Today's Regulatory Mix: FCC Provides 24/7 Emergency Contact Information for States Impacted by Winter Storm URI, FCC Proposes Rules to Address 911 Fee Diversion, Pennsylvania Mandatory 10-Digit Dialing in 814 Area Code

FCC Provides 24/7 Emergency Contact Information for States Impacted by Winter Storm URI 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a public notice announcing that the Commission will be available to address emergency communications needs twenty-four hours a day, including throughout the weekend, especially relating to the effects of Winter Storm Uri. 

The FCC reminds emergency communications providers, including broadcasters, cable service providers, wireless and wireline service providers, satellite service providers, emergency response managers and first responders, and others needing assistance to initiate, resume, or maintain communications operations to contact the FCC Operations Center by phone at 202-418-1122 or by e-mail at FCCOPS@fcc.gov. 

FCC Proposes Rules to Address 911 Fee Diversion 

The Federal Communications Commission today proposed rules to address 911 fee diversion—the practice by some states and jurisdictions of using the 911 fees that consumers pay on their phone bills for non-911 purposes. The Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020, enacted last December, directs the Commission to adopt rules that define what uses of 911 fees by states and jurisdictions constitute fee diversion. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted today seeks comment on proposals to implement these provisions in the new legislation. The proposed rules would:  

• define the types of 911 fee expenditures by states and jurisdictions that are acceptable under the criterial in the new legislation; 
• allow states and jurisdictions to petition the Commission for a determination that a 911 fee expenditure not previously designated as acceptable by the Commission could be treated as acceptable;  
• prohibit any state or jurisdiction identified by the Commission as a fee diverter from serving on any advisory committee established by the Commission; and  
• require any state or jurisdiction that receives a federal 911 grant to provide the Commission with the information it requires to prepare its annual 911 fee report to Congress. 

Pennsylvania Mandatory 10-Digit Dialing in 814 Area Code

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) issued a press release encouraging residents and businesses in the current 814 area code, which covers all or parts of 27 counties across Central and Northwestern Pennsylvania, to prepare for the start of mandatory 10-digit dialing for all telephone calls, which will begin on Saturday, April 3, 2021.

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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.