FTC’s Zoom Deal and Democrats, Vertical Bridge Buys Eco-site, Bill Would Extend CARES Act to 2021

The Federal Trade Commission’s two Democrats laid out a plan to increase the institution’s data security and privacy enforcement in response to an objection to a recent non-monetary settlement with Zoom.

Earlier this month, Zoom revealed a new agreement in an effort to settle claims that it misled users about encryption and undermined browser security settings. The agreement aligned well with enforcement actions and solutions the FTC had put in place under Republican Chairman Joe Simons in recent years.

However, the agreement faced Democratic dissent.

“It’s likely we’ll see Democratic leadership take the authority that the commission currently has and really try to absolutely push it to its limits,” Janis Kestenbaum, partner at Perkins Coie and onetime senior adviser to Edith Ramirez, the agency’s last Democratic chair, told Law360.

Democratic Commissioners Rohit Chopra and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter criticized the agency’s current approach to data security and privacy enforcement, urging their colleagues to be more creative in their efforts to fine companies, set rules of the road, and merge privacy and cybersecurity issues using their existing authority.

While their opinion does not hold a lot of weight right now, experts say that this could change once President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20.

Vertical Bridge buys Eco-site

Network infrastructure company Vertical Bridge announced the completion of their merger with tower company Eco-Site on Tuesday. This move marks the Vertical Bridge’s second most recent expansion, increasing site portfolio to almost 290,000 sites through the 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico and including more than 20,000 owned towers.

This past October, the company processed through the closing of a sale and leaseback transaction with radio company Cumulus Media, involving their broadcast communication towers, worth more than $200 million.

Founded in 2012, Eco-Site has won recognition as a fast-growing company, offering build-to-suit, co-location densification services. The company’s three co-founders will join the leadership team at Vertical Bridge—CEO Dale Carey will become EVP of strategy and convergence at Vertical Bridge, Bob Glosson will pivot from COO of Eco-Site to SVP of real estate solutions at Vertical Bridge, and Rich Stern will move from EVP of Eco-Site to SVP of real estate for Vertical Bridge.

“As a private, at-scale and permanent company, we have the flexibility and capital to be strategic in our growth model and we will continue to identify opportunities to expand our footprint that fit into our pure tower, pure U.S. strategy,” said Vertical Bridge CEO Alex Gellman.

https://www.rcrwireless.com/20201123/network-infrastructure/vertical-bridge-acquires-eco-site?utm_campaign=20201123%20RCRenewsMon&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

Bill seeks to extend CARES act funding

Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Alabama, introduced new legislation on Tuesday (PDF) to allow unspent CARES act funds to be used through 2021.

Currently, unspent CARES act funds are set to expire December 30, 2020. The Bill, Enabling Extra Time to Extend Network Deployment (EXTEND) Act, would allow states to use CARES act money under the Coronavirus Relief Fund for grants to deploy broadband in “unserved” areas.

Believing the states should be allowed to use coronavirus relief funds to bridge the digital divide, Aderholt said, “This bill will help those rural areas that have been left behind by providing a pathway for states to determine which areas are particularly underserved, while also preventing overbuilding in areas where broadband access is widespread.”

Aderholt hopes this bill will set a precedent for funding bills going forward so rural areas can have the infrastructure buildout they need with no funds going to waste.

Congressman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, the lead co-sponsor said, “The EXTEND Act works to support the buildout of broadband infrastructure in areas that do not currently have broadband capabilities. It ensures funds from the CARES Act, which I supported earlier this year, can be granted by states for the deployment of broadband so all Americans, including people living in rural communities, have reliable internet connectivity. I’d like to thank my colleague Rep. Aderholt for his attention to this critical issue, and I am encouraged that with this bill, we are working towards a more connected future.”