Today:   FCC Open Meeting Agenda, Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls, Solutions to Combat Contraband Wireless Device Use in Correctional Facilities, Video Relay Services, Parts 1 and 22 of the Commission’s Rules with Regard to the Cellular Service, Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Service, Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions, FCC Annual Access Charge Filings

FCC Open Meeting Agenda - March

The FCC announced the final agenda for its March 23, 2017, Open Meeting.  The items to be considered are as follows:

• Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls:  A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry that would enable voice service providers to better protect subscribers from illegal and fraudulent robocalls.
• Promoting Technological Solutions to Combat Contraband Wireless Device Use in Correctional Facilities: A Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would adopt rules to facilitate the deployment of technologies used to combat contraband wireless devices in correctional facilities, while seeking comment on additional proposals and solutions.
• Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program: A Report and Order, Notice of Inquiry, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order that would enhance service quality and propose a new provider compensation plan for video relay services.
• Amendment of Parts 1 and 22 of the Commission’s Rules with Regard to the Cellular Service: A Second Report and Order, Report and Order, and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would facilitate mobile broadband deployment, including LTE, promote greater spectrum efficiency, and reduce regulatory burdens and costs.
• Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Services: A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to (1) eliminate the Traffic and Revenue Reports and (2) streamline the Circuit Capacity Reports.
• Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions:   A Report and Order that would authorize channel sharing outside the context of the incentive auction and thus permit stations with auction-related channel sharing agreements to continue to operate if their auction related agreements expire or otherwise terminate.

The FCC will also receive an update from the Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau on the status of its continuing inquiry into the AT&T Mobility 911 outage that occurred on March 8, 2017, and consider consent agenda.

FCC Annual Access Charge Filings

The FCC established the filing procedures for the 2017 annual access charge tariffs and Tariff Review Plans (TRPs) filed by ILECs.  The Order (1) sets an effective date of July 1, 2017, for the July 2017 annual access charge tariff filings made on 15 days’ notice; (2) sets a modified effective date of July 3, 2017, for the July 2017 annual access charge tariff filings made on 7 days’ notice; (3) sets Mary 17, 2017, as the date for price cap ILECs to file short form TRPs; and (4) establishes the dates for filing petitions to suspend or reject a filing. 

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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.