FCC Will Vote on 17 GHz for Satellite and Accessible Videoconferencing at Sept. Meeting
The FCC will vote this month on providing spectrum for satellite broadband and accessibility in videoconferencing, according to a note from Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Wednesday. The Sept. 26 open meeting will also include items on expanding robocall protections and allowing increased power for digital FM stations, along with seven enforcement items, the note said. The agency typically doesn’t provide information about enforcement items on the agenda until those items have been voted on.
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The satellite broadband item would allow for “high-throughput satellite communications” using 1300 MHz of spectrum in the 17 GHz band. “These changes will facilitate the deployment of high-speed broadband and other advanced satellite services, especially in remote, unserved, and underserved areas,” the note said. Amazon-owned Kuiper and Viasat have urged the FCC to allow more satellite operations in the 17 GHz band (see 2405080015), while DirecTV and Echostar have called for interference protections (see 2402280069) to come with any opening of the band.
Commissioners will consider an order and Further NPRM aimed at improving access to videoconferencing services for people with disabilities. "We know these technologies can help facilitate all kinds of interactions that are vital in modern life," Rosenworcel said. The FCC is "making sure that these services are fully accessible." The item would update the commission's accessibility performance objectives and facilitate the integrated provision of video relay service with videoconferencing, a news release said. The FCC in 2022 clarified that all services that meet the statutory definition of interoperable videoconferencing services must comply with the Communications Act's accessibility requirement (see 2306080043). The commission received a mixed response from providers last year on related proposed changes to its rules on interoperable videoconferencing (see 2310100069).
The FCC will also once again take on robocall and robotext rules, long a Rosenworcel focus. New rules would expand a requirement to block calls based on a reasonable do-not-originate list to “all U.S.-based providers in the call path.”
The FCC would also “bolster existing requirements for providers to block calls following Commission notification to ensure that bad actors cannot circumvent the requirement,” a news release on the item said.
Under the proposal, originating carriers would be required to block texts “following Commission notification of suspected illegal texts or ultimately have all of their text messages blocked by Commission direction.” Carriers would be required to offer email-to-text “as an opt-in service to better protect consumers.” Rosenworcel also proposes session initiation protocol code 603+ be used to notify consumers of blocked calls.
“Consumers want an all-hands-on-deck approach to block annoying robocalls and robotexts,” Rosenworcel said. “They also expect our efforts to evolve as technologies change, so we can identify innovative methods to block this junk,” she said. Some of the proposals were controversial when the FCC sought comments last year (see 2309110060).
The agency will also vote on streamlining the process for letting digital FM stations transmit at different power levels on the upper and lower digital sidebands. “This change to our rules will help stations to improve digital FM signal coverage while minimizing the risk of harmful interference to other stations,” said Rosenworcel in the note. The item stems from a petition that NAB and Xperi brought (see 2308010060), and an NPRM proposing the change was unanimously approved last year. The proposal was widely endorsed by larger radio groups such as iHeart and Beasley, but smaller broadcasters and the aviation industry have raised interference concerns.