The FCC plans a March 26 forum on 5G virtualized radio access networks, Chairman Ajit Pai said Thursday. “At the forum, experts at the forefront of the development and deployment of interoperable, standards-based, virtualized radio access networks will join Chairman Pai and other Commission staff to discuss this paradigm-shifting approach to 5G network deployment,” the FCC said. Pai said the FCC is focused on 5G: “One way to advance this priority is through the development and deployment of more secure, cost-effective 5G network components, Virtualized radio access networks could help us do that.” Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wants more focus on the security benefits of network virtualization (see 1910230060). “Glad the FCC is following my lead,” Rosenworcel tweeted: “Next up: let's have the FCC set up testbeds to accelerate this technology in the United States.” The forum starts at 9:30 a.m. in the Commission Meeting Room.

The National Association of Tower Erectors unveiled a new logo Wednesday and said it wants to be called “NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association,” in an announcement at the group’s annual meeting in Raleigh. The new logo “is designed to represent technology, communication, connectivity and the future,” the group said.

The FCC announced the membership for the working groups of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment, in a public notice Wednesday. Members include US Bank Senior Vice President-Media and Communications Garret Komjathy on the Access to Capital working group, D.C. Public Service Commission Policy Adviser Felicia West on the Digital Empowerment and Inclusion working group, and ALLvanza CEO Rosa Mendoza Davila on the Diversity in the Tech Sector Group. The ACDDE had its first meeting under its new charter in October (see 1910300046).

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has accomplished a lot, and that's often ignored by the news media, American Enterprise Institute Visiting Scholar Roslyn Layton blogged Wednesday. “Tech policy media is overwhelming focused on politicized issues, with little to no accurate coverage on the substance of FCC’s activities,” she said. Layton noted FCC work to curb robocalls, deploy broadband in rural areas and fight the threat of Chinese network equipment makers. “The FCC is ushering in the 5G era by enabling record-breaking capital investments in long-lived assets, such as fiber optic cables, small cells, and spectrum licenses,” she said: “As the latest FCC Broadband Deployment Report notes, over 450,000 miles of fiber have been deployed in 2019 alone, enough to encircle the Earth over 18 times.”

The FCC Wireline Bureau will take comments through March 30, replies until April 29, on several issues remanded to the agency after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld most of the commission's net neutrality order in Mozilla v. FCC (see 1910010018) and later denied petitions for a rehearing (see 2002180054), said a public notice in dockets 17-108, 17-287 and 11-42 Wednesday. The bureau is refreshing the record on how the FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom order could affect public safety when broadband is classified as a Title I information service; how it affects pole attachment regulation; and what authority the agency has to direct Lifeline USF support to eligible telecommunications carriers (see 1910290002). "The FCC got it wrong when it repealed net neutrality," Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement Wednesday. That's why the courts sent back key parts of the order, she said, urging the American public to use this comments period as another opportunity to weigh in on net neutrality: "It's time to make noise." Public Knowledge is also encouraging the public to "speak out about the importance of a free and open internet." Senior Policy Counsel Jenna Leventoff also questioned the agency's decision to combine the three separate issues into a single "bureau-level public notice" and provide only 40 days for public comment. Free Press Research Director Derek Turner said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's "zealous efforts to remove broadband providers from any obligations to protect internet users defies what Congress clearly intended for these critical communications services. Without Title II safeguards, we face several potentially harmful consequences to public safety and universal service." FP vowed to continue to fight to restore net neutrality protections after Pai's tenure with the FCC ends. “Since the Restoring Internet Freedom Order was adopted, broadband speeds have increased substantially, fiber deployment has hit an all-time high, and the Internet has remained free and open," an FCC spokesperson emailed. "The attempts by some to engage in the same old tired fearmongering on this issue are likely to ring hollow to more and more Americans.”

