The FCC took USF actions and made proposals intended to help rural telcos provide broadband-oriented service and to improve high-cost subsidy program operations. Dissenting Democrats said their requests for changes to an NPRM went unheeded. Chairman Ajit Pai said the minority members waited too long to make their suggestions, a charge they denied. The commission Friday released two orders and a notice (here) that provide up to $545 million in additional support to rate-of-return carriers, flesh out expense and investment cost-recovery restrictions, and aim to examine the rural USF budget and a possible tribal broadband factor. The item appears largely consistent with a draft (see 1801160040 and 1801170048).
The FCC proposed to create at least one database of reassigned numbers to help businesses reduce unwanted robocalls. The vote on a Further NPRM was nearly unanimous. But Commissioner Mike O'Rielly questioned the database's utility after a recent court ruling, and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel partially dissented, arguing "so much more" can be done. Adopted at Thursday's meeting (see 1803220027 and 1803220037), the FNPRM appears to closely track a draft.
The FCC approved on 5-0 votes a Further NPRM on the 4.9 GHz public safety band and an order eliminating the personal-use restriction on provider-specific consumer signal boosters, as expected (see 1803190053). The former item was changed at the request of Commissioner Mike O’Rielly since a draft was circulated to sharpen its focus on reallocating the spectrum for commercial use. An item to pave the way for 5G equipment had a 3-2 vote (see 1803220027) while another item on robocalling drew commissioner concerns (see 1803220028).
The FCC approved changes to wireless infrastructure rules, aimed at speeding deployment of small cells to pave the way for 5G, 3-2 Thursday over dissents by Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, as expected (see 1803070044). Both said the order had problems that need to be fixed and a vote should have been postponed. Tribes and groups representing local and state governments raised repeated objections. Security removed a protester complaining about RF issues after the vote at what was a lightly attended meeting. A robocalling FNPRM also drew some concerns (see 1803220028), while some other items were less controversial (see 1803220037).
FCC Republicans welcomed partial court reversal of a 2015 robocalling order that fleshed out regulations for the Telephone Consumer Protection Act's general prohibition against using automated dialing devices to make uninvited calls. Chairman Ajit Pai said he's "pleased" the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Friday rejected the prior commission's "misguided decision" and "regulatory overreach." Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, who along with Pai dissented in 2015, said he's "heartened" by the ruling, and Commissioner Brendan Carr said the court "corrected" an error. They favored further FCC actions to combat illegal robocalling, as did Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, though she didn't extol the court decision. Some telecom industry attorneys also hailed the ruling while consumer advocates were wary.
FCC Republicans welcomed partial court reversal of a 2015 robocalling order that fleshed out regulations for the Telephone Consumer Protection Act's general prohibition against using automated dialing devices to make uninvited calls. Chairman Ajit Pai said he's "pleased" the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Friday rejected the prior commission's "misguided decision" and "regulatory overreach." Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, who along with Pai dissented in 2015, said he's "heartened" by the ruling, and Commissioner Brendan Carr said the court "corrected" an error. They favored further FCC actions to combat illegal robocalling, as did Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, though she didn't extol the court decision. Some telecom industry attorneys also hailed the ruling while consumer advocates were wary.
The Commerce Department strongly supports Doreen Bogdan-Martin as director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (ITU-D), NTIA Administrator David Redl said Thursday. Bogdan Martin has been campaigning for the post, running one of the three ITU sectors (see 1710230052) in an upcoming ITU election. But Bogdan-Martin likely faces an uphill fight, since the ITU-D job usually goes to someone from Africa, and Americans have never had an easy time getting elected to ITU positions.
Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC hopes to hold an auction of the 28 GHz band in November, followed immediately by a 24 GHz auction. But Pai, at the Mobile World Congress, Monday, said doing so relies on Congress passing legislation by May 13 giving the agency the ability to handle upfront payments. On a third band, NTIA Administrator David Redl said Monday his agency will study the 3450-3550 MHz band for wireless broadband. It sits just below the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service frequencies, a focus of the commission.
Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC hopes to hold an auction of the 28 GHz band in November, followed immediately by a 24 GHz auction. But Pai, at the Mobile World Congress, Monday, said doing so relies on Congress passing legislation by May 13 giving the agency the ability to handle upfront payments. On a third band, NTIA Administrator David Redl said Monday his agency will study the 3450-3550 MHz band for wireless broadband. It sits just below the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service frequencies, a focus of the commission.
Net neutrality litigation flared Thursday after Federal Register publication of the FCC’s December "Restoring Internet Freedom" order, as expected (see 1802210057). New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) announced he and 22 other Democratic AGs filed their petition for review at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The order is “arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act,” and violates the Constitution, Communications Act and notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements of 5 U.S. Code § 553, the AGs said.