The NARUC Telecom Committee unanimously agreed Monday to proposed resolutions on the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and extending FCC spectrum authority. It’s critical to keep RDOF awards in the location that won them even if the FCC rejected the winning bidder, said Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chair Gladys Brown Dutrieuille in an interview Sunday. The draft resolutions, passed at the state utility regulator association’s winter meeting, need NARUC board approval.
The Michigan State 911 Committee urged the FCC to require wireless providers to act on location-based routing of emergency calls. “Having some provide LBR while others do not, creates an expectation for callers that all wireless calls provide this information to 911 centers, and that 911 centers will be able to locate them when they are experiencing an emergency,” the committee posted Friday in docket 18-64: “Sadly, this is not the reality today.”
NARUC draft resolutions on FCC spectrum auction authority and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) got support from some industry and other groups ahead of this week’s state utilities regulators’ meeting in Washington, D.C. In an interview last week, Nebraska Public Service Commissioner Tim Schram (R) said it’s critical to use auction revenue to fully fund the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, which repays federally funded carriers required to “rip and replace” equipment from Chinese vendors that may pose a security risk.
House Communications Subcommittee leaders voiced optimism Wednesday that there will be bipartisan agreement soon on an updated version of the Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act, the refiled Secure Space Act (HR-675) and other satellite legislation, but indicated after a hearing the subpanel may wait until March to advance the measures. Witnesses praised the bills, as expected (see 2302070066), but noted the need for some tweaks. Also on the docket: the Leveraging American Understanding of Next-Generation Challenges Exploring Space Act (HR-682), draft Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act and draft Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act.
State commissioners may consider draft telecom resolutions on the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and the agency’s spectrum auction authority at NARUC’s Feb. 12-15 meeting. NARUC distributed drafts Tuesday. The RDOF resolution by Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille would address situations where the FCC rejected a bidder’s long-form application, as the agency did with SpaceX and LTD Broadband. The resolution would urge the FCC to make sure any proceeds won by the disqualified bidder for a specific area should remain in that jurisdiction. The draft notes “the underlying need for support … in those jurisdictions identified as eligible for the Auction 904 support will remain notwithstanding any final order of the FCC and the courts rejecting any bidder application.” The FCC should refer the matter to the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service to recommend procedures and requirements that would apply to RDOF support retained in those places, the draft said. Also, NARUC may consider a draft resolution by Nebraska Public Service Commissioner Tim Schram (R) that would urge Congress to extend the FCC’s auction authority beyond March. Divert some proceeds to state grants for next-generation 911 and the FCC’s “rip and replace” program that requires carriers receiving federal subsidies to remove equipment from Chinese vendors that may pose a security risk. Current 911 funding isn’t enough for NG-911 and some need more funding to start rip-and-replace projects, the draft notes.
The National Emergency Number Association said Friday it’s making available for 911 call center use four public service announcements to promote “the rewarding and meaningful jobs available in the emergency-communications field.” The PSAs “can be used in recruiting and hiring efforts to reach candidates and educate them about the benefits of a career in 9-1-1,” NENA said. “We want to attract the best and brightest individuals to our profession, and these videos highlight how our first responders make a huge difference in people’s lives,” said NENA CEO Brian Fontes.
Citing “serious flaws” in the rates database for the FCC’s rural healthcare telecom program, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday the agency is fixing the issue "for good" (see 2301230045). Commissioners during their open meeting adopted an order on reconsideration and NPRM on streamlining and improving the program's funding mechanism. Commissioners also denied several petitions for reconsideration as moot. Also approved 4-0 was an NPRM about extending 911-like outage reporting requirements to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Tennessee became the first state to integrate FirstNet with AT&T’s emergency services IP networks for all 911 call centers statewide, AT&T said Wednesday. “This is a major step forward for public safety as Tennessee leads the way to become the first state in the nation to implement full wireless backup through FirstNet … to all 9-1-1 call centers statewide,” the carrier said: “Wireless backup means that even during the toughest strains and worst-case scenarios, network connectivity will be available so that every Tennessean can know that 9-1-1 telecommunicators will answer their call.”
Comments are due Feb. 16, replies March 20, on an FCC NPRM on proposed rules to more precisely route wireless 911 calls and texts to public safety answering points through location-based routing, said a Tuesday Federal Register notice. Commissioners approved the NPRM in December (see 2212210047).
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wants improved ability to route calls and texts made to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to local call centers (see 2207150036), but mental health and emergency management stakeholders say more enhanced capabilities to know exactly where calls are being placed from could be complicated by a sizable policy split in the mental health community on privacy.