FCC Announces Tribal Workshop
The FCC announced it will hold a workshop on August 20-21 in Billings, Montana designed to provide information that will help Tribal Nations identify and evaluate opportunities to develop more robust broadband, telecommunications, and broadcast infrastructure and services in Tribal communities. It is also designed to provide information about the FCC and how it conducts its regulatory responsibilities, and to encourage Tribal participation in the regulatory process.
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Topics:
US Senate,
2.5 GHz Band,
FCC Tribal Workshop,
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund,
SMART Act,
High Cost Fund,
Social Media
NARUC Lifeline Resolution
At its July 2019 Summer Policy Summit, the NARUC approved a resolution on Lifeline that urges the Federal Communications Commission to (i) work quickly and collaboratively with service providers and other stakeholders to fix the National Verifier before use of it is required in any state by (a) implementing service provider APIs, and (b) securing access to federal/state SNAP and Medicaid databases,
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Topics:
Lifeline,
NARUC,
National Lifeline Verifier,
FCC August Open Meeting,
Kari’s Law/RAY BAUM’S Act,
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund,
Telehealth,
Digital Opportunity Data Collection
The DOJ Announced it is Reviewing Online Platform Practices
The Department of Justice announced today that the Department’s Antitrust Division is reviewing whether and how market-leading online platforms have achieved market power and are engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers.
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Topics:
DOJ,
U.S. House Antitrust Subcommittee,
NCTA,
pole attachment rates,
Online Platform Practices,
The Internet & Television Association
US House Passes Stopping Bad Robocalls Act
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act, HR 3375, by a sweeping 429-3 vote. In response to the passage of the bill, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Bob Latta (R-OH) released the following statement: “Today, the House of Representatives voted to restore Americans’ confidence in the telephone system and put consumers back in charge of their phones.
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Topics:
EAS System,
AIRWAVES Act,
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr,
Stopping Bad Robocalls Act
FCC Lifeline Obligation Forbearance
The FCC announced the counties in which conditional forbearance from the obligation to offer Lifeline-supported voice service applies. The forbearance only applies to the Lifeline voice obligation of eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that are designated for purposes of receiving both high-cost and Lifeline support (high-cost/Lifeline ETCs), and not to Lifeline-only ETCs.
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Topics:
ETCs,
high-cost/Lifeline,
CSRIC,
Eligible Telecommunications Carriers,
Lifeline-supported voice service
FCC CAF II Awards
The FCC announced it is ready to authorize Connect America Fund Phase II auction (Auction 903) support for the 1,122 Auction 903 winning bids identified on Attachment A. To be authorized to receive the total 10-year support amounts listed the listed long-form applicants must submit acceptable irrevocable standby letter(s) of credit and Bankruptcy Code opinion letter(s) from their legal counsel for each state where they have winning bids that are ready to be authorized in accordance with the instructions provided by the FCC prior to 6:00 p.m. ET on Monday, August 5, 2019.
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Topics:
Connect America Fund Phase II,
FCC’s hearing processes,
CAF II Awards,
Universal Licensing System
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California to Hold July Meeting RE Ratepayer Funded Wildfire Fund
The PUC announced it will hold its meeting for July in Sacramento. This Voting Meeting responds to Assembly Bill (AB) 1054, which requires the CPUC to consider whether utilities should create a ratepayer funded Wildfire Fund.
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Topics:
California July 2019 PUC Meeting,
E-Rate Funding for 2019,
MVPD Rules,
AB1054,
Ratepayer Funded Wildfire Fund for California,
Accessible EAS Alerts
House Committee Advances Robocalling Bill
The House Energy and Commerce Committee favorably reported the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (H.R. 3375), as amended, to the full House of Representatives by a vote of 48-0. Commenting on the action, Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) said: “Today, the American people are one step closer to reclaiming control of their phones from annoying and illegal robocalls.
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Topics:
U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee,
Stopping Bad Robocalls Act,
FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly,
US Virgin Islands 911 Fee Diversion
SPECTRUM NOW Act Introduced
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and U.S. Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Brett Guthrie (R-KY), announced the introduction of the “Supplementing the Pipeline for Efficient Control of The Resources for Users Making New Opportunities for Wireless (SPECTRUM NOW) Act”. This bill facilitates the speedy deployment of 5G by allowing government agencies to become more efficient and effective in their spectrum use and requiring key mid-band frequencies be made available for commercial wireless use.
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Topics:
IoT,
5G,
NIST,
Cubersecurity,
SPECTRUM Now Act
FCC Seeking Comment on EEO Enforcement
The FCC is seeking comment on how it can make improvements to its equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance and enforcement. The FCC has administered regulations governing the EEO responsibilities of broadcast licensees since 1969, and of cable television operators since 1972. Its EEO rules prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or sex (and for Multichannel Video Programming Distributors, or MVPDs, also age), and require broadcasters and MVPDs to provide equal employment opportunities.
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Topics:
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai,
broadcast licensees,
EEO Enforcement,
Ericsson 5G Factory
