Today: FCC Workshop On Environmental Compliance and Historic Preservation, FCC Communications Tower Safety Best Practices, Maryland Task Force for “Connecting Rural Maryland Act of 2017”
FCC Workshop On Environmental Compliance and Historic Preservation
The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau announced it will host its annual educational workshop on the environmental compliance and historic preservation review process required for the construction of wireless communications facilities on June 7, 2017, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM EDT. The session will include information relevant to the construction of all new communications towers and to the collocation of communications equipment on towers and other structures. Topics include various issues under the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the FCC’s implementing regulations and agreements. Preregistration is encouraged for both in-person and webcast (http://www.fcc.gov) attendance.
FCC Communications Tower Safety Best Practices
The FCC and the Occupational Safety And Health Administration (OSHA) released a Communications Tower Best Practices Guide. The document is a collection of the best practices gathered from joint FCC/OSHA workshops and from the discussions that continued beyond those events. The best practices are focused on the ways in which each level in the contracting chain can build a positive culture of safety and accountability. Among other things, the guide recommends that all entities establish a comprehensive safety and health program addressing all of the hazards associated with communication tower work and ensure that their safety and health programs are compatible with the safety requirements imposed by other companies in the contract chain. It describes the core elements of a comprehensive safety and health program as well as best contracting practices. Other topics include tower climbers and ground crew employees, carriers and tower owners, turfing vendors, and tower construction and maintenance contactors.
In a Joint Statement, the FCC and OSHA said, in part: “The guide is a result of the long-standing commitment of both agencies to ensuring the safety of tower workers. In the spirit of good government and cooperation, our agencies have hosted workshops with input from industry stakeholders to identify and establish accepted practices for performing communication towers work safely. The guide is an important step to reduce the tragic number of fatalities involved in communications tower work. We thank the staffs of both agencies for their work and look forward to our continued partnership as we continue to meet the demand for mobile broadband.”
Maryland Task Force for “Connecting Rural Maryland Act of 2017”
The Connecting Rural Maryland Act of 2017 establishes a Task Force of Rural Internet, Broadband, Wireless, and Cellular Service. The Task Force will:
- assess current Internet, Broadband, wireless, cellular, and landline service connectivity;
- assess coverage for the users located at the end of the Internet, Broadband, wireless, cellular, and landline service connectivity;
- evaluate redundancies and gaps in the current Internet, Broadband, wireless, cellular, and landline service connectivity; and
- evaluate any federal funds applied for in response to any previous Broadband task force in the State.
The Task Force must report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before November 30, 2017.
June 1 - the first day of Hurricane Season
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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.
