THE REGULATORY MIX AND BLOG ARTICLES

FCC December Open Meeting 

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has announced the tentative agenda for the FCC’s December 12, 2019, Open Meeting.  It includes the following items: 

• VoIP Symmetry – An Order on Remand and Declaratory Ruling that would promote continued investment in IP-based networks by clarifying that a local exchange carrier partnering with a VoIP provider may assess end office switched access charges only if the carrier or its VoIP partner provides a physical connection to the last-mile facilities used to serve the end user.

Court of Appeals Upholds Majority of FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order 

In its decision the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the majority of the FCC’s 2018 Restoring Internet Freedom order with two exceptions.  First, the Court concluded that the FCC’s preemption barring states from imposing more stringent rules or requirements should be vacated.

FCC Recommends Designating 988 as the Dialing Code for the Suicide Prevention Hotline

The FCC announced that its Staff sent a Report Congress which recommends that the FCC consider designating 988 as the 3-digit dialing code to be used for a nationwide suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.  The report, mandated by the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, finds that such a 3-digit number “would likely make it easier for Americans in crisis to access potentially life-saving resources.” 

FCC’s Pai on Implementing Caller ID Authentication

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai issued a statement in reaction to news that AT&T and T-Mobile are beginning to roll out the exchange of call authentication information between their two networks based on the SHAKEN/STIR framework.

New York to get $39.2 Million in Federal Funding

The FCC announced authorization of over $39.2 million in federal funding over the next decade to expand broadband to 15,442 unserved rural New York homes and businesses, in partnership with the state’s New NY Broadband Program.  Providers will begin receiving funding this month.

FCC Chairman Proposes New Rules Aimed to Ban Spoofed Texts and Foreign Robocalls

The FCC announced that Chairman Pai has proposed adoption of new rules banning malicious caller ID spoofing of text messages and international calls.  The Commission will vote on these new rules at its August 1, 2019 meeting.

FCC Seeking Comment on EEO Enforcement

The FCC is seeking comment on how it can make improvements to its equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance and enforcement.  The FCC has administered regulations  governing the EEO responsibilities of broadcast licensees since 1969, and of cable television operators since 1972.  Its EEO rules prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or sex (and for Multichannel Video Programming Distributors, or MVPDs, also age), and require broadcasters and MVPDs to provide equal employment opportunities.

FCC Authorizes Connect America Fund Phase II Auction Support for 856 Winning Bids

The FCC announced that it has authorized $166.8 million in funding to expand broadband over the next decade to unserved rural homes and businesses in 22 states, representing the second wave of support from last year’s successful Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction. Providers will begin receiving funding this month.

What will the FCC be tackling next?

Chairman Pai’s theme for the June 6, 2019 meeting is “Blocking and Tackling Robocalls.”  The centerpiece of the three-item agenda is a proposed declaratory ruling that, in the Chairman’s words, “would allow phone companies to implement strong call-blocking services as the default setting for their customers.”  Instead of being offered call blocking on an opt-in basis, carriers could “block calls unless you affirmatively opt-out.

Pai Robocall Meeting in Oklahoma

Chairman Pai announced that he met with Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter to discuss robocalls and the state and federal governments response to combatting them.  During his visit, Pai also met with Department of Corrections officials to tour a prison and talk about the tools the state prison system needs to combat contraband cellphones.  He also visited a 911 call center and made a stop at the East Central Electric Coop in Okmulgee to discuss rural broadband deployment initiatives and the $22.2 million the company is receiving as part of the FCC’s Connect America Fund.