Commissioners approved a declaratory ruling saying that regulator has fulfilled one of its obligations under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR-4998). The FCC approved the item despite the different stances of Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr. Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC still isn't doing enough to ensure secure networks in the U.S. After the draft item was circulated, the agency barred Huawei and ZTE from participating in the USF (see 2006300078).
The FCC approved a broadband mapping order and Further NPRM, as expected (see 2007140060), with changes to the draft circulated by Chairman Ajit Pai. He warned the FCC doesn't have the money to start mapping. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel partially dissented. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks concurred. Commissioners agreed to change the maximum buffers for wireline networks and will seek comment on rather than require infrastructure reporting by wireless providers. The maps are considered necessary to offering money through the 5G Fund (see 2006260057).
The FCC didn't budge on an implementation deadline that telecom interests said couldn't be met. The commission's 988 suicide prevention hotline order approved unanimously Thursday tried to mitigate some problems they face, Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said. No change to the two-year deadline was expected (see 2007150058) Telecoms argued universal implementation by that deadline is impossible (see 2006230022). Some commissioners disagreed.
The FCC provided more details on the rules for the upcoming C-band auction in the draft public notice, circulated for an Aug. 6 vote by commissioners (see 2007150066). The FCC also posted draft items on inmate calling services rates and media modernization, among others set for a vote.
Wireless carriers must have 72 hours backup power at many California cellsites to maintain coverage during wildfires and public safety power shutoffs, the California Public Utilities Commission decided unanimously Thursday. Also at the livestreamed virtual meeting, commissioners all supported a utility affordability order that defines essential internet service as a fixed service providing 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds, plus 1 terabyte of data.
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.
Thursday's ruling tossing out Privacy Shield must result in a speedy replacement, industry groups said (see 2007160014). The European Court of Justice nixed the personal data transfer regime because of what it considered overzealous U.S. surveillance and inadequate ombudsman protections. The decision throws trans-Atlantic data flows into turmoil, stakeholders said. Industry urged both parties to return immediately to negotiations, while privacy advocates and consumers pressed the European Commission to do more to protect citizens in future talks.
Approval of a different cable leased access rate structure went awry Thursday with a brief administrative law crisis. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel questioned whether the item -- with two approvals and three concurring votes -- had actually been adopted. Administrative law experts told us it's a novel issue. Chairman Ajit Pai and acting General Counsel Ashley Boizelle said it counts as adopted.
A bipartisan group of House Oversight Committee members urged support Wednesday for creating a White House national cyber director. Republican opponents questioned the need for creating additional bureaucracy and duplicating cyber authorities, during a virtual hearing. Proponents cited COVID-19 as an example that the federal government isn’t prepared to respond to global threats.
The House Commerce Committee approved 10 telecom bills Wednesday, including the Utilizing Strategic Allied (USA) Telecom Act (HR-6624), as expected (see 2007140062). Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., emphasized that the measures up for votes Wednesday were "all consensus bills, which are truly bipartisan, and the details of which have been worked out with myself and" ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore. The committee is known to have excluded (see 2007130054) some high-profile bills the House Communications Subcommittee advanced in March that had drawn Republican criticism, including the Clearing Broad Airwaves for New Deployment (C-Band) Act (HR-4855) and Reinforcing and Evaluating Service Integrity, Local Infrastructure and Emergency Notification for Today’s (Resilient) Networks Act (HR-5926).