Today:  FCC May Open Meeting Agenda, FCC Webinar on Mobility Fund Phase II, FCC Commissioner Carr on the "Next Steps on the Path to 5G" 

FCC May Open Meeting Tentative Agenda

The FCC announced the tentative agenda for its May 10, 2018, Open Meeting.  The following items are on the tentative agenda:

• Transforming the 2.5 GHz Band –A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would allow more efficient and effective use of 2.5 GHz spectrum by increasing flexibility for existing Educational Broadband Service (EBS) licensees and providing new opportunities for educational entities, rural Tribal Nations, and commercial entities to access unused portions of the band.
• FM Translator Interference Rules –A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which proposes to streamline the rules relating to interference caused by FM translators and expedite the translator complaint resolution process.
• Broadcast License Posting Rules – A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on whether to streamline or eliminate certain rules which require the physical posting and maintenance of broadcast licenses and related information in specific locations.

The FCC will also consider an enforcement bureau action and hearing designation order for which no details were made public.

FCC Webinar on Mobility Fund Phase II

The FCC announced it will hold a webinar on May 3, 2018, on the process for challenging the identification of areas initially deemed ineligible for universal service funding through the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) reverse auction.  The free webinar will focus on the issues that affect state and local government offices and agencies and will explain the MF-II reverse auction, how to determine if a particularly locality has been identified as initially deemed ineligible for support, and how to challenge that determination and seek inclusion of the locality among the areas identified as eligible for support.

FCC Commissioner Carr on the “Next Steps on the Path to 5G”

In a recent speech at CTIA’S Race to 5G Summit, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who is leading the FCC’s efforts in its wireless infrastructure proceeding, discussed the steps the FCC is taking, and planning to take, to ensure the U.S. wins the race to 5G.  He discussed the FCC’s recent order exempting small cells from certain federal historic and environmental reviews and streamlining the reviews that remain for larger towers. Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 4/19/18.  He also previewed the next states the FCC will take to streamline the state and local review process.  Carr listed three things the FCC is currently discussing, including state and local fees for managing rights of way and providing access to public infrastructure, shot clocks for local review of small cells facilities, and parity between the treatment of wireless infrastructure and other uses of rights-of-way.

____________________________

The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’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 an Inteserra Briefing.