FCC Posts A-CAM, Other Drafts for Votes at May 19 Meeting

A draft FCC NPRM would seek comment on an Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) Broadband Coalition proposal to establish an "Enhanced" A-CAM program, if adopted during the May 19 commissioners' meeting (see 2010300055). The proposal would "achieve widespread deployment of faster 100/20 Mbps broadband service" in rural areas currently receiving A-CAM support, said a fact sheet Thursday. Also on tap are orders updating priority calling rules and clamping down on robocalls. Another order would allow computer modeling to verify the pattern of FM directional antennas.

The A-CAM Broadband Coalition's proposal "may be an efficient means of funding deployment in a manner complementary to other federal and state efforts," said the draft NPRM. It noted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act "created several pathways" to fund broadband deployment. The item would seek comment on the proposal and how to implement it in a manner that "works in concert" with other programs, including NTIA's broadband, equity, access, and deployment program. Carriers receiving this support would deploy 100% of eligible locations identified in the broadband serviceable location fabric, which will "ensure that the location counts are more accurate than the data upon which the commission developed previous deployment obligations," the draft said.

If adopted, the NPRM would also "initiate a targeted inquiry" into the "management and administration of the high-cost program." It would seek comment whether the program's framework "continues to be an appropriate method of calculating support going forward," and whether there should be changes to reporting requirements, merger reviews between rate-of-return LECs, and performance testing requirements. Comments would be due 30 days after Federal Register publication, 45 days for replies.

Also on the agenda are additional steps aimed at curbing suspected illegal robocalls: two draft orders, an order on reconsideration, and Further NPRM. "[R]educing illegal robocalls that originate abroad is one of the most vexing challenges we face in tackling the problem of illegal robocalls," said one draft order. If adopted, it would require gateway providers to submit plans to the robocall mitigation database and implement Stir/Shaken caller ID authentication "to all unauthenticated foreign-originated session initiation protocol ... calls with U.S. North American numbering plan numbers." Gateway providers would also need to respond to traceback requests in 24 hours, the draft said. The definition of a gateway provider would be "slightly modified" from what was proposed in an earlier FNPRM.

The draft on reconsideration would end the pause on the foreign provider prohibition. It would also deny a petition for reconsideration from CTIA, while denying in part and dismissing a petition for reconsideration by Voice on the Net Coalition (see 2109300069). Another draft order would make a "ministerial change to a codified rule" that corrects "an inadvertent typographical error and spell out an undefined acronym."

The draft FNPRM would seek comment on extending the caller ID authentication requirement to "cover domestic intermediate providers that are not gateway providers in the call path." It also would seek comment on replacing the existing rule that intermediate providers "have the option to authenticate rather than cooperate with traceback efforts."

The FCC also released a draft report and order updating telecom service priority (TSP), wireless priority service (WPS) and government emergency telecommunications service (GETS) rules for the digital era. The FCC sought comment in 2020, during the Donald Trump administration (see 2007160045).

The order authorizes providers to “prioritize data, video, and IP-based voice services, for eligible users, on a voluntary basis” and removes “outdated requirements that may cause confusion or otherwise impede the use of IP-based technologies,” the FCC said. It updates commission rules “to reflect the current administrative responsibilities for the priority services program” and would “modify the descriptions of priority levels and qualifying criteria to expand WPS eligibility to additional users, particularly those with response and restoration roles.”

“The priority services rules have long been in need of an update to account for changes in technology,” the draft said: “These rules were originally developed when communications networks were primarily based on circuit-switched technologies. As such, the rules do not address the advanced capabilities of next-generation communications technologies that support data and voice services, or the ability of users at different priority levels to share network capacity and resources.”

Among the policy cuts, the draft declines to adopt reporting requirements, as had been requested by NTIA (see 1807100040). “While we recognize the potential benefits of collecting provisioning and restoration data, commenters raise questions about the cost, efficacy, and utility of reporting requirements, and the record does not include sufficient information to rebut these objections.” Critical infrastructure companies would now be eligible to take part in the WPS program.

The draft said the FCC decided to address the relationship between WPS and FirstNet after the issue was raised in comments on the NPRM. “The WPS rules only apply to service providers that voluntarily elect to participate in WPS,” it said: “FirstNet is a separate program with distinct statutory authority to operate the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network and to offer prioritization to first responders.”

A draft order allowing computer modeling to verify the pattern of FM directional antennas would allow only antenna manufacturers to perform the modeling, and would still require construction of full-size or scale models the first time the pattern of a particular type of antenna is verified using a particular modeling software. “We find that our action today provides the least disruptive means to update licensing of FM stations with directional antennas,” said the draft order. The order doesn’t require use of any specific software. The draft rejects concerns raised by antenna manufacturer ERI (Electronics Research Inc.) about increased interference. “We believe that by requiring initial computer models of antennas and components using a particular modeling software to be verified by measurements, ERI’s concerns are sufficiently addressed,” the draft said.