing to begin negotiations on a new trade agreement later this month. According to an October 3, 2023 reporting by POLITICO, President Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are planning to start negotiations in October. The goal would be an initial set of chapters completed by spring 2024 before the U.S election and the U.K. general election. This would be a “foundational” trade agreement that could be further built upon and developed over time.

On June 17, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) voted unanimously to approve its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and Notice of Inquiry (NOI) proposing significant changes to the FCC’s equipment authorization regime and competitive bidding certification rules to further the goals of protecting the nation’s communications networks and supply chains from equipment and services that pose an unacceptable risk to national security. This latest proposal builds upon the Commission’s ongoing efforts to protect our nation’s communications networks as well as other federal government efforts.[1] Comments on the NPRM and NOI will be due 30 days after the item is published in the Federal Register and Reply Comments will be due 60 days after publication.

On May 27, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) released a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and Notice of Inquiry (NOI) proposing significant changes to the FCC’s equipment authorization regime and spectrum auction certifications, intended to protect U.S. communications networks from equipment and services that pose an unacceptable risk to national security.

The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs issued a lengthy and extensively researched report regarding the U.S. government’s national security reviews by Team Telecom of foreign telecommunications companies operating in the United States. The report comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s recently issued Executive Order to formalize Team Telecom and its process.

On April 4, 2020, President Trump issued the Executive Order on Establishing the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector. The Executive Order (EO) formalizes, through the establishment of a Committee, the ad hoc working group known as “Team Telecom” which has been reviewing certain telecommunications transactions that fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). For years, the FCC has referred transactions to Team Telecom, to consider national security and law enforcement issues that may be raised by applications for FCC licenses and other grants of authority involving foreign ownership. This long-expected EO formalizes responsibilities and process for that review. FCC Chairman Pai issued a statement applauding “the President for formalizing Team Telecom review,” “welcom[ing] beneficial investment in our networks,” and noting that the FCC would “move forward to conclude our own pending rulemaking on reform of the foreign ownership review process.”

Podcast

In this Wiley Connected podcast, hear from Wiley Partners Amb. David Gross, Duane Pozza, Joan Stewart, and Consulting Counsel Jacqueline Ruff about the latest in international developments surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI). The topics discussed include the Biden Administration AI Executive Order (EO), the role of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN) regarding AI, and the EU's landmark AI Act.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)—which serves as the President’s principal advisor on telecommunications and information policy issues and the nation’s manager of federally-allocated radiofrequency spectrum, among other responsibilities—must balance several critical priorities at a key moment for American progress in telecommunications and technology. In this episode of Wiley Connected, Amb. David Gross and Sara Baxenberg of Wiley’s Telecom, Media & Technology Practice, along with Wiley summer law clerk Stephanie Rigizadeh, speak with NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson about the issues and opportunities facing the agency.