A looming Federal Communications Commission deadline could spur telecom companies to hurry up deal talks before restrictions on their discussions tie their hands. The FCC said in a public notice that it would stop accepting applications on Sept. 18 for two planned wireless-airwave auctions in 2018. Rules bar applicants from talking with each other from that date until the second auction ends and its winners make their down payments. The standard rule is designed to prevent companies from coordinating bids. The deadline could also prevent telecom companies from holding broader talks about acquisitions, partnerships and other deals unrelated to the auction. The FCC said its ban applies only to talk of auction bidding, though companies have tread carefully going into past auctions to avoid breaking the rules. The first auction will start Nov. 14 and must end before the second auction can begin. 

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai circulated for a vote by his fellow commissioners an Order to extend by 90 days the window to file challenges to the eligibility map for the upcoming Mobility Fund Phase II broadband auction. Mobility Fund Phase II will award, via a reverse auction, up to $4.53 billion to support deployment of 4G LTE mobile service where it is now lacking. The challenge process is one part of the Commission’s efforts to ensure that these limited funds are targeted to areas that lack unsubsidized 4G LTE service. The following is a statement by Chairman Pai:

“The FCC has an important role in making sure that modern wireless services and the access they provide to emergency services, voice communications, and information are available to consumers living in and traveling through rural areas. Our Mobility Fund Phase II auction will go a long way toward fulfilling that goal. But it’s critical that we get it right: Our limited universal service funds for mobile service must be effectively and accurately targeted to areas that lack unsubsidized 4G LTE service. That’s why I’m seeking a 90-day extension of our challenge process, which will ensure fulsome participation in the process. I’m urging my fellow commissioners to vote this item quickly, so we can proceed with a robust challenge process, and then move forward with this important auction.”

An explosion of new digital options for kids' entertainment has pulled children's attention away from live TV to instant, on-demand programming, bringing with it new challenges for producers, policymakers and parents. TV networks are trying to modernize in order to keep up with kids' viewing habits. And a recent Federal Communications Commission proposal would relax kids' TV rules to let traditional broadcasters compete with digital channels, like Netflix, Amazon or YouTube, that do not have to follow those rules. But children's content is mostly unregulated on many streaming platforms. That's appealing for older children who find more regulated TV content boring — but it can also be dangerous. Parents, kids' advocates and some lawmakers are looking for better ways to regulate how children access content, while still ensuring they are able to learn and benefit from the internet and connected TV.

A study of the causal effects of access to high-speed Internet on sleep. Playing video games, using PC or smartphones, watching TV or movies are correlated with shorter sleep duration. The researchers exploit historical differences in pre-existing telephone infrastructure that affected the deployment of high-speed Internet across Germany to identify a source of plausibly exogenous variation in access to broadband. Using this instrumental variable strategy, they find that access to high-speed Internet (DSL) access reduces sleep duration and sleep satisfaction. Results are driven by individuals who face work or family time constraints.

Political strategists say recent moves by Facebook to secure its powerful advertising engine are hampering their ability to communicate with Hispanics and Spanish-speaking audiences ahead of the midterm elections. New procedures adopted by Facebook in response to Russian meddling and allegations of racially discriminatory ad practices often require several days for the company to review political ads targeted to ethnic groups, while ads that target broader audiences are approved immediately, said strategists for three liberal organizations, Priorities USA, Latino Victory and Win Dem PAC. Another group that supports conservative causes has experienced the same delays when buying ads that target Spanish-speaking or Hispanic audiences on Facebook, according to an official there, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. The strategists say the delays hurt their ability to reach and engage voters, since ads are often created and posted in the same day, sometimes in response to news events.