Representatives of Somos and the Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee met with aides to all five commissioners about tweaking a draft order on using the do not originate (DNO) list in blocking unwanted and illegal robocalls. The order is set for a vote at the FCC’s Sept. 26 open meeting (see 2409050045). “Somos applauds the Commission for applying a DNO mandate for all carriers in the draft Order” and agrees the commission shouldn’t designate a particular list, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 17-59. But “a reasonable list must (not may) include” all invalid numbers where the area code or central office code begins with a 0 or 1, “all numbers in an area code that is not yet, or can never be assigned” and “all 10,000 and 1,000 blocks of numbers in area codes that are in service, but the blocks are not yet assigned,” the filing said. Somos would also include on the list “numbers for which the subscriber has requested call origination blocking.”
SpaceX representatives met with FCC staff to discuss recent studies that found high-power terrestrial operations in the lower or upper 12 GHz band “would cause debilitating interference to Americans who rely on next generation satellite broadband in the 10.7-12.7 GHz band.” Representatives from SpaceX met with staff of the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology, according to a filing posted Thursday in docket 20-443. “SpaceX has once again unveiled [Dish Network’s] efforts to steal high-power spectrum rights to a terrestrial service in the lower 12 GHz band at the expense of millions of Americans who rely on the band for their broadband and broadcast service,” the filing said. An EchoStar executive slammed SpaceX’s earlier filing on lower 12 GHz (see 2409040035), calling it an “unserious and last-ditch effort” to block use of the frequencies for fixed wireless (see 2409050040). EchoStar is Dish’s parent company.
The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) asked the FCC to complete a collection of “granular data on public safety operations in the 4.9 GHz band” promised in a January 2023 (see 2408130035) order before addressing rules for the band. CERCI is a leading opponent of a proposal that would give FirstNet and AT&T control of the frequencies. “The FCC cannot convert the 4.9 GHz band into an AT&T FirstNet/commercial shared band premised on vague promises of interference protection for all current public-safety licensees,” said a filing this week in docket 07-100. “Rather, it must first conduct the data collection it announced over a year-and-a-half ago,” CERCI said: “CERCI respectfully submits that if the Commission were to conduct the data collection … it would conclude that it is not in the public interest to deploy the 4.9 GHz band on AT&T’s network.”
CTIA representatives spoke with aides to FCC Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington about the group’s 2019 petition seeking clarity on pole attachment rules under Section 224 of the Communications Act. “The record on the Petition is thorough and many commenters supported CTIA’s request,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 17-84: “As the Commission considers further actions in this docket, now is an appropriate time for it to make clear which infrastructure is in fact subject to Section 224’s requirements.” Representatives of the group previously met with aides to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr (see 2409180013).
CTIA completed a series of meetings with staff from all five FCC commissioner's offices on proposed rules requiring blocking texts. A vote on the issue is scheduled for the commissioners' Sept. 26 open meeting (see 2409050045). A filing, posted Thursday in docket 21-402, largely repeats points the group made based on an earlier meeting with an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington (see 2409170044). “CTIA estimates that in 2023 wireless providers prevented over 47.5 billion spam messages from reaching consumers, and those numbers no doubt have continued to grow,” it said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by Oct. 21, replies by Nov. 5, in docket 05-337 on the National Exchange Carrier Association's proposed changes to the average schedule Universal Service Fund high cost loop support formula. The proposed formula would take effect Jan. 1, said a public notice Thursday.
The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation randomly selected the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear multiple pending petitions for review of an FCC order on incarcerated people's communications services, said an order Thursday. The petitions challenged various parts of the partially published order in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 9th circuits (see 2408230012).
Citing "unanticipated intervening global events beyond [its] control," EchoStar is seeking additional time to meet construction milestones attached to some of its wireless licenses. An advantage EchoStar has is that the FCC wants to see increased national wireless network competition, analysts told us.
The FCC urged that the 5th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court reject Maurine and Matthew Molak's challenge of the commission’s October declaratory ruling clarifying that the use of Wi-Fi on school buses is an educational purpose and eligible for E-rate funding (see 2408300027). In a brief Wednesday, the agency argued the Molaks lack standing to bring the challenge and the agency acted within the law when it addressed school bus Wi-Fi.
Statutory language in the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act allowed the FCC to act against those responsible for illegal voice-cloning in the New Hampshire presidential primary election (see 2408210039), Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday.