Her agency's effort with NTIA last week on the latter's annual Spectrum Policy Symposium (see 2109210066) was an important step on collaboration, FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday at the virtual CTIA 5G Summit. “5G is an essential part of unlocking technologies we've been talking about and slowly developing for years,” including the IoT, “telemedicine, virtual and augmented reality, smart transportation networks, smart energy grids,” she said: “This in turn is going to drive the future of industry and expand the potential for machine learning and the possibilities of artificial intelligence.” The 3.45 GHz auction is important because of more than the mid-band spectrum it will make available for 5G, she said. It will “demonstrate the future viability of coordination zones that require private carriers to depend on other federal actors for information or access,” she said. The FCC is “continuing to work with our federal partners” on opening 3.1-3.45 GHz for a future auction, she said. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said Congress should pass legislation like the Secure Equipment Act (S-1790), which the Senate Commerce Committee cleared in August (see 2108040077). 5G “can be the best of technologies or the worst of technologies, if we don't address the safety and security threats that come alongside expanded connectivity,” he said: “We must take the proper steps to keep compromised equipment out of our networks, as well as safeguard all of the connected technology that is proliferating in consumers' homes and across our critical infrastructure.” Many trends from this pandemic, “including touchless retail, work from home and hybrid work and school arrangements,” will continue, predicted Verizon Consumer Group CEO Ronan Dunne. A survey Verizon commissioned found “more than half of employed adults said that they were working at least partially remotely, nearly twice the share before the pandemic began,” he said: And 60% of respondents “said that they expect kids to be able to attend remote school during inclement weather.”
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Her agency's effort with NTIA last week on the latter's annual Spectrum Policy Symposium (see 2109210066) was an important step on collaboration, FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday at the virtual CTIA 5G Summit. “5G is an essential part of unlocking technologies we've been talking about and slowly developing for years,” including the IoT, “telemedicine, virtual and augmented reality, smart transportation networks, smart energy grids,” she said: “This in turn is going to drive the future of industry and expand the potential for machine learning and the possibilities of artificial intelligence.” The 3.45 GHz auction is important because of more than the mid-band spectrum it will make available for 5G, she said. It will “demonstrate the future viability of coordination zones that require private carriers to depend on other federal actors for information or access,” she said. The FCC is “continuing to work with our federal partners” on opening 3.1-3.45 GHz for a future auction, she said. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said Congress should pass legislation like the Secure Equipment Act (S-1790), which the Senate Commerce Committee cleared in August (see 2108040077). 5G “can be the best of technologies or the worst of technologies, if we don't address the safety and security threats that come alongside expanded connectivity,” he said: “We must take the proper steps to keep compromised equipment out of our networks, as well as safeguard all of the connected technology that is proliferating in consumers' homes and across our critical infrastructure.” Many trends from this pandemic, “including touchless retail, work from home and hybrid work and school arrangements,” will continue, predicted Verizon Consumer Group CEO Ronan Dunne. A survey Verizon commissioned found “more than half of employed adults said that they were working at least partially remotely, nearly twice the share before the pandemic began,” he said: And 60% of respondents “said that they expect kids to be able to attend remote school during inclement weather.”
FCC commissioners approved an NPRM on making networks more resilient during disasters 4-0 Thursday, as expected (see 2109280051). Commissioners said more mandates could come as a result of the investigation. Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC plans a virtual field hearing as part of the Oct. 26 meeting on Hurricane Ida. Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr traveled to Louisiana this week to tour areas hit by the latest storm. Commissioners also unanimously adopted an order on foreign ownership and an NPRM about closing two methods for scammers taking control of victims' mobile phones, SIM swapping and port-out fraud. Such actions were as expected (see 2109280009).
FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel says Sanford Williams moves up to Office of Managing Director deputy managing director and remains special adviser to Rosenworcel "on agency efforts to identify and expand opportunities for communities that have been historically underserved"; Joy Ragsdale, Enforcement Bureau field counsel, ascends to lead Office of Communications Business Opportunities ... AT&T Assistant Vice President-Corporate Communications, Policy Michael Balmoris leaves, effective Dec. 1 ... Staff Director David Strickland, ex-Senate Commerce Committee, named General Motors vice president-global regulatory affairs.
FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr will visit Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tuesday to tour areas hit by Ida, before Thursday’s FCC meeting, which includes an NPRM on ways to bolster network resiliency. “They plan to meet with government and industry officials to assess the status of recovery efforts and consult on next steps that the FCC should take to assist in the restoration of communications networks,” said a Monday news release.
Two FCC Wi-Fi items, on rules for automated frequency control in 6 GHz and a notice of inquiry on IoT spectrum needs, likely will have smooth sailing Thursday with 4-0 votes. Neither has been particularly controversial since drafts circulated two weeks ago, though Lumen had recent calls with aides to all four commissioners, saying the AFC rules as proposed don’t go far enough. Commissioner Brendan Carr sought a few tweaks on the NOI, but otherwise both items are expected to be approved largely as-is.
Comcast wants to chat with local government associations about why only cable operators pay franchise fees, said Senior Vice President-Government Affairs Klayton Fennell Wednesday at NATOA’s virtual annual conference. Localities haven't had impacts from two recent court decisions on public, educational and government (PEG) channels, NATOA officials said in an interview. FCC staffers updated NATOA on local-federal engagement efforts.
A draft NPRM on automatic frequency coordination (AFC) in the 6 GHz band, set for a Sept. 30 vote, is an important next step for the band, said representatives of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) in a call with an aide to acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. They “encouraged the FCC to continue to work rapidly and to expedite AFC certification so that the full range of unlicensed devices may commence operations in the 6 GHz band while ensuring protection of incumbent services,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. Standard power operations permitted by AFC “will support outdoor, indoor higher power, and indoor connectorized antenna deployments,” DSA said. Representatives of Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Aruba and Federated Wireless were on the call.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, the biggest question mark as the agency considers a draft order and Further NPRM on the 4.9 GHz band, indicated Wednesday he may support a proposal to take another look at the band, teed up for a Sept. 30 commissioner vote. Carr was the lone dissenter (see 2105270071) when the FCC stayed rules OK’d last year giving states control.
The FCC unanimously approved an order and NPRM on FY2021 regulatory fees released Thursday, shelving a proposed increase to broadcaster fees (see 2108260050), adopting subcategories of non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite regulatory fees based on system complexity, and seeking comment in docket 21-190 on getting regulatory fees from tech companies and unlicensed device manufacturers in the future. A proceeding on extending the payer base of fees is likely to be a struggle, said Pillsbury broadcast attorney Scott Flick, who represented state broadcast associations in the reg fee proceeding. “Almost any result would be better than the current approach,” he said.