The next meeting of the FCC’s North American Numbering Council, previously scheduled for Dec. 12, will now take place the following day, the agency said Friday. The meeting is virtual and will start at 10 a.m. EST, the FCC said.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should review the FCC's August order on incarcerated people's communication services because parts of the order are in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, Securus said in a petition filed Wednesday (docket 24-60492). Securus previously filed suit in the same court over the FCC's denial of its clarification and waiver petitions on alternative payment plans (see 2409050034). The new challenge follows publication of the new rules in the Federal Register (see 2409200019).
PTC-220 asked the FCC for special temporary authority to operate positive train control radio base stations using automated maritime telecommunications system (AMTS) spectrum covering Region 4, which takes in an area from the upper Midwest to the Gulf Coast. “Consistent with prior STA applications to operate on AMTS spectrum,” grant of PTC-220’s request “would permit the immediate deployment” of PTC, it said. PTC-220 represents the nation’s major freight railroads and wants to add 1,240 planned locations to the 12,853 locations previously authorized. “Since January 2020, PTC-220 has successfully conducted PTC and non-PTC rail safety operations in AMTS Region 4 and has received no reports of harmful interference from broadcasters,” said a filing posted Friday: “Importantly, whether operating under STA or permanent authority, PTC-220 will cure any instances of harmful interference caused by its transmissions.”
The FCC Wireless Bureau on Friday extended comment and reply deadlines by 30 days on an August NPRM that asks about further rules changes for the citizens broadband radio service band (see 2408160031). The new deadlines are Nov. 6 for initial comments, Dec. 5 for replies, in docket 17-258. The bureau took the step following a request by the Wireless Innovation Forum, the OnGo Alliance and the Wireless ISP Association (see 2409200015). “We find that Joint Petitioners have established that additional time is necessary to enable commenters to adequately assess highly technical data and to produce studies in response to the complex technical, legal, and policy issues presented in the NPRM,” the bureau said: “Given the importance of receiving robust input from all of [the groups’] respective members on the questions raised in the NPRM, along with the Commission’s stated desire for detailed technical analyses, we find there is good cause to extend the deadlines.”
The FCC Public Safety Bureau extended by 10 days the application deadline for CTIA and TUV Rheinland of North America to become cybersecurity labeling administrators (CLAs) or lead administrator under the FCC’s voluntary cyber-trust mark program (see 2409240063). The new deadline is Oct. 11. “The Bureau finds that the Parties’ request for an extension of time is warranted to ensure applicants have sufficient time to prepare full and informed responses,” said an order in Friday’s Daily Digest.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation emailed FCC commissioners' staff, except that of Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, laying out its positions on an order finalizing rules for cellular vehicle-to-everything use of the 5.9 GHz band. Rosenworcel circulated the order in July (see 2404180050). “Finalization” of the order “will help address the ongoing regulatory uncertainty that has delayed the widespread deployment of this important technology,” said a filing Friday in docket 19-158. “C-V2X technologies and the use cases enabled by the technology continue to evolve and the technical rules” established “should be flexible enough to support that continued evolution,” the alliance said. The group also stressed the importance of protecting C-V2X from “harmful interference from unlicensed operations in the U-NII-4 band.”
The FCC on Friday released an order commissioners approved Thursday expanding the range of accessibility features that must be included in videoconferencing platforms (see 2409260026). The item also includes a Further NPRM. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez issued statements with the order. “We take steps to ensure that people with disabilities are able to access and use video conferencing, a modern communications tool that is critical in connecting for work, education, health, and other fundamental life activities,” the item says.
President Joe Biden signed the Launch Communications Act (S-1648) Thursday night, the White House said. The measure, which the House passed earlier this month (see 2409180049), will require that the FCC streamline the authorization process for commercial launches’ access to spectrum. The Senate approved S-1648 last year. Lead sponsors Sens. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., hailed its enactment Friday. It's “a win for American innovation,” Hickenlooper said. Now “we can lead the next era of space exploration.” The U.S. “must maintain its edge in the 21st century space race against China, and this legislation is a necessary step in maintaining American space dominance,” said Schmitt, who is Senate Commerce Space Subcommittee ranking member.
Consumers' Research asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the FCC's Universal Service Fund contribution factor for Q4 of FY 2024 (see 2409130054). In a filing posted Thursday (docket 24-60494), the group repeated its claim that USF contributions are illegal taxes that the Universal Service Administrative Co. collects and "should be rejected."
Emergency 911 networks appear largely to have withstood the powerful Hurricane Helene, officials said Friday. Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane Thursday at 11 p.m. in Taylor County, part of Florida’s Big Bend region, with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour, the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Friday. After preparing for the massive storm (see 2409250048), telecom companies reported some damage to network infrastructure and said they are responding to problems that flooding and power outages caused.