FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel showed no willingness Tuesday to abandon a March Further NPRM that would ban bulk billing arrangements between ISPs and multi-dwelling unit owners (see 2403050069) despite bipartisan criticism during a House Communications Subcommittee hearing. She was similarly unmoved by GOP skepticism about a proposal requiring disclosure of AI-generated content in political ads (see 2405220061). During the hearing, Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr called for the FCC to backtrack on both proposals because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision and other rulings (see 2407080039).
FCC commissioners will vote July 18 on a notice seeking comment on uniform, industrywide handset unlocking requirements, as expected (see 2406250049), FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced Wednesday in her Note from the FCC. Commissioners will also vote on a controversial proposal allowing schools and libraries to use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services, a plan to cut the cost of correctional institution phone rates and rules to improve video programming accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing. Next-generation 911 rounds out the agenda.
The FCC Wednesday notified certified spectrum access system administrators in the citizens broadband service band that they are now permitted to implement changes to the existing aggregate interference model used to protect federal operations in the band. Among the changes, SAS administrators may now assume an 80% time division duplex activity factor and 20% network loading factor for each CBRS device in the aggregate interference calculation, said a notice from the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology. Administrators may use median irregular terrain model terrain dependent propagation loss “using reliability and confidence factors of 0.5 -- to calculate the aggregate received power levels” within a protection area. The FCC urged administrators to submit a demonstration of their ability to implement the new testing parameters in docket 15-319. NTIA approved the changes in a letter to the FCC posted Wednesday. “The changes outlined … will expand Internet access to more people across the country,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson: “They could not have been implemented without the collaboration of the Navy and our ongoing coordination with the FCC.” The change will expand use of the band to tens of millions of Americans, said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The CBRS dynamic spectrum sharing framework is already fertile ground for wireless innovation, and through collaboration with [DOD], NTIA, and stakeholders, we are expanding opportunities for reliable spectrum access while also ensuring that federal incumbents remain protected,” she said. The changes authorize service to approximately 72 million more POPs and expand the total unencumbered CBRS area to roughly 240 million POPs nationwide, the agencies said. CBRS is a prime example of how industry and government can coordinate on spectrum, Ira Keltz, deputy chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology said Wednesday at the International Symposium on Advanced Radio Technologies (ISART) conference in Denver. When CBRS started, the initial exclusion zones were “huge” and would have excluded 75% of POPs, he said. NTIA, working with engineers, was able to reduce the size of the zones so that CBRS made more sense, industry was willing to invest, and the Navy felt comfortable that its radars would be protected, Keltz said. “It just really comes down to people being open-minded,” he said. Derek Khlopin, NTIA deputy associate administrator, noted the work to make CBRS work better. “These improvements we’ve made have been phenomenal,” he said, also at the ISART conference. He credited the Navy for its willingness to work with the NTIA and the FCC. “With little ‘greenfield’ spectrum available yet ever-increasing demand for spectrum-driven utilizations, sharing allows more efficient use of limited spectrum resources,” emailed Richard Bernhardt, vice president-spectrum and industry at the Wireless ISP Association: The development “will provide more predictability and allow for approximately 72 million additional people to be covered by CBRS without having to move or change power due to Federal operations.”
