House Appropriations Recommends NTIA Preserve Science Spectrum Access
The House Appropriations Committee voted 30-22 Tuesday to advance the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee's FY 2021 funding bill with report language encouraging NTIA to coordinate with the FCC and other agencies “to preserve spectrum access for scientific purposes as commercial use of radio spectrum increases.” The underlying measure allocates $45.5 million for NTIA, just under $3.7 billion for the Patent Office, $1.04 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology and almost $180.3 million for DOJ’s Antitrust Division.
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House Appropriations voted 30-22 Monday to advance the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s FY21 bill, which increases annual funding for CPB to $515 million beginning in FY 2023 (see 2007080064). The panel reported Tuesday on the Financial Services Subcommittee’s FY21 bill, which allocates funding for the FCC and FTC, before a planned Wednesday markup (see 2007100054). That measure gives $376 million to the FCC, $341 million to the FTC and includes $60 billion in broadband infrastructure grants.
The Commerce report’s call for preserving scientific spectrum noted House Appropriations “recognizes that ensuring access to key portions of spectrum for radio astronomy observations, environmental observations, and other scientific purposes is essential for scientific discovery.” Its Financial Services bill report urges President Donald Trump’s administration and the FCC “to work expeditiously to identify and make available more mid-band spectrum for 5G so that the U.S. does not fall further in the race.” Appropriations “is concerned that the U.S. is falling behind other countries in the allocation of” midband spectrum, which is a “key component of the U.S. strategy for 5G.”
House Appropriations “supports the development of secure 5G networks that are developed using technology and equipment that is verified to be secure from foreign surveillance or influence,” it said. The panel “believes it is in the best interest of the national and economic security of the [U.S.] to implement a strong national 5G strategy as outlined” in the Secure 5G and Beyond Act (S-893). House Appropriations repeated its concerns about the role of “telecommunications in hate crimes” and “reminds NTIA to include the myriad of new forms of telecommunications” in a report required under the FY 2020 Commerce funding bill (see 1912190068).
FCC
The Financial Services report has broadband-related recommendations, including on the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. House Appropriations directs the FCC to adjust RDOF “to ensure applicants, and the States in which those applicants would deploy broadband, are not put at a disadvantage when applying” based "on the State’s proactive, independent investment in broadband.” The Rural Broadband Acceleration Act (HR-7447/S-4201) would require the FCC use its preliminary March 17 list of eligible census blocks (see 2003170038) rather than future lists that might exclude areas in New York, California and elsewhere that drew challenges.
House Appropriations wants to direct the FCC to “pause implementation of any changes to the currently applicable minimum service standards for Lifeline-supported mobile broadband service and any changes in the current levels of Lifeline support for voice services” until a report required under a 2016 order (see 1604150057).
The report noted House Appropriations Financial Services’ bill includes $73 million for the FCC to implement the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act broadband mapping law (S-1822) but believes needed funding “will decline considerably in future years and expects the FCC to repurpose a significant amount of staff currently working on economic, wireline, and wireless issues to focus on broadband mapping.”
House Appropriations urges the FCC to “take steps to ensure that all cellular phones, including phones operating under a pre-paid plan with an empty balance, provide ongoing access to 911 and provide automatic location information for 911 calls.” The committee “believes meaningful change” in improving vertical location data provided to 911 dispatchers “will not occur without additional action” beyond FCC existing activities (see 1911220034).
Appropriations is concerned about issues with market modification petitions despite rules changes directed in the 2014 Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization and it directed the FCC to “adhere to statutory requirements and Congressional intent when taking administrative action related to satellite television carriage issues.” Many communities “continue to struggle with market modification petitions” and House Appropriations is “particularly concerned with the lack of clarity regarding the technical and economic feasibility requirement,” the committee said.
Robocalls
The report urged the FCC to “regularly discuss” with DOJ the collection of fines for violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act “to ensure timely collection” and report every three months to House Appropriations on “the status of collected and uncollected penalties.” The committee is “aware of significant delays in collecting and enforcing” TCPA fines.
Appropriations directs the FCC to report on “cross-border signal interference to U.S mobile providers operating in the 700 MHz band and occurring along the U.S.-Mexico border as a result of the commencement of network operations by Mexican providers, and recommendations on how to remedy any such interference.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, raised concerns last year (see 1908300054).
The report encouraged the FTC “to work with" the SEC and other stakeholders "to identify and investigate fraud related to cryptocurrencies market and discuss methods to empower and protect consumers.”
House Appropriations’ approval of the LHHS budget with a CPB funding increase “will enable public broadcasting to educate more children, protect more lives and property, and enable more well-informed citizens," said America’s Public Television Stations CEO Patrick Butler.