FCC Agenda For April Open Meeting

• 5G Incentive Auction Public Notice:  A Public Notice seeking comment on procedures for the incentive auction of Upper Microwave Flexible Use Licenses in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz Bands (Auction 103) for Next Generation Wireless Services.
• 37 GHz & 50 GHz Spectrum Band Rules:  A Report and Order that would allow Fixed-Satellite Service earth stations to be individually licensed to transmit in the 50 GHz band and would establish a process for the Department of Defense to operate on a shared basis in the Upper 37 GHz band in limited circumstances.
• Fixed Wireless Infrastructure Rules:  A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to modernize the Commission’s rule for over-the-air-reception devices (OTARD) to facilitate the deployment of modern fixed wireless infrastructure.
• Channel Lineup Requirements:  A Report and Order that would eliminate the requirement that cable operators maintain a channel lineup at their local office and would eliminate the requirement that certain cable operators make their channel lineup available via their online public inspection file.
• USTelecom Partial Forbearance:  A Memorandum Opinion and Order that would grant forbearance to Bell Operating Companies and independent incumbent carriers from certain unnecessary and outdated structural and nondiscrimination requirements.
• Rural Phone Rates:  A Report and Order that would eliminate the high-cost program’s rate floor rule and end the federal mandate that raises the telephone rates paid by many rural Americans.

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The Regulatory Mix Today:  FCC Agenda For April Open Meeting, FCC Report on leases October 3, 2018 Nationwide WEA and EAS Test

FCC Report on leases October 3, 2018 Nationwide WEA and EAS Test

The FCC has released a report with the result a nationwide test of both Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS).  The purpose of the test was to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the nation’s alert and warning infrastructure, or the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), as well as the efficacy of WEA and the EAS as  nationwide alerting tools.

The nationwide test demonstrated that WEA is an effective alerting tool to rapidly disseminate emergency information to the public.  Most people reported successful receipt of the WEA test message, with several news reports noting the success of the nationwide test to reach the public.  The test also highlighted areas where WEA delivery can be improved, such as ensuring more consistent delivery, reducing duplicate messages, and resolving issues concerning alert message audio tone and vibration cadence.

With respect to EAS, the nationwide test also demonstrated that IPAWS continues to deliver high-quality, effective, and accessible EAS alerts, and that EAS Participants’ results are comparable to 2017 performance levels, with continued improvement in several areas. Specifically:

• A majority (58.7%) received the test alert first via IPAWS, as compared to 41.9% in 2017; 
• A similar rate of both successfully receiving and retransmitting the test alert (95.7% receipt, as compared to 95.8% in 2017; 92.1% retransmission, as compared to 91.9% in 2017);
• An increase in receiving and retransmitting the test alert in both English and Spanish (rates up from 2017 by 388% for receiving the alert and by 350% for retransmitting the alert);
• A decline in audio issues reported as an explanation for complications in receipt and retransmission (down to 68 explanations, from 1056 explanations provided in 2017); and
• Slightly higher rates of configuring their equipment to monitor IPAWS (96.8%, as compared to 96.7% in 2017).

The report also includes recommended next steps that can be taken to improve WEA and EAS as a reliable alerting tool to protect all Americans.

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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.