The FCC released its draft order Wednesday reallocating the 5.9 GHz band to sharing with Wi-Fi and cellular vehicle-to-everything, with no set-aside dedicated to short-range communications (DSRC). Other items were also posted. The order is considered a win for wireless ISPs and Wi-Fi advocates. ITS America said it will fight. The Department of Transportation is reviewing the order, a spokesperson said.

The lead item at the FCC’s Nov. 18 commissioners’ meeting would reallocate the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi and cellular vehicle-to-everything, with no set aside for dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), which has occupied the band for 20 years (see 2010270061). Pai also proposed votes on internet-based telecommunications relay service (TRS) rules, program carriage disputes, a proposed unified license for numerous satellite and blanket-licensed earth station operations and a draft NPRM seeking comment on use of the 17.3-17.8 GHz band for satellite downlinks. Pai said the NPRM also would propose including the 17.3-18.3, 18.8-19.4, 19.6-19.7, 27.5-28.35 and 28.6-29.1 GHz bands in an “extended Ka-band,” with routine license application processing criteria for earth stations communicating with geostationary orbit satellites.

The FCC posted items for commissioners’ Sept. 30 meeting Wednesday, including on spectrum items targeting the use of 3.45-3.55 GHz for 5G, long sought by carriers, and rewriting the rules for the 4.9 GHz band. NTIA weighed in on 3.45-3.55 (see 2009090058). Drafts were also circulated on an order cutting IP captioned telephone service rates. Chairman Ajit Pai laid out the agenda Tuesday (see 2009080068).

The FCC extended temporary waivers through Nov. 30 for telecom relay service providers, citing the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2005140056), said an order from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Wednesday. The waivers apply to the speed-of-answer requirement, at-home video relay service (VRS) call-handling rules, VRS subcontracting restrictions, and provisions of the emergency call handling rule, the order said.

Oppositions are due Sept. 14, replies Sept. 29, on Sprint Relay’s petition for partial reconsideration of an FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau order adopting compensation rates for telecommunications relay services, as well as TRS fund requirements and contribution factors, for the 2020-21 Fund Year. Sprint objected to a “decision to set the efficiency factor for IP Relay equal to inflation under the Commission’s price-cap-like methodology” and the denial of its request for exogenous cost recovery, said a notice in Monday's Daily Digest in docket 03-123.

The FCC unanimously approved orders eliminating dated rules for telephone relay services and broadcast antenna siting, before Thursday's commission meeting, said orders and a deletion notice Wednesday. Early approval for the items -- considered noncontroversial -- was expected (see 2008040063). The TRS order eliminates requirements on separate long-distance plans -- no longer commonly used by the phone industry -- and ends a requirement that state TRS certifications be published in the Federal Register. The broadcast antenna siting order eliminated decades-old, little-used rules requiring stations share unique antenna locations.

The draft order on relaxing radio non-duplication rules will be expanded to apply to FM and AM stations, and draft items on broadcast antenna siting and telephone relay service rules are expected to be approved before Thursday’s commissioners' meeting, FCC and industry officials said in interviews this week. FCC Democrats are seen likely to oppose the expanded radio item, agency officials said.

The FCC provided more details on the rules for the upcoming C-band auction in the draft public notice, circulated for an Aug. 6 vote by commissioners (see 2007150066). The FCC also posted draft items on inmate calling services rates and media modernization, among others set for a vote.

Chairman Ajit Pai said Wednesday the FCC will stick with Dec. 8 for starting the auction of C-band spectrum for 5G, circulating draft final auction procedures (see 2007150047). Commissioners approved the auction 3-2 in February, including a procedures NPRM (see 2002280044). The FCC will also consider inmate calling services rates and media modernization among other items at the Aug. 6 commissioners’ meeting.

The FCC extended temporary waivers another two months through Aug. 31 for telecom relay service providers, again citing COVID-19 uncertainty (see 2005140056), staff ordered Monday. This lets more employees work from home and expands the pool of contractors qualified to provide American Sign Language interpretation.