Today:  FCC Seeks Comment on E-Rate Budgets, FCC Modernizes Cable Rules, California Reminder of New 805 Area Code

FCC Seeks Comment On E-Rate Budgets

The FCC is asking for comment on the sufficiency of the E-rate program’s category two budgets, which support schools’ and libraries’ Wi-Fi networks.  The school budgets are based on the number of students and the library budgets are based on square footage.   The FCC is seeking comment from applicants, service providers, and other interested parties about how applicants have used their budgets and the percentage of category two services purchased by applicants that were or will be covered by the budget.  The FCC will also analyze FCC Form 471 data, but to the extent that relevant information exists that is not captured effectively in this collection, such as the impact on schools with a low student count serving students with special education services, the FCC welcomes additional data and analysis.  Commenters are asked to provide specific, measurable data, including data that shows the category two services purchased with and without E-rate support.  Comments are due October. 23, 2017 and reply comments are due November 7, 2017.

FCC Modernizes Cable Rules

The FCC released a Report and Order that modernizes the signal leakage and signal quality rules that apply to cable operators to reflect the cable industry’s transition from analog to digital systems.  Among other things, the Order (1) adopts the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers standard number 40 as the new performance benchmark for digital cable systems; (2) removes unnecessary digital signal quality certification and testing requirements; and (3) adopts new rules and testing procedures to detect and limit cable signal leakage in digital cable systems.  The Order also dismisses petitions for exemption from, or waiver of, the analog proof-of-performance rules because they are rendered moot by the adoption of the new performance benchmark for digital cable systems.  This item had been on the FCC’s September 26, 2017, Open Meeting agenda but was pulled from the agenda after it was adopted on circulation.

 California Reminder of New 805 Area Code

The PUC reminded residential and business customers served by the 805 area code to prepare for the introduction of the new 820 area code.  The 820 area code will be added as an overlay to the 805 region.  Beginning December 1, 2017, customers may dial “1” plus the three-digit area code for all calls from telephone numbers with the 805 and 820 area codes.  The 1+10-digit dialing procedure will become mandatory for all residential and business customers on June 2, 2018.  Beginning June 30, 2018, consumers requesting new or additional telephone numbers for services may be assigned telephone numbers with either the new 820 area code or the original 805 area code, depending on available telephone number inventory.

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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.