Final FCC Supply Chain Order Makes Stronger Case Than Draft for ORAN

The FCC’s final supply chain order, posted Friday, largely adheres to the draft order, based on a side-by-side comparison, but it now makes a stronger case for open radio access networks. Commissioners approved the order 5-0 Thursday (see 2012100054). In one change, the final order now encourages providers participating in the reimbursement program to consider ORAN in procurement decisions, terming it “promising technology.” The draft simply allowed for ORAN. The final order also tweaks reimbursement eligibility rules. It adds that, among noneligible telecom carriers, “we will further prioritize funding to those that voluntarily provided the Commission with cost estimate data in response to the Supply Chain Security Information Collection over those that did not.”