NAB’s call for an FCC task force on ATSC 3.0 appears to have broad support and is aimed at both the FCC and the consumer electronics industry, said both supporters and critics of ATSC 3.0 in interviews (see 2301260049). “A ‘NextGen Broadcast Acceleration Task Force’ is a good first step along with a firm signal to the marketplace that 1.0 service will end on a date certain,” emailed One Media Executive Vice President-Strategic and Legal Affairs Jerald Fritz. An FCC 3.0 task force could gather more information on the transition and where 3.0 and broadcast TV are going, said frequent 3.0 opponent Michael Calabrese, of New America’s Open Technology Institute.
There should be closer coordination between government agencies and emergency alert system manufacturers on “validation, disclosure and the action steps” for future public warning cybersecurity vulnerabilities, said EAS equipment manufacturer Digital Alert Systems (DAS) in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, according to an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 15-94. Vulnerabilities connected with DAS equipment were discussed at a hacking convention and the subject of FCC and Federal Emergency Management Agency notices to broadcasters last year (see 2301300054). “During the conversation, we confirmed that to the best of our knowledge, these vulnerabilities have not resulted in any actual compromise of the EAS,” DAS said. The company said it has been providing security patches to users without cost, and users haven't needed a major upgrade for the past three years. DAS also said the agency should bring back the National Advisory Committee to make recommendations on public warning system matters, and the FCC should oversee security certifications for EAS manufacturers.
The outlook for both the lower and upper 12 GHz bands remain unclear, with the FCC and Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel providing little guidance in recent months on next steps in either band. The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition has been relatively quiet this year and there have been few filings in docket 20-443 exploring the lower band.
Citing “serious flaws” in the rates database for the FCC’s rural healthcare telecom program, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday the agency is fixing the issue "for good" (see 2301230045). Commissioners during their open meeting adopted an order on reconsideration and NPRM on streamlining and improving the program's funding mechanism. Commissioners also denied several petitions for reconsideration as moot. Also approved 4-0 was an NPRM about extending 911-like outage reporting requirements to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The FCC committed more than $40 million in additional Emergency Connectivity Fund support Thursday. The new funding will support more than 275 schools, 15 libraries and five consortiums from the third application filing window, said a news release. “This program has equipped millions of students with the digital tools they need for afterschool homework and connecting with teachers,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel: “Today’s funding round is another step in our ongoing work to close the homework gap.”
The FCC is seeking comment on revised rules for carriers to report data breaches. The NPRM, released Friday and approved 4-0 last month, proposes eliminating the “outdated” seven-business-day mandatory waiting period before notifying customers of a breach and requiring the reporting of inadvertent but harmful breaches to the FCC, FBI and Secret Service.
The FCC released a long-expected NPRM Wednesday seeking comment on proposed service rules allowing the use of the 5030-5091 MHz band by drones, which was approved by commissioners Dec. 23 (see 2212230035). Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the NPRM takes a broad look at the use of spectrum by unmanned aircraft systems. It asks more than 160 questions about future use of the band and other spectrum by drones.
An NPRM on out-of-band emissions limits into the 24 GHz band, proposed by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel a year ago, remains on hold at the FCC. She circulated the NPRM Dec. 27, 2021, but it has yet to get the required four votes. Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks have voted for the item, but Republicans Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington haven’t voted. NTIA endorsed the limits, on behalf of NASA, NOAA and the National Science Foundation.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said the FCC is on the right track in targeting robotext scams, the focus of a recent NPRM (see 2212120029). “Robotexts are a particularly dangerous avenue for scams and fraud, costing the American people more than $131 million in 2021 alone,” Schatz said in a letter to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, posted Wednesday in docket 21-402. “The FCC must do everything in its power to protect the public from robotext scams,” he said. The proposals in the NPRM “are the types of steps we need in continuing to battle robotext scams,” Schatz said: “By building on your work countering robocalls, you can ensure that no one ever receives texts from numbers that are invalid, unallocated, unused, or on a Do-Not-Originate (DNO) list. Texts from these numbers are surely illegal or unwanted, and it makes sense that mobile wireless carriers should block them. Similarly, you can close the door to scammers spoofing legitimate numbers by ensuring robust ID authentication for text messages, similar to the protocol used for phone calls.”
The Senate appeared poised to pass as soon as Wednesday an FY 2023 appropriations omnibus package that includes another short-term extension of the FCC’s spectrum auction authority, though the situation remained fluid late that afternoon amid continued wrangling over potential votes on amendments to the measure. Lawmakers agreed to attach a renewal the FCC’s remit through March 9, after an objection from Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., derailed a negotiated deal to include a modified version of the chamber's version of the Spectrum Innovation Act (S-4117) and other related measures (see 2212200077).