Carriers Win Some, Lose Some on Proposed Revised Z-Axis Rules

Carriers won on a few points in the z-axis order. CTIA and national carriers had asked for the handset option (see 2006220053). No comments opposed that, the draft says: “Because a handset-based technology would be expected to be available nationwide, it would implicitly be available to 80% of the population of a [cellular market area] and thus meet our deployment metrics.”

The FCC also said it’s deferring on new requirements, including that carriers provide floor-level data for calls. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel dissented when the rules were before commissioners in November because they didn’t require floor-level data and APCO repeatedly raised concerns (see 1911220034). “Further work is needed to develop improved location technology that can achieve these capabilities and adopting a timetable for such requirements at this stage would be premature,” the draft notes.

But the national carriers lost on a push for revised deadlines in exchange for covering markets. The agency supports deployment beyond the top 50 markets but not “any deployment option that delays or diminishes the Commission’s vertical location accuracy rules,” the draft says. The FCC also rejected carrier concerns on whether handsets will be able to handle new location software. “The record indicates that barometric sensor-based solutions, such as those offered by Polaris and NextNav, can be made widely available to consumers,” the draft says: “Although these solutions will only work with handsets equipped with barometric sensors, we have previously noted that most smartphones in the market are so equipped.”

The draft declines to mandate rules on providing a “dispatchable location” for callers, which had been a focus under then-Chairman Tom Wheeler (see 1501290066). The FCC agrees with carriers that “such particularized requirements that go beyond what is technically feasible and cost effective are not warranted given that development of dispatchable location solutions is still in early stages,” the draft says.

The Public Safety Bureau said it will treat as confidential the results of tests of Google handset-based technology in an industry testbed. CTIA sought confidential treatment. “Google voluntarily tested its technology in the independent test bed, but the testing was not for purposes of validating the technology’s compliance with the Commission’s accuracy requirements,” the bureau said in docket 07-114: “Because the Stage Za Report was submitted to the Commission voluntarily under our rules and not to the test bed for compliance with the validation requirement, it is not required to be submitted into the record.”

Broadband Maps

A draft order and Further NPRM on digital data collection covers mobile, wireline, fixed-wireless and satellite broadband. Providers would be required to file broadband data twice a year. As the FCC targets closing the digital divide it needs “more granular, precise maps that will allow it to target support to Americans living in those areas where some, but not all, have access,” the draft says.

The mobile section requires carriers to use “propagation modeling to generate and to submit maps showing their 4G LTE coverage” and coverage maps for 3G networks and 5G networks. While comments “support consistent parameters in the context of 4G LTE, we conclude that certain uniform minimum parameter values are equally important for demonstrating 3G and 5G,” the draft says.

The regulator notes it imposes requirements beyond those in the Broadband Data Act on reporting infrastructure. “Adopting an annual reporting requirement, unlike a requirement to submit infrastructure data upon Commission request, will best achieve our purpose of collecting the data necessary to systematically verify the accuracy of provider coverage propagation models and maps,” the draft says. Some carriers raised concerns about the cost of reporting such data, the FCC said. “The benefits … outweigh the likely costs service providers will incur in collecting and submitting these data on an annual basis.”

The FNPRM would seek comment on “additional processes for verifying broadband availability,” a process for consumers to challenge maps and on whether reporting requirements should apply only facilities-based providers, among other issues.

The supply chain security declaratory ruling in docket 18-89 says last November’s supply chain rules (see 1911220033) satisfy provisions in the March Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act. “The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated as never before the importance” of communications networks “for employment and economic opportunity, education, health care, social and civic engagement, and staying connected with family and friends,” the draft says: “It is therefore imperative that we safeguard this critical infrastructure from potential security threats.”

An FNPRM would raise a battery of questions on implementing the act, including on developing a list of covered communications equipment and services.

Hotline

The FCC's 988 draft order doesn't include any texting requirements, with the agency calling it "premature" to include requirements since Lifeline lacks an integrated text service. The draft order said carriers argued they need more time than two years to implement 988 (for example, see 2006230022).

The agency said the July 2022 deadline is "sufficient time ... but no more time than necessary" to implement 10-digit dialing in 87 area codes and make needed changes to carriers' switches. Noting past 10-digit dialing when implementing a new area code over an existing one, the FCC said it expects carriers to be able to speed that process "because of the economies of scale and lessons learned from implementing across numerous areas at once ... extensive industry experience in implementing such transitions, and elimination of the work typically needed to implement a new area code when implementing 10-digit dialing."

Replacing legacy carriers' legacy switches to accommodate 988 "poses significant challenges," but carriers' "oft-repeated statements on progress" in transitioning legacy networks means July 2022 should give them enough time, it said.

The leased access draft​​​​​​​ order said the agency asked input on the constitutionality of its full-time leased access rules, but there was no consensus, and the FCC opted not to act on the full-time rules or other carriage-related cable requirements. The commission ended its part-time leased access rules last year on First Amendment grounds (see 1906180037). The draft order would set up a tier-based leased access rate calculation and says the average implicit fee will be calculated annually based on contracts in effect in the previous calendar year.

Robocalls

Commissioners will consider additional rules to help prevent robocalls. An order for docket 17-59 is on advanced methods to target and eliminate unlawful robocalls.

Voice service providers that use reasonable analytics to block calls and take into account information from the secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) call authentication framework would have safe harbor from liability, the draft order says. It proposes an FNPRM to seek comment on how the FCC can act to further implement the Traced Act. It proposes requiring terminating voice service providers that block calls to provide a list of those calls to customers on request at no charge.

Commissioners will also vote on a public safety docket 20-187 NPRM to authorize priority treatment of voice, data and video services for public safety personnel and first responders. NTIA sought the updates (see 1907170042). New rules would eliminate outdated regulations that could slow the use of IP-based technologies, the FCC said.

The public safety NPRM addresses wireless priority service and telecom service priority rules. "The Commission’s TSP rules have not been substantively updated since they were initially adopted in 1988," the draft says. "The current rules do not account for the wide array of innovative service offerings" available to safety personnel. It proposes keeping a requirement that common carriers must offer prioritized restoration and provisioning of circuit-switched voice communication services. The NPRM will ask whether service providers that choose to offer prioritized provisioning and restoration of data, video and IP-based voice service should have to comply with TSP rules or if they should operate via contractual arrangements.

The agency proposes to update its WPS Priority Level 1 description "to clarify that it exceeds all other priority services offered by WPS providers." It will seek comment on how the different priority levels used by various priority services programs should interrelate for network management purposes, it said.