Public safety groups and carriers continue to clash on what actions, if any, the FCC should take to ensure use of location-based routing (LBR) to 911 call centers. The disagreement surfaced in replies to a June public notice, approved by commissioners 4-0 (see 2206080040). T-Mobile warned that no consensus is emerging as a result of the record refresh.
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House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and other House Commerce Committee members urged the chamber Tuesday to pass the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624) by a lopsided bipartisan margin ahead of floor votes as soon as that evening on several telecom and tech measures. The House planned floor votes on HR-7624 and two other telecom and tech bills on the docket: the Reporting Attacks from Nations Selected for Oversight and Monitoring Web Attacks and Ransomware from Enemies Act (HR-4551) and Safe Connections Act (HR-7132). The chamber was also expected to consider the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-4990). The Rules Committee, meanwhile, began considering Tuesday afternoon a set of proposed amendments to the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act (HR-4040) amid Republicans’ concerns that the measure didn’t first get House Commerce clearance.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is focused on border gateway protocol (BGP) security and resilience and welcomes the FCC’s recent focus on gateway issues (see 2204110057), said CISA Executive Director Brandon Wales during an NTCA webinar Monday. The webinar was sponsored by the Competitive Carriers Association, the Rural Wireless Association, the Wireless ISP Association and other groups, and targeted small carriers.
If Eutelsat and OneWeb move forward to combine, it likely won’t face big regulatory headwinds in the U.S., satellite experts told us. Eutelsat on Monday confirmed talks between the two. Under the deal's proposed terms, shareholders of each company would hold 50% of the combined group’s shares.
Eighteen wireless carriers and stakeholders are urging Congress to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program amid ongoing concerns about the FCC’s final estimate that lawmakers will need to appropriate an additional $3.08 billion to pay the costs of replacing the unsecure equipment (see 2207150067). Industry experts told us the outlook on whether Congress will act on the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) or other proposals to provide additional funding is unclear, but the risk for industry and negative implications for closing the digital divide are real.
California Assemblymember Jim Wood (D) wondered if environmental review hurdles to building the state’s middle-mile network might warrant legislative attention. At a California Middle-Mile Advisory Committee virtual meeting Friday, Wood said he doesn’t understand why placing conduit along a highway would require California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and other reviews. “Highway projects already are massively invasive on the environment and there have to have been cultural studies in these highway projects at some point in the past as well,” he said. “Why do we have to repeat things? How much more of an environmental impact could the trenching or the placement of conduit have than building the original highways?” A presentation by California Department of Transportation Division Chief-Design Janice Benton estimated 30 months for permitting, including a 17-month CEQA review. Wood worries about the state finishing projects before it must return federal funding, he said. “If there’s something we need to do more as a legislature to give you more tools to move this thing along, please tell us.” Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) agreed with the need for urgency. “The frustration … or fear is that we’re going to run out of time.” Earlier at the meeting, Quirk-Silva praised progress made and a California budget signed June 30 that included another $550 million for the middle-mile project over the next two fiscal years. It brings total funding to $3.8 billion, “which will be vital in helping the state address the cost increases for the project,” said Mark Monroe, California Technology Department Broadband Middle-Mile Initiative deputy director. The California Public Utilities Commission will start taking applications Aug. 1 for the state’s new $50 million local and tribal technical assistance fund, CPUC program manager Jonathan Lakritz told the committee. On July 1, the CPUC received 99 project applications seeking about $28.6 million total for broadband adoption and digital equity grants, plus 19 applications seeking about $1.4 million in grants for public housing and low-income community projects, he said.
The Fox Nation direct-to-consumer subscription VOD service is now available on FuboTV, Fox National President Jason Klarman announced Thursday. The $5.99 monthly SVOD service includes Fox’s original news and entertainment series plus prime-time shows on demand the next day. Subscribers can access Fox Nation on the FuboTV app on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and the web.
Crisis call centers around the nation are seeing increases in traffic since the official launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (see 2207150036), with steeper growth expected to follow. Some crisis centers said the promotion of 988 for any mental health crisis intervention and not just suicide prevention will likely be a big driver of increased communications volumes over time.
The record is clear that performance measurements proposed in a Further NPRM on wireless emergency alerts are “incompatible with the existing WEA system and could raise privacy concerns,” CTIA said in reply comments. Comments were posted Wednesday in docket 15-91 on the April FNPRM (see 2204190053). In initial comments, APCO and the National Weather Service asked the agency to impose reporting requirements on carriers (see 2206220033).
Industry disagreed whether the FCC should consider an Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM) Broadband Coalition proposal to extend the program through increased deployment obligations in exchange for additional funding (see 2205190023). Some sought to expand eligibility to carriers receiving other high-cost USF support, in comments posted Tuesday in docket 10-90. Others said the FCC should defer new high-cost support until programs funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are completed.