The FCC on Monday notified the Universal Service Administrative Co. that the Wireline Bureau approves the Rural Health Care program funding 2025 review procedures. That decision is “subject to further modifications and/or instruction from the Commission,” the bureau said in docket 02-60.
Zebra representatives discussed the importance of RAIN RFID in the 900 MHz band during meetings with staff of the four FCC commissioners, the Wireless Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology. RAIN refers to "a specific subset of RFID technology that operates in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) range," said a filing posted Monday in docket 24-240. The company opposed NextNav’s proposal to use part of the band for an alternative to GPS, it said. “Zebra emphasized the explosive growth in RAIN RFID systems in recent years and the continued reliance” on the technology “as the backbone of inventory management, asset tracking, supply chain logistics, access control, animal tracking, and loss prevention.”
New Street’s Blair Levin warned Monday that the FCC may block transactions beyond Verizon's proposed buy of Frontier based on whether the companies get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion policies (see 2503210049). Levin specifically mentioned T-Mobile’s proposed purchase of wireless assets from UScellular (see 2405280047) and other deals.
The FCC Space Bureau has signed off on SpaceX's first-generation Starlinks using parts of the 137-138 MHz unlink and 148-150.05 MHz downlink bands during launch, in early operations and in mobile satellite service, said a notice in Friday's Daily Digest. It said no more than 150 of SpaceX's Starlinks or Swarm satellites can operate in the bands simultaneously.
Opponents of T-Mobile’s proposed buy of wireless assets from UScellular met with FCC staff to explain their concerns. The groups at the meeting were the Rural Wireless Association, EchoStar, Communications Workers of America, Public Knowledge, New America’s Open Technology Institute, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and the Computer & Communications Industry Association. They met with staff from the Wireless Bureau and the offices of Economics and Analytics and General Counsel, according to a filing posted Friday in docket 24-286.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau sought comment Friday on a proposal by Ipswich, Massachusetts, to use frequency 154.6725 MHz, which is primarily for state police use, for public safety communications. Ipswich seeks a waiver to use the frequency “since it contends it is necessary due to unique and unusual circumstances and lack of reasonable alternatives,” the bureau said. The Massachusetts State Police supports Ipswich’s request, the bureau said. Comments are due April 21, replies May 6, and should reference File No. 0011397610.
The FCC’s new Council for National Security launched its first “major initiative” last week, sending letters to companies on the FCC’s “covered list,” including Chinese players Huawei and ZTE. The agency sent letters to all companies on the list with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and at least one subpoena, said a news release. It didn't mention Russia’s Kaspersky, on the list since March 2022 (see 2203250067). The FCC didn’t comment on the omission Friday.
The FCC’s Wireline Bureau released a series of orders on delegated authority Thursday with the goal of making it easier for carriers to move away from legacy copper networks, said a news release and a number of filings. Outdated agency rules “have forced providers to pour resources into maintaining aging and expensive copper line networks instead of investing in the modern, high-speed infrastructure that Americans want and deserve," said Chairman Brendan Carr in the release.
Comments are due April 17, replies May 19, on the FCC's Further NPRM on wireless emergency alerts (WEA), in dockets 15-94 and 15-91. Commissioners approved the FNPRM 4-0 last month (see 2502270042). “The Commission proposes to broaden the circumstances in which alert originators may send WEA messages using the ‘Public Safety Message’ classification, which can allow consumers greater flexibility in how messages are presented on their mobile device, including the potential ability to silence alerts,” said a Wednesday notice from the Public Safety Bureau. “The Commission also seeks comment on whether subscribers should be empowered to further customize their receipt of WEA messages, as well as additional steps that wireless providers, equipment manufacturers, and operating system developers can take to reduce the rate at which subscribers opt out of WEA.”
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and SpaceX are assessing how to limit RF interference coming from Starlink satellites that causes issues with the Very Large Array (VLA) observatory in New Mexico, according to NRAO Deputy Spectrum Manager Chris De Pree. In addition, NRAO is considering implementing those methods with its additional telescopes and sharing successes with other U.S. observatories.