The FCC’s multipart draft on the 12 GHz band is expected to be approved Thursday with limited changes, said industry officials tracking the proceeding. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed a draft order, Further NPRM and NPRM on the broader band (see 2304270077) addressing both the lower and upper parts of the band.
Industry groups welcomed a draft FCC order, NPRM, and notice of inquiry that would expand call blocking requirements and seek comment on additional ways the commission could curb illegal or unwanted robocalls. Commissioners will consider the item during their meeting Thursday (see 2304270077). Some sought additional questions and clarification about the proposed rules.
Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., and ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., said during and after a Thursday hearing they’re forming a USF-focused task force to evaluate how to move forward on a comprehensive revamp of the program that may update its contribution factor to include non-wireline entities. Senate Communications members cited several telecom policy matters that intertwine with the push for USF changes, including future funding for the FCC’s affordable connectivity fund and restoring the commission’s lapsed spectrum auction authority.
Top Republican leaders on the House and Senate Commerce committees want the FCC's Office of Inspector General to review the commission's management of broadband money it received during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying in a Monday letter to acting IG Sharon Diskin "it's important to understand" the affordable connectivity program's "record to date" as they decide whether to back extending its life. They are seeking answers by June 1. The request came before two congressional hearings later this week on federal broadband spending and may provide further insight into whether there’s a consensus for making legislative changes to existing programs.
Officials with 5G for 12 GHz Coalition didn’t get everything they wanted from the FCC in the item teed up for a vote at the May 18 open meeting. But they're pleased with what was proposed and see it as the next step on the way to use of the band for fixed wireless, and potentially to be used as part of broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program applications.
Disagreement continued between industry groups and consumer advocacy organizations on how the FCC should implement rules to curb digital discrimination as required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in reply comments posted through Friday in docket 22-69 (see 2302220045). Commenters disagreed on how to define digital discrimination and the technical or economic limitations providers may have for broadband deployment.
Fiber and wireless proponents faced off in comments this week on a California Public Utilities Commission rulemaking to develop state rules for distributing dollars from NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program (docket R.23-02-016). They disagreed on how high California should set its Extremely High Cost Per Location Threshold (EHCT), which will be used to determine what areas can get non-fiber broadband service. Commenters also debated how much the CPUC should add to requirements from the BEAD notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) and how much the state agency should rely on the FCC’s national map to determine what areas are served.
In its hunt for spectrum available for more-intensive use, NTIA was urged to look at the 12 GHz and upper 12 GHz bands, in comments submitted Monday responding to its request for comments on creating a national spectrum strategy (see 2303150066). CTIA said U.S. efforts to lead the world in 5G are threatened by the lack of a spectrum pipeline and the expiration of the FCC's spectrum auction authority.
If an international Section 214 authorization holder has had an application to transfer control or assign the authorization in the past five years and ownership hasn't materially changed, the FCC should give a way to certify this, Incompas said in a docket 23-119 filing Friday. Doing so would lower the burden and costs for complying with the Section 214 draft order on the April agenda and ensure the agency knows where it has information it needs in its records for a 214 review, it said. Rather than require 10-year renewals or three-year information submissions from 214 authorization holders, the agency could look at getting information it needs from authorization holders that have national security agreements from the agencies that require them to keep up-to-date information about their ownership and operations, it said. The filing recapped meetings with aides to the three regular commissioners and with Office of International Affairs Chief Ethan Lucarelli.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Consumers' Research's challenge of the FCC's method for funding the USF under the nondelegation doctrine, in a ruling Friday (see 2212060070). The FCC "has not violated the private nondelegation doctrine because it wholly subordinates" the Universal Service Administrative Co., the court said, noting Congress "supplied the FCC with intelligible principles when it tasked the agency with overseeing" USF.