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announces retirements of Mark Nadel, attorney-adviser, Wireline Bureau, and Diane Burstein, deputy chief, Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau … NAB announces election results, including newly elected to radio board: Collin Jones, Cumulus Media executive vice president-corporate strategy and development/Westwood One president, chair; Kevin Perry, Perry Publishing and Broadcasting president-CEO, first vice chair; and Leonard Wheeler, Mel Wheeler president, second vice chair; to television board: Lynn Beall, Tegna executive vice president-chief operating officer, media operations, first vice chair; Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO Chris Ripley, second vice chair; RaMona Alexander, American Spirit Media vice president-general manager, WDBD and corporate programming, third vice chair.; and to designated TV network seat on executive committee: Keith Murphy, Paramount senior vice president-regulatory counsel; NAB also appoints Pilar Ramos, TelevisaUnivision executive vice president-general counsel-corporate secretary, to fill vacancy on TelevisaUnivision’s television board.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announces retirements of Mark Nadel, attorney-adviser, Wireline Bureau, and Diane Burstein, deputy chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau … C Spire promotes President Suzy Hays to CEO, effective July 1, succeeding Hu Meena, who will step up to chairman of Telapex, holding company for C Spire and Franklin Telephone … Sprinklr, unified customer experience management platform, elevates interim Chief Operating Officer Trac Pham to co-CEO alongside current CEO Ragy Thomas; Pham previously was Synopsys chief financial officer ... Celestial AI, optical interconnect technology provider, taps former Siprocal and Astra Space executive Kelyn Brannon as chief financial officer ... HG Insights, data analytics platform for tech companies, appoints former SolarWinds Chief Product Officer Rohini Kasturi as CEO and board member ... Clari, AI-powered revenue platform, hires former Envoy and Skybox Security executive Claire Darling as chief marketing officer.
The FCC on Thursday approved 3-2 a three-year, $200 million cybersecurity pilot program for schools and libraries. Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington dissented, as some had predicted (see 2406040039). The two cited concerns with the FCC using E-rate program funds for the effort. Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez indicated changes were inserted into the pilot rules at their request.
FCC commissioners approved 5-0 an NPRM Thursday that proposes barring test labs from entities on the agency’s “covered list” of unsecure companies from participating in the equipment authorization process. In addition, the FCC clamped down on political robocall violations. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, working with Commissioner Brendan Carr, proposed the lab rules (see 2405020071).
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr took the unusual step of praising, ahead of Thursday’s vote by commissioners, a draft NPRM proposing to bar test labs from entities on the agency’s “covered list” of unsecure companies from participating in the equipment authorization process. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel noted Carr’s work on the rulemaking when she announced it last month (see 2405010073). Industry officials expect the draft will receive unanimous approval Thursday. They note no one has visited the commission to protest or offer changes, based on filings in docket 24-136. “I am pleased we are taking the step of proposing that the test labs and certification bodies that review devices before they can be used in the U.S. are themselves trustworthy actors that we can rely on, including by barring those with risky ties” to China, Carr said Tuesday: “The proposal is based on time-tested precedent. The FCC has long limited foreign control of U.S. licensees in other contexts." He called it the FCC’s “Bad Labs” proposal.
A proposal that the FCC launch a rulemaking authorizing 5/5 MHz broadband deployments in the 900 MHz band received support in comments, which were due Thursday in docket 24-99. But commenters stressed that the relocation process must be voluntary, and that the rules must protect incumbents from harmful interference. The filings offer a snapshot of how 900 MHz is used today.
FCC commissioners will vote at their May 23 open meeting on an NPRM proposing labs from companies on the agency’s “covered list” of unsecure firms be barred from participating in the equipment authorization process. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr announced the NPRM Wednesday. “This new proceeding would permanently prohibit Huawei and other entities on the FCC’s Covered List from playing any role in the equipment authorization program while also providing the FCC and its national security partners the necessary tools to safeguard this important process,” a news release said. “We must ensure that our equipment authorization program and those entrusted with administering it can rise to the challenge posed by persistent and ever-changing security and supply chain threats,” Rosenworcel said. The NPRM is “another significant step in the FCC’s work to advance the security of America’s communications networks,” Carr said: It proposes “to ensure that the test labs and certification bodies that review electronic devices for compliance with FCC requirements are themselves trustworthy actors that the FCC can rely on.” The NPRM builds on a 2022 order, which bans FCC authorization of gear from companies including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hikvision and Dahua Technology (see 2211230065). Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit remanded part of that order to the FCC to further develop the definition of critical infrastructure (see 2404020068). Commissioners will also consider an adjudicatory matter from the Media Bureau, and four items from the Enforcement Bureau as part of the abbreviated agenda, per Rosenworcel's note. She thanked other commissioners for their work on national security issues. “Working together, we have enacted and enforced rules to safeguard our wired and wireless networks from communications equipment that has been determined to pose an unacceptable risk to national security,” she said.