Today: FCC Open Meeting for January, FCC Accomplishments Year One, U.S. House Hearing on Broadband Legislation 

FCC Open Meeting - January 2018

The FCC announced the final agenda for its January 30, 2018, Open Meeting.  The following items are on the agenda:

• False Emergency Alert Report: A preliminary report from the Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau on its investigation into the false emergency alert that occurred in Hawaii on January 13, 2018. 
• Connect America Fund Phase II Auction (Auction 903):  A Public Notice establishing procedures for the Connect America Fund Phase II auction, which will award up to $1.98 billion over 10 years to service providers that commit to offer voice and broadband services to fixed locations in unserved high-cost areas.
• Connect America Fund Phase II Reconsideration Order: An Order and Order on Reconsideration addressing the remaining issues raised by parties challenging the FCC’s orders implementing the Connect America Phase II auction (Auction 903).
• Wireless Emergency Alerts:  A Second Report and Order and Second Order on Reconsideration to enhance the effectiveness of Wireless Emergency Alerts, including improving the geographic accuracy of these alerts.
• Establishment of the Office of Economics and Analytics:  An Order to establish an Office of Economics and Analytics.

The FCC will also consider two broadcast items and an enforcement item.

FCC Accomplishments Year One

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released  a summary of the FCC’s accomplishments during his first full year as Chairman.  The document notes that his “number one priority is closing the digital divide and bringing the benefits of the Internet age to all Americans.”  The documents lists various actions taken by the FCC to bridge the digital divide, promote innovation and investment, protect consumers, enhance public safety, increase transparency and implement process reforms, and eliminate and modernize outdated regulations.  Items highlighted include work on the Connect America Fund Phase II auction, wireline and wireless infrastructure deployment proceedings, revisions to the Lifeline program, eliminating the net neutrality rules, freeing up additional spectrum, adopting robocalling rules and enforcing no-spoofing rules, and modernizing various cable related rules.

U.S. House Hearing on Broadband Legislation

House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), announced the subcommittee would hold a hearing on January 30, 2018, entitled, “Closing the Digital Divide: Broadband Infrastructure Solutions.”  The following bills will be discussed: 

• H.Res. 687, Expressing the sense of the House that Federal, State, and Local taxes, fees, regulations and permitting policies should be reconciled to maximize broadband investment 
• H.Res. 689, Expressing the sense of the House that any funding for wireless infrastructure deployment should be prioritized to states that have enacted streamlined siting for small cells
• H.Res. 690, Expressing the sense of the House that broadband funds may not be used where there is an existing broadband provider
• H.Res. 691, Expressing the sense of the House that broadband deployment should be competitively and technologically neutral
• H.Res. 701, Expressing the sense of the House that environmental and historic studies required for broadband deployment should be limited to the area impacted
• H.R. 2479, “Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America Act,”
• H.R. 3994, “ACCESS BROADBAND Act,”
• H.R. 4287, “Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act”,
• H.R. 4795, "Communications Facilities Deployment on Federal Property Act of 2018”
• H.R. 4798, “Inventory of Assets for Communications Facilities Act of 2018”
• H.R. 4802, "Streamlining and Expediting Approval for Communications Technologies Act ,”
• H.R. 4810, "Making Available Plans to Promote Investment in Next Generation Networks without Overbuilding and Waste (MAPPING NOW) Act,”
• H.R. 4813, "Wireless Internet Focus on Innovation in Spectrum Technology for Unlicensed Deployment (WIFI STUDY) Act,”
• H.R. 4814, “Community Broadband Act of 2018,”
• H.R. 4817, "Promoting Exchanges for Enhanced Routing of Information so Networks are Great (PEERING) Act,”
• H.R. 4832, “Restoring Economic Strength and Telecommunications Operations by Releasing Expected Dollars (RESTORED) Act,”
• H.R. 4845, “Connecting Communities Post Disasters Act,”
• H.R. 4842, “The Streamlining Permitting to Enable Efficient Deployment of Broadband Infrastructure,” 
• H.R. 4847, “Broadband Deployment Streamlining Act,”
• H.R. 4858, “CLIMB ONCE Act,” sponsored by Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA). 

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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.