The FCC's August meeting will have a vote on establishing an outreach grant for the affordable connectivity program and allowing geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite service downlinks in the 17.3-17.8 GHz band, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel blogged Thursday. Also on the agenda are consideration of a one-year pilot program, -- Your Home, Your Internet -- which aims to boost enrollment among households receiving federal housing assistance, and the possible launch of an inquiry into in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing, plus an Enforcement Bureau item and a Media Bureau adjudication, she said. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gave the FCC authority to allocate ACP funding for outreach, a change from the emergency broadband benefit program that many advocacy groups sought. The FCC sought comment on how it should establish the grant program earlier this year. Many groups sought flexibility in eligibility and how awards would be made (see 2206130052). “We’re making sure people know about affordable ways to get connected," Rosenworcel said. The FCC unanimously approved an NPRM on GSO downlinks in the 17 GHz band (see 2011180043) in 2020, though wireless interests raised concerns about proposed co-primary operations in the band (see 2103040041). Rosenworcel said the item would also seek comment on opening this opportunity to more satellites. People receiving federal housing assistance too often "find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide," she said, and the Your Home, Your Internet pilot “offers a unique opportunity to help them get online.” Commissioner Geoffrey Starks led the initiative to establish the pilot.

U.S. internet service costs in June were up 2.6% year over year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index unadjusted data released Wednesday. It said residential phone service costs increased 4% year over year, but wireless service was down 0.9%. Cable and satellite TV service costs were flat. BLS said June prices overall were up 9.1% year over year before seasonal adjustment.

OneWeb's study showing 5G incompatibility with non-geostationary orbit satellite operations in the 12 GHz band (see 2207120058) "is another in-house, non-independent effort to discredit the scientifically proven feasibility of coexistence in the 12 GHz band," the 12GHzfor5G Coalition emailed Tuesday. It said the FCC made it clear that any NGSO fixed satellite service using the band is doing so at its own risk and there shouldn't be an expectation of exclusivity there. The coalition said it "remains committed to working with the FCC and stakeholders to reach a win-win solution [and] will continue to pursue the facts that prove coexistence is possible in the band and advance the public interest."

The FCC unanimously approved an item updating low-power TV rules Wednesday and deleted it from Thursday’s meeting agenda, according to a deletion notice. The order eliminates or updates references to analog Part 74 rules that became outdated with the LPTV digital transition. "We eliminate in their entirety rules that provide for analog-to-analog and analog-to-digital interference protection requirements and other analog operating requirements," the order said. An accompanying NPRM seeks comment on other potential updates to the language of the LPTV rules, such as allowing a three-letter call sign.

There's more evidence that proposed terrestrial operations in the 12 GHz band would exceed the existing interference envelope for MVDDS operations there and cause harmful interference, OneWeb said Tuesday in docket 20-443, submitting a Monte Carlo analysis method. It said it corrected for faulty assumptions made by MVDDS proponents such as "unrealistically low" population coverage for mobile terrestrial networks, more non-geostationary orbit user terminals placed on rooftops, and use of only the 12 GHz band in modeling rather than the broader Ku band. It's an "unavoidable conclusion" that two-way terrestrial mobile service in the band will interfere with incumbent services, and the FCC should terminate consideration of opening up the band, it said. The 5Gfor12GHz Coalition didn't comment.

RS Access' most recent ex parte filing, with scant information beyond who was in attendance (see 2207060012), continues the company's "unfortunate pattern of promising technical submissions but then failing to submit them for the record to avoid widespread criticism of its misleading analysis," SpaceX said Monday in docket 20-443. SpaceX said the agency should either require a further ex parte with more disclosure or ignore everything said at the meeting. "Part of the FCC's mandate is to update antiquated rules to advance American telecom leadership," RS Access emailed. "Accordingly, we have worked closely with the FCC as it reviews the benefits of modernizing outdated legacy restrictions on the 12 GHz band, and RS Access is committed to continuing our work with the Commission to unlock the band's full potential."

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel added Carmen Scurato, who was at Free Press, as legal adviser-consumer and public safety issues. Scurato was associate legal director and senior counsel at the public interest group, focused on “racial justice, technology and internet policy.” She was previously general counsel to the National Hispanic Media Coalition. Rosenworcel welcomed Scurato’s expertise working for consumers. “Keeping our telecommunications networks safe and protecting consumers takes on elevated urgency as new threats emerge from all sides,” Rosenworcel said Monday. The addition was part of a larger shift in the chairwoman’s office. David Strickland is now Rosenworcel’s adviser on media, Ethan Lucarelli on wireless and international, and Ramesh Nagarajan on wireline and enforcement.

The FCC is making progress, a year after the release of President Joe Biden’s executive order on competition (see 2107090063), Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Monday. “We’ve taken action to give families living in apartment buildings more choices for their broadband service, assisted with expanding the reach of next-generation 5G networks to more parts of the country, and we are developing more opportunities for companies to build communications equipment here at home,” Rosenworcel said: “There’s more work to do, and we’re rolling up our sleeves to make sure it continues.”

The FCC Enforcement Bureau proposed a $100,000 fine against Verizon Wireless Friday for allegedly failing to adequately respond to a complaint about the company’s premium voicemail service. Someone with disabilities “filed an informal complaint” with the Enforcement Bureau “alleging that the Company’s Premium Visual Voicemail service was not accessible,” the bureau said. As the FCC investigated, and after the initial response, it sent the carrier a letter of inquiry (LOI) in February seeking additional information, the notice said. “Verizon did not provide documentation supporting its assertion that the complainant’s problem was caused by” the customer’s “device,” the bureau said: “Verizon did not provide any evidence that the problem was unique to the individual complainant; nor did Verizon explain or offer evidence to show how it reached that conclusion.” The carrier also didn’t “respond fully to the LOI’s demand for information and documentation about problems with accessing its Premium Visual Voicemail service, and how those problems were resolved.” Verizon “takes its accessibility obligations very seriously,” a spokesperson emailed: “While we respect the FCC's role in ensuring that services are available to all individuals, we do not agree with the factual analysis and legal conclusions in today's notice. At all times the Verizon service at issue was accessible to everyone -- including the single individual who filed the underlying complaint with the FCC. We will respond on the record and if necessary appeal the decision."

Citing SpaceX's campaign to drive comments to the FCC and lawmakers opposing opening up the 12 GHz band to 5G (see 2207060012), the 5Gfor12GHz Coalition emailed Thursday that the satellite operator is falsely claiming 5G/Starlink coexistence isn't possible in the band despite data showing otherwise. The campaign "is not only disingenuous, but it promulgates an anti-5G narrative that is harmful to American consumers who deserve greater competition, connectivity options and innovation," it said. SpaceX didn't comment.