The FCC plans to release details about the affordable connectivity program's outreach grants and pilot program aimed at boosting enrollment among households receiving federal public housing assistance this summer, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during a virtual Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights event Monday.
Top members of the House and Senate Commerce committees are having varying levels of success in moving forward in the coming weeks on spectrum legislation. The House Communications Subcommittee plans to mark up a revised version of the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) Wednesday along with other legislation, subpanel Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., said in an interview. Senate Commerce leaders, meanwhile, told us they're still grappling with how to move forward on the Improving Spectrum Coordination Act (S-1472) after an amendment fight prompted them to remove it from a markup last month (see 2205250063).
FCC commissioners approved a notice of inquiry 4-0 Wednesday on how to facilitate access to spectrum for offshore uses and operations. FCC officials said, as expected, there were no major changes over what was circulated three weeks ago by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see 2206030029). Commissioners also adopted an NPRM before the meeting that seeks comment on a statutory requirement to collect annual data on the price and subscription rates of internet offerings through the affordable connectivity program (see 2206020058). The item wasn’t published Wednesday.
The Senate’s continued stall in considering FCC nominee Gigi Sohn is prompting some of her supporters to eye ways to break the logjam, including pressing chamber leaders to seek an initial discharge vote to bring her to the floor even if Democratic senators who remain publicly undecided on her candidacy (see 2205050050) don’t commit to a position beforehand. Some supporters believe it’s worth the risk such a vote would fail given chatter about Sohn or the White House withdrawing her nomination, though top Senate Democratic backers believe it’s unlikely the White House would take such an action. Observers also see a White House recess appointment of Sohn as an increasingly feasible route to at least temporarily set up a Democratic FCC majority given the commission’s year-plus 2-2 deadlock.
The FCC will reopen for visitors Thursday, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced at the end of Wednesday’s commission meeting. This will be the first time the FCC’s new headquarters has been open to the public. The FCC’s July 14 meeting will be open to the public, she said.
The FCC’s notice of inquiry on offshore spectrum issues is expected to be approved 4-0 at the commissioners' meeting Wednesday with few changes to the draft circulated by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see 2205180065), industry and FCC officials said. Industry experts said it makes sense for the FCC to ask questions, but market interest in licenses for offshore areas is likely to be low.
Citing the need to modernize the FCC's high cost USF programs and align them with recent federal broadband investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commissioners on Thursday unanimously adopted an NPRM seeking comment on an Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM) Broadband Coalition proposal extending the program. The proposal would increase deployment obligations in exchange for additional funding, and seeks comment on whether to extend participation to carriers that haven't already been participating in the program.
Supporters of a proposal to reallocate the 12 GHz band for 5G think the proposal will likely move forward in coming months, buoyed by responses by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr to members of Congress last week, as a follow-up to the recent House hearing. Meanwhile, Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen offered a candid assessment of the future of DBS spectrum in a presentation to analysts.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel isn’t proposing rules on improving how wireless 911 calls are routed to the appropriate first responders but instead is seeking a record refresh. A notice of inquiry casts a wide net on what the FCC should do to address offshore needs for spectrum. Also on tap is an NPRM on channel 6 TV stations, which primarily broadcast an audio signal receivable on FM radios. Drafts for all three were posted Wednesday, for votes at the June 8 commission meeting.
Supporters of a proposal to reallocate the 12 GHz band for 5G think the proposal will likely move forward in coming months, buoyed by responses by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr to members of Congress last week, as a follow-up to the recent House hearing. Meanwhile, Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen offered a candid assessment of the future of DBS spectrum in a presentation to analysts.