State: FCC Acts on Twilight Towers, FCC to Review Rural Health Care Program, South Dakota and Wisconsin Opt-In to FirstNet Plan
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FCC Acts on Twilight Towers
As expected, the FCC voted to seek comment on a plan to exclude from routine historic preservation review the collocation of wireless communications equipment on certain towers known as Twilight Towers. The proposed plan would make existing infrastructure available for additional wireless deployments. Twilight Towers, which were constructed between March 16, 2001 and March 7, 2005, either were built without undergoing the historic preservation review required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, or lack documentation that such review was conducted. As a result, these towers are not eligible for collocations in the same way as towers that have documented Section 106 review and clearance or towers that were exempted under the pre-2001 standard. TMI Briefing Service subscribers, watch for a Briefing on this proposal.
FCC to Review Rural Health Care Program
The FCC also voted to review its Rural Health Care (RHC) Program to ensure that all communities have access to advanced telehealth services. The Order waives the RHC Program’s annual cap on a one-time basis for funding year (FY) 2017 to address the impact of the funding cap on RHC Program participants. The Notice of Proposed rulemaking portion of the Order seeks comment on increasing the RHC Program’s $400 million annual cap and creating a prioritization mechanism in the event of demand exceeding the cap, a process for evaluating outlier funding requests and reforming the calculation of urban and rural rates, and ways to more efficiently distribute RHC Program funds and combat waste, fraud and abuse.
South Dakota and Wisconsin Opt-In to FirstNet Plan
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has given approval for the establishment of the FirstNet Plan and a public safety broadband network that will provide the state’s first responders with advanced communication technologies. “We deal with our fair share of severe weather and natural disasters in South Dakota. Our first responders need to have access to communication technologies that work whenever and wherever needed,” Gov. Daugaard said. “FirstNet will create a single, interoperable system across our state to aid first responders in protecting citizens.”
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker also announced his decision to accept the FirstNet plan. “Clear and reliable communication is essential for first responders to do their jobs effectively,” said Governor Walker. “This new partnership provides crucial, secure, and robust broadband access to our first responders and public safety personnel to help them save lives when every second counts. I look forward to FirstNet and AT&T implementing their plan and its widespread positive effect in protecting Wisconsin’s communities.”
New Hampshire remains the lone state that has opted out of the FirstNet plan. The District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington have issued an RFP seeking an alternative RAN vendor without having their governors announce an “opt-in/opt-out” decision to date.
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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.
