The FCC approved updated rules for finding the vertical location of wireless callers to 911 over partial dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and concerns by Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. The concerns were expected, with the FCC getting contradictory advice about the order (see 2007100045), which updates rules commissioners approved in November (see 1911220034). The first mandates kick in next April.

U.S. 911 call centers face a “very likely budget crisis” due to COVID-19 (see 2005120038), said Mark Reddish, APCO senior counsel, during a NG-911 Institute webinar Wednesday. Call centers remain mostly locked down four months after the pandemic hit, other officials said.

The House Appropriations Committee voted 30-22 Tuesday to advance the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee's FY 2021 funding bill with report language encouraging NTIA to coordinate with the FCC and other agencies “to preserve spectrum access for scientific purposes as commercial use of radio spectrum increases.” The underlying measure allocates $45.5 million for NTIA, just under $3.7 billion for the Patent Office, $1.04 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology and almost $180.3 million for DOJ’s Antitrust Division.

Colorado is reworking its method for collecting local 911 fees. Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed HB-1293 Friday to replace a system in which 58 local 911 governing bodies set their own surcharges and must ask the Public Utilities Commission for approval to charge more than 70 cents. The new law requires the PUC by Jan. 1 to adjust the cap annually for inflation, and establishes a separate statewide 911 surcharge, up to 50 cents monthly on phone bills, to be distributed to the local 911 bodies based on the size of their system. Prepaid wireless will be treated like landline, wireless and VoIP. The drawback to the old approach was that rural and mountain communities with small populations didn’t have enough subscribers to produce enough revenue for the size of their 911 systems, “which don't scale well at the small end and oftentimes have to be bigger than their population would indicate due to tourist traffic,” state 911 Program Manager Daryl Branson emailed Monday. The new approach will provide more funding to all local 911 governing bodies, with proportionally more support to rural and mountain areas, he said. HB-1293 is expected to increase revenue to local governments by $3.2 million in FY 2020-21, $6.5 million the following fiscal year, said a June 8 fiscal note by Colorado Legislative Council staff.

Telecom analyst Jennifer Fritzsche leaves Wells Fargo, she tells us ... TikTok adds from office of House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., Michael Hacker, named the company's director-global public policy ... At Waitr on-demand food ordering and delivery, lawyer Thomas Pritchard appointed general counsel; Mark D’Ambrosio, ex-Centerfield Media, named chief sales officer; and David Cronin, ex-iPayment, chief engagement officer ... NGA 911 hires Mike DeWeese, ex-Intrado, as vice president-technology.

Eligible telecom carrier designation is valuable to state commissioners and mustn't be eliminated, NARUC Telecom Committee members said in interviews last week. The committee plans to vote at the state regulator association’s July 20-22 virtual meeting on a proposed resolution that would reject an idea supported by some industry and FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly that raised state alarm (see 2007070057). State commissioners supporting the draft by Chair Karen Charles Peterson of Massachusetts said they haven’t seen the process discouraging providers from seeking USF funding. Two industry groups disagreed.

The vertical location order is expected to be approved largely as proposed by Chairman Ajit Pai, though some concerns are expected to be raised and a few tweaks are likely, FCC and industry officials said in interviews last week. Aides to commissioners have taken numerous meetings and are wading through the arguments made for and against the draft, officials said. Public safety groups have come in with different views.

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly wants to explore the 12 GHz and 7 GHz bands as the commission seeks 500 to 800 MHz of additional spectrum for licensed commercial purposes in the next three to five years, he said on a Thursday webinar by the New York State and New Jersey wireless associations. O’Rielly is talking to manufacturers, providers, academia and others about those two and other bands, he said: “There are also a couple other bands being privately discussed but are not necessarily ready for prime exposure just yet, or maybe they never will be.” He would welcome suggestions about “any magical bands previously not discussed.” Spectrum between 3.1 and 3.55 GHz is at the top of O’Rielly’s list of next bands, he said. “I know the upper 100 [MHz] can be repurposed without much heartburn, and we can work through the second 100 the same way,” he said. The “bulk” of the remaining 250 MHz in the lower part of the band must be shared, he said. O’Rielly earlier this week said NTIA was too conservative in a report that highlighted only the top 100 MHz as a “good candidate” for sharing (see 2007070062). O’Rielly slammed New York and New Jersey state governments for diverting 911 fees for unrelated purposes (see 2004020064). “Your leaders are unwavering in their commitment to steal these vital fees. They can’t be swayed by underfunded call centers or outdated technology. They don’t seem to care they are no longer eligible for certain federal monies.” O’Rielly lashed into New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) for a Tuesday plan to redirect $87 million from the New York Police Department as part of $157 million to add internet options for underserved New Yorkers. About 22 million people in the U.S. “have nothing, and he wants someone to have a fourth or fifth ... broadband provider,” said O’Rielly. De Blasio's office didn’t comment.

Despite telecom industry arguments it needs longer (see 2006230022), a 24-month nationwide implementation of the 988 suicide prevention hotline seems feasible, experts told us. Others see meeting that deadline being a big challenge, though everyone agrees the FCC isn't likely to budge further, having already compromised from an 18-month implementation deadline. The commission didn't comment. The draft order directing providers to have 988 operational by July 16, 2022, will be voted on at the July 16 commissioners' meeting.

The House passed the Democrats’ Moving Forward Act infrastructure legislative package Wednesday on a party-line 233-188 vote. HR-2 includes $100 billion in broadband and next-generation 911 funding. The connectivity money includes $9 billion for a Broadband Connectivity Fund to give eligible households an “additional broadband benefit” and $5 billion for E-rate (see 2006180062). The House advanced 10 broadband amendments Tuesday on voice votes (see 2006300083). Commerce Committee Republicans again highlighted 26 broadband bills they proposed in June (see 2006250068) that they contend were ignored as Democrats crafted HR-2. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., led filing of a Senate version of the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act. HR-7302 includes HR-2’s entire broadband section (see 2006240069). Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz of Hawaii and seven other Democrats co-sponsored the measure. “In 2020, we should be able to bring high-speed internet to every family in America -- regardless of their zip code,” Klobuchar said.