District of Columbia Council members voted 12-0 to confirm Heather McGaffin as the new director of the Office of Unified Communications. Tuesday’s vote means resolution 25-0115 will be deemed approved June 1 unless another resolution is introduced. The D.C. Council Judiciary and Public Safety Committee supported confirming the current OUC deputy director, at a meeting last week, while saying they want improvements at the 911 center, where recent audits found problems with incorrect addresses, miscommunication and dispatching delays (see 2305090073).

The FCC will take on next-gen 911, the 42 GHz band and robocalls and robotexts at its June 8 meeting, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced Wednesday. Rosenworcel notes many states and local governments are investing in NG911, which is expected to be more resilient than legacy networks. “Completing the NG911 transition will also require operating service providers to do their part to make sure emergency calls are formatted to be compatible with the new IP-based system,” she said: “To speed this transition, the Commission will vote on a proposal to ensure that service providers connect to new NG911 networks on a timely and compatible basis.” Comments were mixed last year on a National Association of State 911 Administrators' petition for a rulemaking or notice of inquiry to fully implement NG911 (see 2110190066 and 2201200043). The 42 GHz band has gotten limited attention in the past, including in a 2018 notice (see 1809110040). Rosenworcel proposes tests. “With ever-increasing demand for wireless services and a finite supply of airwaves, it’s more important than ever that we make sure spectrum is being used as efficiently as possible,” she said. The FCC will consider a proposal to test “several innovative, non-exclusive spectrum access models” in 500 MHz of greenfield spectrum in the band, “which is ideal for experimentation due to the lack of incumbent licensees,” she said. “In addition to developing a record on how best to support efficient, intensive use of these airwaves, this proposal specifically seeks solutions on ways to increase access to spectrum for smaller and emerging wireless operators,” Rosenworcel said. The third item is on unwanted robocalls and robotexts. “The Commission will consider a proposal to strengthen the ability of consumers to decide which … they wish to receive,” Rosenworcel said: “Specifically, it would make sure guidance on consumers’ rights to control consent to be contacted is more apparent and easily accessible. It would also propose to close loopholes that allow certain callers to make robocalls and robotexts without consent and without the ability for the consumer to opt out.” Commissioners will also consider a Media Bureau adjudicatory item.

Local emergency communications centers "are definitely in a crisis" on staffing, APCO President Angela Batey said at an APCO conference Tuesday. Average turnover for ECCs was 29% in 2018, which was up from previous APCO surveys, and it's likely worsened since then, Batey said. Increased demands for public safety services coupled with the low national unemployment rate are driving the problem, she said. Batey said there should be better retention and recruiting, plus streamlined hiring.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., threw a wrench in Senate prospects for quickly passing a new proposal from House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., to restore the FCC’s spectrum auction authority through June 30 (HR-3345) before the House Communications Subcommittee unanimously advanced it during a Wednesday markup session. The mandate expired in early March after Rounds objected to Senate leaders' bid to pass a House-cleared bill to extend the mandate through May 19 (HR-1108) by unanimous consent (see 2303090074). Rounds told us Tuesday he still won't allow UC passage of any bill to restore the FCC's remit unless it goes through Sept. 30 to give DOD time to complete a study of its systems on the 3.1-3.45 GHz band.

A proposed Texas House constitutional amendment on creating a state broadband fund will go to the Senate floor, but senators are making changes that would require House agreement. The Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously at a livestreamed hearing Monday on substitutes to HJR-125 and on an accompanying bill (HB-9) that passed the House by wide margins last month (see 2304270056). Substitute text wasn’t immediately available Monday. Sen. Robert Nichols (R) supported the bills but said he wants to work with sponsors on adding language to require a local matching requirement. “People treat money better when they have a little skin in the game,” said Nichols, saying even a 10% local match would help. AT&T supports the proposal to create a "comprehensive funding mechanism that takes a holistic approach,” David Tate, retired vice president-legal affairs, testified at the hearing. State funding now is important, with Texas not due to receive federal money until 2025 from NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, said Texas Cable Association President Walt Baum. But the Taxpayers Protection Alliance thinks making residents pay for a $5 billion fund is a “waste of money and fiscally irresponsible.” Texas 9-1-1 Alliance Chairman Chip VanSteenberg supports the bill including funding for next-generation 911. The existing 50-cent 911 surcharge on phone bills hasn’t kept up with rising costs, he said.

