Senate Communications Subcommittee member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and other members of the Hawaii congressional delegation during a Thursday field hearing touted a set of bills they say are aimed at addressing issues with the emergency alert system highlighted during a January false alarm about a possible ballistic missile headed for the state (see 1801160054 and 1803160042).
A planned Thursday Senate Commerce Committee field hearing on the January false alarm about a possible ballistic missile headed for Hawaii (see 1801160054 and 1803160042) is aimed as much at shaping legislation to address issues with the emergency alert system (EAS) highlighted in the incident as it is at answering lingering questions about the event, lawmakers and others told us. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. at the East-West Center’s Keoni Auditorium in Honolulu.
In its approval last week of SpaceX's planned mega constellation of 4,425 satellites, the FCC voiced concerns about the increasing orbital debris issues from the expected proliferation of smallsats. And orbital debris and satellite experts said they expect the agency could look at requiring significantly shorter de-orbiting windows for non-geostationary satellites as it considers an orbital debris NPRM (see 1801160030). The FCC didn't comment. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel is pushing the agency for a comprehensive orbital debris and collision policy.
In its approval last week of SpaceX's planned mega constellation of 4,425 satellites, the FCC voiced concerns about the increasing orbital debris issues from the expected proliferation of smallsats. And orbital debris and satellite experts said they expect the agency could look at requiring significantly shorter de-orbiting windows for non-geostationary satellites as it considers an orbital debris NPRM (see 1801160030). The FCC didn't comment. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel is pushing the agency for a comprehensive orbital debris and collision policy.
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 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.