FCC’s Rosenworcel Celebrates First Anniversary of Her Podcast

FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel announced the release of a podcast episode celebrating the inaugural year of her Broadband Connections podcast series.  The podcast is dedicated to amplifying the voices of women from across the technology, innovation, and media sectors. Since launching the podcast one year ago, listeners have heard conversations about everything from ethical artificial intelligence to net neutrality to teaching girls to code and digital equity. Guests have included Senators, Congresswomen, teachers, coders, policymakers, advocates, and public servants—even an astronaut.  Rosenworcel said: “When we started Broadband Conversations, we set out to highlight women who were doing amazing work in technology and shaping the future of digital life. Our inaugural year featured discussions with an extraordinary group of women getting people connected in more places, building big things, and pushing policy forward. I’m so proud of that during our first year we’ve been able to shine a light on the work they do and I can’t wait for listeners to hear what we’ve got in store for year two.”

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The Regulatory Mix Today: FCC's Rosenworcel Celebrates First Anniversary of Her Podcast, FCC Petition for Declaratory Ruling on OTARD Zoning Decision, FCC Innovation Zones

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FCC Petition for Declaratory Ruling on OTARD Zoning Decision

The FCC is seeking comment on a Petition for Declaratory Ruling filed by Rodecker Slater, LLC and Wisp.net, a wireless internet service provider, seeking a determination that the city of Fountain Valley, California’s denial of a zoning permit is preempted by the FCC’s Over the-Air Reception Devices Rule.  That rule addresses governmental and non-governmental restrictions on installation, maintenance, or use of antennas that receive television broadcast signals; satellite dish antennas one meter or less in diameter that receive or transmit video, data, or other programming; and antennas one meter or less in diagonal measurement that receive or transmit video, data, other programming via multipoint distribution services, or fixed wireless service. The petitioners state that Fountain Valley denied a conditional use permit with variance for “several point-to-multipoint radio devices” attached to a 40-foot rooftop antenna, used to provide fixed wireless internet access service. Comments are due October 18, 1019; replies are due November 4, 2019.

FCC Innovation Zones

The FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) announced  the creation of Innovation Zones for Program Experimental Licenses in designated portions of New York City and Salt Lake City.  These are the first Innovation Zones established under the FCC’s experimental license rules and will provide opportunities for qualified licensees to test new advanced technologies and prototype networks – such as those that can support 5G technologies – outside a traditional small campus or laboratory setting. 

The New York City Innovation Zone will encompass just under a tenth of a square mile in Manhattan bounded by W 123rd Street on the south, Amsterdam Avenue to the east, W 134th Street to the north and Broadway to the west.  The Salt Lake City Innovation Zone will encompass approximately 4 square miles over three connected areas providing options for testing over a campus (University of Utah), within a downtown area and within a corridor connecting the two.  Both the New York City and Salt Lake City Innovation Zones are established for a period of five years. The term may be renewed upon request at the end of the term.

The Innovation Zones are based on a detailed proposal from the Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) program that will enable experimental exploration of “robust new wireless devices, communication techniques, networks, systems, and services that will revolutionize the nation's wireless ecosystem, thereby enhancing broadband connectivity, leveraging the emerging Internet of Things (IoT), and sustaining US leadership and economic competitiveness for decades to come.” The program for new technology experimentation is funded by the National Science Foundation along with a consortium consisting of thirty technology and telecommunications companies.

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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.

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