FCC July Open Meeting Agenda

FCC Chairman Pai announced  the tentative Agenda for the FCC’s July 10, 2019, Open Meeting.  The FCC will consider the following items:

• Transforming the 2.5 GHz Band for 5G: A Report and Order that would allow for more efficient and effective use of 2.5 GHz spectrum by increasing flexibility for existing Educational Broadband Service licensees and providing new opportunities for rural Tribal Nations and other entities to access unused portions of the band.
• Procedures for 5G Incentive Auction: A Public Notice that would establish application and bidding procedures for Auction 103, the incentive auction of Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service licenses in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands.
• Promoting Access to Connected Care Services: A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose a Connected Care Pilot providing Universal Service Fund support to health care providers to defray the costs of broadband service to enable low income patients and veterans to access telehealth services.
• Improving Competitive Broadband Access to Multiple Tenant Environments: A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Declaratory Ruling that would take steps to promote facilities-based broadband deployment and competition in apartments, condominiums, office buildings, and other multiple tenant environments.
• Removing Unnecessary Regulation of Transport Services and Facilities: A Report and Order on Remand that would grant price cap carriers relief from ex ante pricing regulation of their lower speed Time Division Multiplexing transport business data services nationwide; and a Memorandum Opinion and Order that would partially grant USTelecom’s request for forbearance from DS1 and DS3 transport unbundling obligations for price cap carriers.

The FCC will also consider three media items dealing with Children’s Television Programming, Electronic Delivery of Carriage Election Notices, and Electronic Delivery of Notices to Broadcast Television Stations.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Regulatory Mix Today:  FCC July Open Meeting Agenda, House Announces Bipartisan Robocalling Bill

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

House Announces Bipartisan Robocalling Bill

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) announced agreement on a bipartisan version of the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act in the House of Representatives to stop abusive robocall practices.

The bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act:

• Requires that phone carriers implement call authentication technology so consumers can trust their caller ID again, with no additional line-item for consumers, and includes a process to help rural carriers implement this technology.
• Allows carriers to offer call blocking services to consumers with no additional line charge on an opt-out basis with important transparency safeguards to make sure important calls aren’t inadvertently blocked.
• Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue rules to protect consumers from calls they didn’t agree to receive and to ensure consumers can withdraw consent.
• Requires the FCC to enact safeguards so companies can’t abuse robocall exemptions.
• Ensures the FCC has the authority and the tools to take strong, quick action when it tracks down robocallers, including by extending the statute of limitations from one year to three, and in some instances four, years for callers violating robocall prohibitions.
• Mandates the FCC to submit a report to Congress on the implementation of its reassigned numbers database to make sure the Commission is effectively protecting consumers from unwanted calls.

“Americans deserve to be free of the daily danger and harassment of robocalls,” Pallone and Walden said.  “It’s time we end the robocall epidemic and restore trust back into our phone system.  We’re pleased to announce we’ve reached a deal on comprehensive bipartisan legislation to stop illegal robocalls.”  

“The bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act offers consumers a way out by ensuring that every call they get is verified,” Pallone and Walden continued.  “Americans should be able to block robocalls in a consistent and transparent way without being charged extra for it.  Our legislation also gives the FCC and law enforcement the authority to enforce the law and quickly go after scammers.  We look forward to moving this bill through the Communications and Technology Subcommittee next week.”

____________________________

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.