Today:  US Congress FCC Re-Authorization, Florida Enacts Telephone Solicitation Bill, Pennsylvania Governor Announces a New Broadband Expansion Incentive Program    

US Congress FCC Re-Authorization

The House of Representatives passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act Of 2018 which incorporates a number of House Energy and Commerce Committee priorities, including the provisions of its FCC reauthorization/wireless deployment bill.  See the Regulatory Mix dated 3/2/18 and 3/9/18.  The FCC portion of the omnibus bill would:

Reauthorize the FCC for the first time since 1990, and adopt reforms to ensure the FCC continues to improve its efficiency and transparency, while also making improvements to services for rural residents, veterans, Native Americans, and public safety.

• Facilitate future spectrum auctions by including a spectrum auction deposit "fix" which allows the FCC to deposit upfront payments from spectrum bidders directly with the U.S. Treasury, enabling future auctions to take place.
• Enact key provisions from the Senate-approved MOBILE NOW Act (S. 19) to boost the development of next-generation 5G wireless broadband by identifying more spectrum - both licensed and unlicensed - for private sector use and reducing the red tape associated with building wireless networks.
• Authorize a repack fund to address the shortfall in funding available to relocate broadcasters being displaced following the successful Incentive Auction, and set up new relocation funds for translators, low-power television, and radio stations that will be impacted by the repack - supplemented by a consumer education fund. The new relocation funds will be allocated over two years and includes $600 million for the first year and $400 million for the second.
• Help expand broadband internet by streamlining the regulatory and permit process for broadband infrastructure deployment.

The bill also appropriates $7.5 million to NTIA to coordinate broadband mapping across the Federal government and reconstitutes mapping coordination at NTIA.

Florida Enacts Telephone Solicitation Bill

Florida's Governor signed SB 568 on March 21, 2018.  Among other things, the bill:

• revises the definition of the term “telephonic sales call” to include voicemail transmissions;
• prohibits the transmission of voicemails to persons who communicate to a telephone solicitor that they would not like to voicemail solicitations and;
• requires a solicitor to ensure if a telephone number is available through a caller ID system, that telephone number must be capable of receiving calls and must connect the original call recipient to the solicitor. 

Looking for more information on pending legislation in other states? Email Inteserra for details about how we can help you track what is important to you!  info@intesterra.com or cgarone@inteserra.com  

Pennsylvania Governor Has Announced a New Broadband Expansion Incentive Program

The Governor of Pennsylvania has announced the state’s initiative to expand broadband access to rural areas.  The inventive program will offer up to $35 million to private providers bidding on service areas within Pennsylvania in the FCC’s CAF-II auction.  The program is available to all service providers interested in the CAF II Auction.   Any provider who wishes to participate will be subject to state guidelines and requirements that will ensure that service is delivered by June 30, 2022 and broadband speeds meet or exceed 100 Mbps, while encouraging the delivery of gigabit service.  The Governor’s administration hopes to expand broadband internet to every part of Pennsylvania by the end of 2022.  The initiative will be spearhead by a newly created Pennsylvania Office of Broadband Initiatives.

____________________________

 The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’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 an Inteserra Briefing.