The FCC moved forward 3-2 on another leftover issue Thursday evening, proposing fines against 10 entities for allegedly violating educational broadband service rules. All apparently didn't "provide the educational services” required. They "apparently failed to meet their obligations to maintain local program committees to inform the use of their respective licenses in the 2.5 GHz band.” Commissioner Brendan Carr raised issues in 2019 about how some EBS licensees are using the spectrum. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks slammed the move, with Joe Biden's administration starting Jan. 20.
FCC members condemned violence erupting on Capitol Hill by pro-Trump forces Wednesday. And now two FCC GOP members have explicitly acknowledged that, contrary to President Donald Trump's wishes, Joe Biden is slated to become the next president in a few weeks. See our news bulletin here. Before recent days, those commissioners were largely silent on the issue.
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s dissent from a 3-2 order updating FCC rules for application fees relies on “a misnomer,” Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement released with the order Tuesday. The order, stemming from provisions of Ray Baum’s Act, creates a streamlined schedule of application fees, paring down eight fee categories to five and reducing the total number of fees from 450 to 173. Rosenworcel said the order was largely “thoughtful and smart,” but she dissented in part based on its increasing the cost of filing “a formal consumer complaint” to $540. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks dissented in part as well. “I believe consumers should be able to avail themselves of this process, but a fee of this size is unjust and could easily deter them from doing so,” Rosenworcel said in a statement with the item. In his statement, Pai said the complaint form that she referenced “doesn’t exist.” The FCC has a two-track process wherein consumers file free informal complaints, while formal complaints cost a fee and “create a trial-like process to adjudicate a dispute and are not designed for nor used by consumers,” Pai said. The FCC’s consumer complaint website says consumers unsatisfied with the agency’s response to informal complaints can file formal ones but warns that parties filing formal complaints “usually are represented by lawyers or experts in communications law” and the FCC's procedural rules. Pai said no consumer filed a formal complaint in 2019 or 2020, but thousands of informal ones were filed. “Remember, in taking this step we’re following the law as set forth by Congress,” Pai said. Rosenworcel’s office didn’t comment. Rosenworcel and Pai disagreed about complaint fees in a 2018 order amending the complaint process and in the NPRM phase of Tuesday’s order, when Pai castigated Rosenworcel for not informing his office of her objections to the proposal until late in the process (see 2008260073).
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated a neutral NPRM on the 12 GHz band late last week, plus a notice on bidding procedures for the 2.5 GHz auction, attempting to close out two more spectrum items before he leaves office Jan. 20. The two items had been rumored candidates for the January commissioners’ meeting (see 2012210051) but didn’t make the agenda. With Democrats poised to take control of the FCC, industry experts said the question is whether they will allow the items to get a vote or ask for a delay until the new administration. The timing of both items would allow Pai to force a vote under must-vote rules, though he still has the option of putting them on the Jan. 13 meeting agenda.
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.