The Regulatory Mix - Friday, January 24, 2020

FCC January Open Meeting

The FCC announced the final agenda for its January 30, 2020, Open Meeting. The agenda is as follows.

• Establishing the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund – A Report and Order that would adopt a two-phase reverse auction framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, committing $20.4 billion in high-cost universal service support to bring high-speed broadband service to millions of unserved Americans.
• Hearing Aid-Compatible Handset Rules –A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose to incorporate a new technical standard for determining whether a wireless handset is hearing aid-compatible and to simplify and update the FCC‘s hearing aid compatibility rules.
• At-Home Call Handling for Video Relay Service –A Report and Order that would adopt regulations on the handling of Video Relay Service, or VRS, calls by communications assistants working from their homes.
• Electronic Delivery of Notices to Broadcast Television Stations – A Report and Order that would modernize certain cable and satellite television provider notice provisions in Part 76 of the FCC’s Rules by requiring certain notices to be delivered to broadcasters by e-mail instead of on paper.
• Enforcement Bureau Action – The FCC will consider an enforcement action (no details provided.)

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The Regulatory Mix Today:  FCC January Open Meeting Final Agenda, Minnesota Broadband Funding

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Minnesota Announces Over $20 Million in Broadband Funding

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is awarding $23,270,933 in Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program funds to 30 broadband projects across the state. The projects will bring high-quality broadband access to underserved and unserved areas of Minnesota, providing fast, reliable internet access for more than 10,900 businesses, homes, and community anchor institutions.

“Fast, reliable broadband access is a critical economic development tool that improves quality of life and makes businesses in Greater Minnesota more competitive,” said Governor Walz. “These grants help us get closer to our goal to ensure that every Minnesotan has high-speed internet access by 2022.”

“You simply can’t participate in the innovation sector — or almost any sector of the economy today, for that matter — without high speed access to the internet,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “These grants help us reach that last mile of service in Minnesota and our goal to be a model state where you don’t have to move to a metro area to participate in the 21st century economy.”

5G Report

5G Action Now, a new advocacy organization established to fight for the rapid deployment of 5G technology in the United States, announced the results of a new poll surveying Americans’ attitudes towards 5G, the race against China to deploy 5G, and the economic impact 5G will have in America. The poll, which was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, surveyed 1200 registered voters across the country and found that nearly 80% of those surveyed are excited about what 5G can do for their lives and the American economy overall. Further, 84% of those polled believe that it is crucial that we win the race against China to deploy 5G.

According to 5G Action Now, key findings from the poll include:–

• 9 out of 10 Americans say that wireless technology has changed their lives in a positive way, and more than three-fourths say they expect to depend on it even more in the future.
• 74% of Americans believe Huawei should be removed from the U.S. after hearing they have technology installed across the country.
• 72% of Americans have at least heard of 5G technology, and when told a little about its capability, nearly 80% say they’re excited about it, with fully 2/3 saying it will have a significant impact on their lives, and nearly nine out of ten saying it will have a positive impact on the country’s economy.
• By an 84%-16% margin, Americans say it is important for the US to win the 5G race against China.
• By a similar 86%-14% margin, Americans believe that the US needs to set the rules for 5G development as soon as possible and then let the private sector get to work on implementing 5G.

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s 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 an Inteserra Briefing.