There are wireless/satellite schisms as the FCC tries to put together a framework for supplemental coverage from space (SCS) service. The divisions are over whether a preexisting arrangement with a terrestrial mobile operator should be a prerequisite, per docket 23-65 comments that were due Friday. The wireless industry is pushing for SCS applications to be handled by waivers, calling a rules regime premature. Multiple commenters called for streamlining the blanket earth station licensing framework. The SCS NPRM was adopted 4-0 in March (see 2303160009).

Companies face a complicated landscape in dealing with FCC outage reporting rules, speakers said during an FCBA webinar Monday. Last year, FCC commissioners approved rules to improve the delivery of outage information to public safety answering points, but speakers said that’s just part of what the FCC is doing on outage reporting (see 2211170051). More recently, the FCC has looked at 988 outage reporting obligations, the subject of a January NPRM (see 2301040056).

Oklahoma will open electrical utility easements to broadband networks by ISPs and electric companies. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB-1965 Thursday, two days after it passed the legislature (see 2305110016). The same day in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed SB-1418, which aims to support the state’s transition to next-generation 911 (see 2305030064). In Illinois, the Senate voted 56-0 Thursday to pass SB-851, which would require the state’s broadband advisory council to study expanding the Illinois Century Network to public schools, libraries and prisons.

CTIA explained its stance on an FCC proposal that carriers more precisely route wireless 911 calls and texts to public safety answering points through location-based routing (LBR), during a call with FCC Public Safety Bureau staff. Commissioners approved an NPRM in December (see 2212210047) and CTIA raised concerns in comments (see 2302170044). The "record confirms" that “the focus should be on promoting location-based capabilities for next generation text services, with wireless providers having the flexibility to implement LBR for text-to-911 in ways that are consistent with their unique network and handset configurations” and smaller carriers “should have more time to deploy LBR within their networks than proposed in the NPRM,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-64.

A District of Columbia Council committee supported confirming Heather McGaffin to direct the Office of Unified Communications. The Judiciary and Public Safety Committee voted 3-0, with Councilmember Christina Henderson (I) voting present, at a livestreamed meeting Tuesday. Committee members said the current OUC deputy director is well-qualified, but they want improvements at the 911 center, where recent audits found problems with incorrect addresses, miscommunication and dispatching delays (see 2303230070 and 2303150071). "OUC has struggled to provide reliable and quality service to residents for over a decade,” said Chairperson Brooke Pinto (D). “Reports of agency mismanagement and struggling performance have raised concerns with the public and create a somewhat strained relationship with” fire and police departments. The committee received more reports about overly long wait times calling 911 in the past few weeks, she added. OUC workers are "counting on the next director to act with urgency to provide staff with the training, support and structure that they need to be successful.” Councilmember Charles Allen (D) wants OUC to release “an actual action plan” with specific and “measurable steps” for implementing audit recommendations, he said. Also, Allen wants “a stronger and more proactive relationship with Council,” including monthly reports to the committee on call-taking and dispatching metrics, he said. Allen noted he remains concerned about problems including unanswered calls, blown addresses and lengthy hold and dispatch times. Councilmember Anita Bonds (D) joined Pinto and Allen in voting yes. A comprehensive plan is “sorely needed,” said Bonds, noting frequent concerns from constituents about dispatches to incorrect addresses. McGaffin has a “bold vision,” but Henderson said she voted present because she’s still waiting for sooner after-action reports and more comprehensive updates about investigations and specific incidents. Henderson said she wants that addressed before the full D.C. Council votes on confirmation. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) nominated McGaffin in February.