Tech companies with new products awaiting Federal Communications Commission approval can’t advertise during Super Bowl LIII because of the federal government shutdown, affecting the rollout of some 5G cellular devices.
With the FCC essentially closed due to lack of staffing, the regulatory-approval pipeline is closed, CNBC reported.
Consequently, the shutdown, in its 24th day, affects the advertising of unapproved products. “Let’s say you have a first-quarter launch plan and you wanted to advertise. You wouldn’t be able to run an ad during the Super Bowl,” Marc S. Martin, a partner at Perkins Coie LLP, told the legal news website Law360.
Advertisers spent more than $5 million on Super Bowl advertising time last year.
In a statement, the Telecommunications Industry Association said the delayed release of new tech products would have “a serious and negative impact on…devices that are designed to enable both 5G deployment and the full ecosystem of next generation technologies that 5G will support.”
The FCC released a public notice on its website earlier this month warning that it had run out of funding on Jan. 3, due to the shutdown. In the notice, the commission said it would “suspend most operations.”
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wrote on Twitter about the lack of FCC services during the shutdown, now in its 24th day.
Go ahead, take a look at the back of the nearest electronic device. You'll see an @fcc number. The agency certifies every innovative mobile phone, television, and computer that emits radio frequency before they can head to market.
Guess what is not happening during the shutdown?
— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) January 8, 2019