The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of 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.

TELECOM

FCC

          Collocation Of Wireless Antennas

The FCC is seeking comment on a proposed Amended Nationwide Programmatic Agreement for the Collocation of Wireless Antennas  to address the review of deployments of small wireless antennas and associated equipment under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).  The amendments are intended to enable swift and responsible deployment of wireless broadband services – including deployments that will support next generation “5G” wireless service offerings – while maintaining the role that States and Tribal Nations play in reviewing projects with potentially significant effects.  Comments are due June 13, 2016.

          International Authorizations

The FCC is seeking comment on a letter from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) asking it to require applicants seeking international §214 authorizations (and transfers thereof), §310 rulings, submarine cable landing licenses, and satellite earth station authorizations  to: (1) provide information on ownership, network operations, and related matters as part of the applications; and (2) certify compliance with certain law enforcement assistance requirements.  For item (1), the NTIA Letter proposes that the FCC require the information from each applicant with reportable foreign ownership and, for item (2), the proposal would require all applicants to certify.  Comments are due May 23, 2016.  The FCC said the comments will help it draft a notice of proposed rulemaking addressing issues raised in the NTIA Letter “in the near future.”  The FCC said that there will be an additional opportunity to comment on proposals set out in the notice of proposed rulemaking.

          Connect2Health

The FCC released the tentative agenda for the Connect2Health Task Force’s May 18, 2016 conference in Houston, Texas to highlight how broadband-enabled health technologies can improve access to mental health care and to discuss associated policy issues.  The event is co-hosted by the University of Houston Law Center’s Health Law & Policy Institute.  The session, Broadband Prescriptions for Mental Health will explore how connected environments can be used to improve mental and behavioral health and will spotlight the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine’s efforts in this area.  Panel topics include: Care Challenges in Mental and Behavioral Health and Connected Solutions; Innovation in IoT, Big Data Analytics and Mental Health; and Policy Issues and Prescriptions in Broadband-Enabled Mental Health Care.  The conference will be webcast at www.FCC.gov/live