FCC nominee Gigi Sohn shouldn’t expect a Valentine’s Day change of tone in the questions she gets during her Tuesday confirmation hearing from Senate Commerce Committee Republicans, who have been steadfastly critical of her since President Joe Biden first nominated her in October 2021 (see 2110260076), lobbyists and observers said. Commerce Democratic leaders are hoping to keep their panel members united in support of Sohn during the hearing, with an eye to using their new outright 14-13 majority on the panel to quickly advance her to the full chamber. The committee tied 14-14 in March on advancing Sohn (see Ref:2203030070]), stalling her confirmation process through the rest of the year. The hearing, Sohn’s third appearance before Commerce as an FCC nominee, will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell.

Incompas CEO Chip Pickering and others from the group laid out their policy priorities in a meeting with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, said a filing posted Friday in 17-84 and other dockets. “The Commission can further promote competition in the broadband market by implementing a series of targeted reforms to its pole attachment and replacement rules that ensures a fair and equitable allocation of replacement costs between pole owners and new Attachers,” Incompas said: “Our members’ deployments continue to be stymied by pole owners’ unreasonable pole attachment and replacement practices, including denials and excessive delays for pole access and the imposition of unsubstantiated costs for pole replacements.” On spectrum, the group urged action on 12 GHz. “This band has no federal encumbrances, does not require an auction, and can be put to immediate use once the Commission updates its rules,” Incompas said.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and House Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee Chairman Mike Kelly, R-Pa., led refiling Thursday of the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act in a bid to ensure broadband funding from the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act, American Rescue Plan Act and Tribal Broadband Connectivity Fund doesn’t count as taxable income. The measure, first filed last year (see 2209290067), would amend the Internal Revenue Code to say broadband grants enacted via either statute don’t count as “gross income.” Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., are lead co-sponsors. There have been “significant strides to ensure that access to high-speed internet is available to more Americans than ever,” Warner said. “But taxing broadband investment awards diminishes our efforts. This legislation ensures that individuals and businesses are able to reap the benefits of every dollar set aside for broadband expansion and deployment so that we can accomplish our goal of bringing reliable broadband to every corner of Virginia.” The measure “ensures federal grant dollars, especially those made available to local governments through pandemic relief funding, will give constituents the best return on their investment,” Kelly said. Warner’s office noted several telecom industry groups back the measure, including the Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA, Incompas, NTCA and USTelecom, the Wireless ISP Association and WTA.

The outlook for both the lower and upper 12 GHz bands remain unclear, with the FCC and Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel providing little guidance in recent months on next steps in either band. The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition has been relatively quiet this year and there have been few filings in docket 20-443 exploring the lower band.

Industry continued to urge the FCC to help facilitate the transition to fully IP-networks and Stir/Shaken caller ID authentication. In reply comments posted Tuesday in docket 17-97 (see 2212130065), some disagreed whether the transition should be mandated and how to treat existing non-IP networks.

Incompas promotes Chief Advocate-General Counsel Angie Kronenberg to president and Chris Shipley to executive director-public policy; hires Caroline Boothe Olsen, from office of former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., as director-communications and legislative affairs ... Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Commissioner Beth Trombold announces her resignation, effective Feb. 10 … Montana Public Service Commission names former state Rep. Brad Tschida (R) executive director, effective Jan. 17.

Comcast promotes Jason Armstrong to chief financial officer, succeeding Mike Cavanagh, who became president in October ... WWE founder and controlling shareholder Vince McMahon announces his return to the board and his removal of JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey Speed and Alan Wexler as directors; McMahon also restores the board seats of George Barrios and Michelle Wilson ... Infrastructure consulting firm TYLin names WSP’s Stephen Cayea chief information officer ... Fund administrator Vector promotes Chief Operating Officer Molly Yakubian to managing partner ... Incompas promotes Chief Advocate-General Counsel Angie Kronenberg to president; Chip Pickering remains president … Supply chain technology company Flexport names Teresa Carlsone, ex-Microsoft and Amazon, president-chief commercial officer.

USTelecom promotes Paul Eisler to vice president-cybersecurity and innovation … Incompas announces 2023-2024 board, including new member Tristar License Group Vice President Owen Mayfield … Montana Public Service Commission elects Jennifer Fielder (R) vice president, succeeding term-limited Commissioner Brad Johnson (R), and adds physician Ann Bukacek (R) to commission.

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., stopped short Tuesday of agreeing to a push from Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., for a full re-vetting of FCC nominee Gigi Sohn, after her re-selection to be the commission’s third Democrat (see 2301030060). Other Sohn supporters, meanwhile, hailed her renomination and urged the Senate not to unnecessarily delay advancing her. President Joe Biden first nominated Sohn to the FCC in October 2021 (see 2110260076), but her confirmation process never made it past the committee level. Senate Commerce tied 14-14 on advancing her in March (see 2203030070), leading to a monthslong stall.

USTelecom representatives met with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to support the FCC's 2020 order on unbundled network elements rules and oppose a petition by Sonic Telecom seeking reconsideration (see 2210170079). “The Commission correctly recognized that in light of the passage of time and changed marketplace conditions, it should reexamine its unbundling requirements,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-308. The FCC “applied the law faithfully by evaluating what unbundling requirements are appropriate in the modern marketplace based on the impairment standard and by forbearing where the statutory test was satisfied,” USTelecom said, noting it “advocated for forbearing from all unbundling obligations, but negotiated a compromise” with Incompas and “nearly every interested competitive LEC and incumbent LEC in this docket.” The commission “has a long history of relying on negotiated agreements,” the group said.