Expect to see fewer big interagency spectrum disputes under the President Joe Biden administration, and the FCC taking a lot more action on delegated authority, with the commissioners being split 2-2, agency watchers said in a Georgetown University-hosted webinar Thursday looking at likely policy issues for the next commission. Many said the 2-2 commission won't inherently lead to political deadlock.
The FCC voted 5-0 Thursday, as expected (see 2012080070), to put in place a system to replace insecure equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in U.S. networks. Commissioners agreed the FCC still has work to do. Congress hasn't funded a program to pay for the equipment removed. The Rural Wireless Association noted that the order doesn’t require carriers to replace equipment until replacement is funded.
Backers and some critics of Ajit Pai agreed he was a particularly effective FCC chairman, leaving behind a legacy of major accomplishments and changes. Pai announced Monday he will step down on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20 (see 2011300020). Supporters said his scorecard includes enacting policies that accelerated broadband deployment and steering the agency through the pandemic.
Backers and some critics of Ajit Pai agreed he was a particularly effective FCC chairman, leaving behind a legacy of major accomplishments and changes. Pai announced Monday he will step down on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20 (see 2011300020). Supporters said his scorecard includes enacting policies that accelerated broadband deployment and steering the agency through the pandemic.
The FCC released the three draft items Chairman Ajit Pai is proposing for the Dec. 10 meeting (see 2011180065). The meeting will be headlined by a report and order implementing the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, with an NPRM on equipment certification rules and an order on ATSC 3.0 datacasting. Industry officials said it's unclear whether FCC Democrats will consider any of the drafts controversial or major items that should be left for next year under the new commission.
5G security is the major focus of the FCC’s Dec. 10 meeting, Ajit Pai said Wednesday. The chairman released a skinny agenda by recent standards and won't further liberalize rules for Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band, which had looked more in doubt in recent days (see 2011130045). Like the 5.9 GHz order, 6 GHz has been controversial and faced opposition from incumbents unhappy with the April order opening the band. December will also feature an order on ATSC 3.0 datacasting.
The FCC on Wednesday approved 5-0 opening 45 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi, while allocating 30 MHz for cellular vehicle-to-everything, as expected (see 2011170058). Commissioners overruled the Department of Transportation, which asked that the band be preserved for safety applications. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said the order was tweaked to speed use of the spectrum for C-V2X, and he would have preferred to see more changes. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks voted to concur. Wi-Fi advocates said the FCC appeared to approve a change they sought that will make it easier to convert routers to use the spectrum.
The FCC approved a 5G Fund as expected Tuesday, with partial dissents by Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks (see 2010230056). Commissioners also approved revised TV white spaces rules 5-0, raising additional questions in a Further NPRM, including on the use of the Longley-Rice irregular terrain model for looking at interference (see 2010220048).
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Tuesday the agency thinks it's on a strong legal foundation for whatever challenge may come after its 3-2 approval of a net neutrality remand order, despite an expected legal challenge or reconsideration petition (see 2010150026). The two Democratic commissioners dissented. There also were full or partial dissents to decisions ending some ILEC unbundling and resale requirements with varying transition periods for different network elements, a robocalls enforcement order wireless infrastructure rules and the 5G Fund creation (see 2010270034). But there was no clash on other orders. No approved order texts were released Tuesday.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Tuesday the agency thinks it's on a strong legal foundation for whatever challenge may come after its 3-2 approval of a net neutrality remand order, despite an expected legal challenge or reconsideration petition (see 2010150026). The two Democratic commissioners dissented. There also were full or partial dissents to decisions ending some ILEC unbundling and resale requirements with varying transition periods for different network elements, a robocalls enforcement order wireless infrastructure rules and the 5G Fund creation (see 2010270034). But there was no clash on other orders. No approved order texts were released Tuesday.