Reconsider net neutrality rules, Public Knowledge petitioned for FCC reconsideration Monday. Incompas filed similar last week (see 2102050042). The commission "failed to follow proper procedure" when it issued a public notice to "refresh" the record rather than adopt an NPRM, PK argued. "In its rush to get its deregulatory orders out the door, the commission cut many procedural corners," said Kathleen Burke, PK policy counsel, in a statement: "This alone provides ground for the FCC to reopen and reverse its previous determinations."
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comment by Feb. 20 on Zoom's request to access North American numbering plan phone numbers in Arizona and Georgia, a public notice said Friday on docket 20-419.
Reinstate broadband internet access service's Title II telecom service classification and reestablish net neutrality rules, Incompas asked the FCC in a docket 17-108 filing emailed Friday. Larger providers have "the incentive and ability to harm competition and consumers as they have done in the past and will continue to do so in the future" if the commission doesn't reinstate the rules under Communications Act Title II, Incompas said in its petition for reconsideration on the commission's 2017 net neutrality repeal (see 2101070067). "It's time for the FCC to right a wrong, look to the future, and listen to the overwhelming majority of Americans who support bipartisan open internet protections," said CEO Chip Pickering.
The FCC Wireline Bureau announced additional details about its upcoming roundtable on the emergency broadband benefit program in a public notice Friday (see 2101280035). All commissioners are expected to give opening remarks. The Feb. 12 event will be divided into two 50-minute Q&A panels. The first will address outreach and consumer enrollment with CTIA, Microsoft Airband, Cherokee Nation, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Comcast, National Consumer Law Center and the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. The second panel will address broadband provider participation and "maximizing consumers' choice of robust broadband to meet their current needs" with Starry, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, AT&T, NCTA, NTCA, Navajo Nation and Next Century Cities.
The FCC is seeking comment by Feb. 18, replies by Feb. 25, on Zona's request for transfer of control to Wyyerd, said a public notice in Thursday's Daily Digest on docket 21-25.
The North American Numbering Council met Thursday to discuss costs, feasibility and consumer privacy issues of the 988 suicide prevention hotline that goes live in July 2022. Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel thanked NANC for its work on this front: “I’m glad the FCC has been working on it for years and glad for the work my predecessor has done on it as well.” The commission is required to submit a report to Congress by April that includes 988 geolocation (see 2101130051). NANC members largely agreed that additional discussion is needed about the technological challenges, policy issues and potential costs before making a recommendation. Wireline voice service providers have a “significant history” of providing location information for a 911 call, but “it’s not just as easy as leveraging that system and flipping a switch” for the hotline, said Kristine Hackman, USTelecom vice president-policy and advocacy. Privacy concerns about automatic location information “warrant further consideration” by the commission, said Matt Gerst, CTIA vice president-regulatory affairs. “There are privacy questions and a lot of folks saying people in a mental health crisis want to maintain their privacy,” Gerst said: “It’s not the same as a 911 call.” Time can be “critically of the essence” for a call placed to a crisis center, said James Wright, acting deputy director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Crisis Line, and at times, there can be a “significant challenge” in trying to identify a caller's location. Operational questions must be answered on how a 988 call affects callers because it's a “highly complex issue,” said Comcast's Tim Kagele, co-chair of the North American Portability Management (see 2101110055). He cited call routing. It’s important to understand what's necessary to facilitate a call and how it’s used appropriately, said Philip Linse, Lumen director-public policy. Call centers might need the ability to transfer a call placed to 911 that involves a mental health crisis, Linse said. Glenn Clepper, Charter director-regulatory, said the FCC should have industry experts to identify operational requirements. The commission could consider using a general fund to cover operational costs instead of applying fees to telecom services or on access lines or channels rather than phone numbers and capping the total number of lines per customer in which a state should impose fees, Clepper said.
Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Nathan Simington visited Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to promote telehealth services for pediatrics, a news release said. Children's National Hospital won funding through the COVID-19 Telehealth Program in May to support 15 healthcare sites.
TelAlaska is “reviewing what steps are necessary to remove and replace any Huawei covered equipment in its network while fulfilling its commitments as part of the Alaska Plan,” the carrier said in an update posted Tuesday in docket 16-271.
The FCC Wireline Bureau seeks comment by Feb. 17, replies 10 days later, in docket 18-156 on USTelecom's petition for reconsideration of part of an 8YY access charge order, says Tuesday's Federal Register. The group asks the commission to reconsider its revenue recovery mechanism for price cap carriers.
The FCC is seeking comment March 3, replies April 2, in docket 13-24 on minimum performance standards for IP captioned telephone services and whether performance assessments should be carried out by the commission, individual providers or another entity, says Monday's Federal Register.