The FCC is doing what it can to promote the move of providers to IP-based networks and off copper lines, Wireline Bureau Chief Joseph Calascione said in a blog post Friday. He compared legacy networks to old Christmas lights “that would go out if a single bulb in the string was dead.” User-friendly features including “robocall mitigation and Next-Gen 911 [get] passed along seamlessly from one provider to another” but are stopped as soon as they hit the “dead-bulb” of old copper lines.
A top regulatory issue for VoIP providers remains federal preemption of state rules and what that means in states like California, said Brendan Kasper, data protection officer at telecom provider 8x8, during a webcast with former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, part of a series for the Free State Foundation. Kasper, the former president of the Voice on the Net Coalition and a former Vonage executive, noted that the FCC has yet to respond to California actions.
The initial round of 2022 quadrennial review comments last week included Fox seeking elimination of the dual network rule and MVPDs advocating for the FCC to adopt DOJ’s market definitions for broadcasting, as well as the expected calls from broadcast station owners to eliminate ownership limits. Opponents of deregulation in docket 22-459 included conservative entities Newsmax and CPAC, along with a coalition of public interest groups, independent film trade groups and academics arguing that the FCC must study broadcast markets.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announces retirements: the Media Bureau’s Brenda Lewis, Victoria McCauley and Deidra Whitehead; Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau’s Michelle Jones; Public Safety Bureau's Tammy Cooper; Wireline Bureau's Cheryl Callahan; Office of General Counsel’s David Senzel and Royce Sherlock … Alan Gould, formerly Loop Capital, joins Gray Media as vice president of investor relations, a new position … Emergency communications firm Secure Headset Group appoints Sam Romagnano, ex-Fontel, as director of channel partnerships … Beasley Media Group promotes John Coury to vice president of treasury and corporate controller … David London, ex-Coinbase, joins the Business Software Alliance as head of U.S. state government relations … Fiber Broadband Association reelects Ariane Schaffer, GFiber, as board chair, and Roger Timmerman, Utopia Fiber, as member; joining the board are Ashley Travers, KGPCo, and Brendan O’Boyle, PLP ... Nokia Chief Public Policy and Government Affairs Officer Brian Hendricks announces departure; future plans uncertain.
The Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC) said Thursday that the record shows unanimous support for its July petition asking the FCC to launch a rulemaking on guidelines for getting consent from licensees to install signal boosters (see 2511130025).
Representatives of radio altimeter manufacturers met this week with FCC staff to explain recurring concerns with the agency's proposals to auction the upper C band. Commissioners unanimously approved an NPRM in November that asks about issues, including protections for the flight safety devices (see 2511200046). The meeting included staff from the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology, according to a filing posted Thursday in docket 25-59.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau said Thursday that June 12, 2028, is the deadline for commercial mobile service providers participating in the wireless emergency alert program to implement multilingual templates that alert originators “can choose to send during life-threatening emergencies.” The FCC recently published the rules in the Federal Register after a long delay (see 2512150044). It authorized the rules in October 2023 on a 5-0 vote (see 2310230031).
CTIA representatives met this week with an aide to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and others at the FCC to raise concerns about satellite spectrum-sharing proposals before the agency (see 2508280006|). “CTIA highlighted the rapid growth in demand for full-power licensed terrestrial spectrum and reiterated the need for the Commission to continue its vital work of both expanding and protecting terrestrial wireless operations,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 25-157.
The National Sheriffs’ Association asked the FCC to delay the deadline for comments on an NPRM on incarcerated people’s communications services rules (see 2512160009).
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau on Thursday extended for six months, through June 18, the conditional certification of Global Caption and Nagish to serve as IP captioned telephone service providers supported by the telecommunications relay services fund. The companies were given two-year conditional certifications in 2024, which were set to expire in January (see 2401040069).