Space Debris Order and Curbing Misrouted Calls to 911 Top January FCC Meeting Agenda

FCC commissioners this month will tackle mitigating risks from space debris and potentially controversial rules addressing misrouted wireless calls to 911, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday in her “Notes from the FCC.” Also on the Jan. 25 open meeting agenda are mandatory outage reporting rules and revised rules for the 70/80/90 GHz bands. Rounding out the meeting is a judicatory matter from the Media Bureau and five enforcement items.

Calling space junk “one of the biggest threats to new space-based innovation and services,” Rosenworcel said the January meeting’s debris draft order is aimed at providing “clarity and guidance to satellite operators on compliance with our orbital debris rules.”

“We’re dramatically reducing mis-routed 911 calls,” Rosenworcel said. Wireless calls to 911 “are typically routed to the emergency call center associated with the cell tower that received the call, which can cost emergency responders valuable time when calls and texts don’t initially go to the nearest first responders,” she said: “The Commission will consider rules requiring the use of more precise location-based information from cellphones, instead of cell towers, to route 911 calls and texts where they need to go and improve emergency response times.”

In December 2022, commissioners voted 4-0 to approve a location-based routing (LBR) NPRM (see 2212210047). In comments last year, CTIA and groups representing small carriers raised concerns about LBR's costs and implementation issues (see 2302170044). Major carriers said they’re already starting to implement LBR.

The proposed rules had the strong support of APCO and the National Emergency Number Association. The Alaska Telecom Association raised particular concerns about the effects on that state, where public safety answering point overlap is rarely an issue (see 2303210044).

The chairwoman said the outage reporting rules proposal on the January agenda would require certain communications providers to report outages, moving from the current voluntary reporting regime. She said the item also would propose expanded reporting from other providers.

The FCC is “enabling creative new uses of underutilized airwaves” in the “so-called 70/80/90 GHz bands,” Rosenworcel said. “The Commission is always looking to promote the efficient use of spectrum and to provide opportunities for the development of new broadband service options,” she said: “We will consider updates to our rules … that would facilitate broadband access on ships and aircrafts, in addition to backhaul service for 5G.” Commissioners will vote on an order and Further NPRM.

In October, the Wireless Bureau asked for a record refresh on the bands (see 2310180039), which were also the topic of a 2020 NPRM (see 2006090032). NTIA in a letter last week to the FCC reiterated its support for "modernizing and expanding access” to the bands, provided that Earth exploration satellite service, federal fixed satellite service and military uses are protected (see 2401020033).