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr started a trip to North Carolina Tuesday, which will include speaking at the National Association of Tower Erectors’ annual conference on a 5G workforce partnership between Wake Technical Community College and Tower Engineering Professionals. On Tuesday, Carr's schedule included tour touring a 911 call center in Charlotte, a fiber deployment in Salisbury and the Corning fiber manufacturing plant. On Wednesday, Carr is to visit a fixed wireless deployment by Open Broadband in a rural area north of Raleigh and then tour a tower climbing training facility. He will take part in a keynote chat at the NATE conference. The trip also focused on telehealth.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued Tuesday the formal mandate on its Oct. 1 judgment in Mozilla v. FCC, case 18-1051 (in Pacer), that upheld most of the FCC's net neutrality order (see 1910010018). Earlier this month the court denied a petition for rehearing (see 2002070002). Andrew Schwartzman, counsel for petitioner Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, said since the case is fully closed the FCC can address the three issues the court remanded to it, on pole attachments, public safety and Lifeline, but there's no deadline for the FCC to fix them. "What is more immediately affected is the litigation challenging the California and Vermont net neutrality statutes," he emailed. "Those cases were held in abeyance pending the outcome of the Mozilla case. They will now come back into life. Notably, the DC Circuit decision puts the states in a much stronger position, since it will be much harder for the carriers to argue that the statutes are preempted by the FCC's decision."

The state that Sen. John Kennedy (R) represents is Louisiana (see 2002130053).

Telecom carriers and equipment vendors are addressing confusion over who must comply with Kari's Law rules that were to take effect Monday (see 1802160032). The law requires multi-line telephone systems to give direct access to 911 without the need to dial a prefix. The MLTS must notify a representative, such as the front desk or security, once 911 is dialed. "This is a reminder to building managers and others responsible for multi-line telephone systems that they must adhere to the new requirements," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Friday. "There's some confusion for enterprise customers," said Tricia McConnell, Bandwidth 911 product marketing manager. "They're responsible for compliance, but they don't know what compliance means." MLTS managers such as hotels and corporate campuses must ensure someone on site or monitoring operations there knows when a 911 call has been placed, to greet first responders and direct them to where the call originated. In a large complex, building security might also provide preliminary assistance to the caller before first responders arrive, McConnell said. Outbound emergency calls can't be screened by building security before they're sent to 911 operators, however, McConnell said. In the past, some hotels might have screened such calls to protect employees or for fear of misdials, she said, but as of the compliance date, "that's no longer acceptable." As the compliance date approached, carriers "focused on helping their customers provision these MLTS with the direct-dialing and notification capabilities required," emailed Incompas Policy Adviser Chris Shipley. "They are also working with their enterprise and business customers to clearly identify who is responsible for the system's day-to-day management and operation, particularly with larger companies that are interested in exercising greater control." Requirements also apply to government agencies and nonprofits using MLTS, and to cloud-based and VoIP and traditional circuit-based systems, Hogan Lovells blogged Feb. 10: MLTS operating before the compliance deadline don't need to meet the new rules unless they're modified after the compliance date. Most business customers aren't looking to meet only minimum standards, McConnell said. Recent talks about Kari's Law are driving meaningful conversations on how organizations respond in an emergency, she said. Some larger companies may consider coming into compliance sooner than required under the law because "no company wants to be outed on social media for restricting access to 911," McConnell said. There are other E-911 laws in roughly half the states, McConnell said: Bandwidth is pushing for a federal law.

Use consistent definitions of robocalls, being sure to differentiate between unwanted calls and illegal calls, the Consumer Advisory Committee recommended Thursday to FCC staff preparing a report on availability, adoption and effectiveness of call blocking tools. The unanimously approved Robocall Report Working Group recommendations said the report should discuss the status of enforcement against illegal robocallers, acknowledge that tools are new and consumers mightn't be aware of the tools available, collect data from analytic engines, third-party app and call-blocking providers and others, and be transparent about sources of data. Commissioners adopted a declaratory ruling in June allowing carriers to block unwanted robocalls by default. The ruling required the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, working with other bureaus, to collect information from carriers on the deployment and implementation of call blocking (see 1906060056). The first report is due in June, the second June 2021. Tuesday’s CAC vote was followed by a closed session on truth in billing.