Today: Verizon 5G Trials, FCC ILEC accounting rules, FCC LTE-U Device, FCC Authority Proposal

Verizon 5G Trials 

Verizon announced customer trials of 5G technology in five U.S. cities set to begin in the second quarter, with pilots in 11 markets expected by the middle of the year.  Verizon noted trials in Ann Arbor, Mich., Atlanta, Ga., Bernardsville, N.J., Brockton, Mass., Dallas and Houston, Texas, Denver, Colo., Miami, Fla., Seattle, Wash., and Washington DC will all be live in the first half of this year, with launches coming courtesy of partnerships a mix of Verizon 5G Technology Forum partners, including Ericsson, Intel, Qualcomm, and Samsung.

FCC Elimination of ILEC accounting rules

At its February Open Meeting, the FCC voted to revise its Part 32, Uniform System of Account rules for ILECs.  The FCC eliminated the requirement that large carriers keep a separate set of regulatory accounting books in addition to their financial accounting books and reduced the extent of FCC-specific accounts that must be maintained by all ILECs.  The order provides price cap carriers with the option to elect generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, subject to certain conditions under its rules.  The conditions include provisions applicable specifically to pole attachments. 

FCC LTE-U Device Approval

The FCC authorized its first-ever LTE-U (LTE for unlicensed) devices in the 5 GHz band.  This action follows a collaborative industry process to ensure co-existence of LTE-U with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed devices operating in the 5 GHz band.  The newly certified LTE-U devices were tested to show they meet all of the FCC’s rules.  They were also evaluated successfully under the co-existence test plan.  However, this is not an FCC requirement and similar to conformity testing for private sector standards the co-existence test results are not included in the FCC’s equipment certification records.  In a blog posting about the authorization, the Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology said that “The circumstances in this instance were unique.  We remain committed to ensuring that all who seek to introduce new products and technologies may do so provided their devices comply with the FCC rules.” 

In a statement about the authorization, FCC Chairman Pai called it “a significant advance in wireless innovation and a big win for wireless consumers.”  Pai added that “I remain committed to ensuring a competitive and vibrant unlicensed ecosystem that fosters innovation and promotes the efficient use of spectrum.  Today’s announcement, enabled by cooperation among private actors and collaboration with the public sector, reflects that commitment.”

FCC Modified Delegated Authority Proposal

Commissioner Michael O’Rielly, who has long been concerned that the FCC delegates too many substantive decisions to Bureau staff, has issued a proposal to achieve better balance between the need to allow Commissioners to have greater say in the workings of the FCC and preventing process abuses and unnecessary delays.  The main components are as follows:

• Advanced Warning – Except for the most routine matters, Commissioners should be provided no less than 48 hours to review an item that is to be decided by Bureau staff under delegated authority.
• Request by Two or More Commissioners –The threshold to bring an item up to the floor for a vote should be set at two Commissioners. 
• Time Constraint –Any item that is removed from delegated authority under these procedures must be voted by the full Commission within seven calendar days or five business days.  This should ensure that items previously set for delegated authority, but then subsequently elevated, will be addressed quickly.
• Automatic Approval if Delayed –In those instances when a requesting office does not vote by the deadline, the item would be – at the Chairman’s prerogative – either released as approved by the full Commission (assuming the other offices voted to approve) or sent back to the Bureau for immediate issuance on delegated authority.

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The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Briefing.

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