The E-rate funding cap for FY 2021 is $4.3 billion, and the Rural Health Care program's funding cap is $612 million, the FCC Wireline Bureau announced in Monday's Daily Digest. These are a 1.2% inflation-adjusted increase from 2020.
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by April 19, replies by May 4, for input on the state of the Lifeline market, a public notice said Friday in docket 11-42.
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks will join NTIA for a webinar Tuesday "featuring women of color who are thought leaders in broadband research," a news release said Thursday. Panelists are Traci Morris, Arizona State University's America Indian Policy Institute executive director; Fallon Wilson, Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council vice president-policy; and Blanca Gordo, University of California, Berkeley's Institute for the Study of Societal Issues visiting scholar.
About 100 noneligible telecom carriers and 65 ETCs have indicated an interest in participating in the FCC's emergency broadband benefit program, acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told reporters Wednesday (see 2103040049). Rosenworcel hoped to release a list of participating providers "soon" and begin the program at the end of April.
FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated her proposal for the second round of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, said the commission Wednesday. The $250 million program would establish a system for rating applications, factoring in the hardest-hit and lowest-income areas, and ensure "equitable nationwide distribution of funding." The proposal sets an application deadline instead of a rolling approval system and awards funding in two phases. "If the past year has shown us anything, it’s that telehealth technology is here to stay and can be a solution to help address inequities in access to health care services," Rosenworcel said.
Tesla representatives spoke with staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on a waiver request from last year to permit marketing a short-range interactive motion-sensing device in the 60-64 GHz band at a higher power level than specified in rules (see 2008200027). “Tesla clarified that the subject device may be installed in any vehicle that Tesla currently produces or plans to produce,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 20-264. It cited possibilities for “child detection, occupant classification for advanced airbag deployment, seat belt reminders, intrusion detection and driver vitals monitoring.”
The FCC seeks comments by April 5, replies April 23 in docket 21-93 on how to best administer the $7.17 billion for schools and libraries in the American Rescue Plan Act (see 2103110037), a public notice said Tuesday.
Final rules for drone remote identification and regulating flights over people and moving vehicles and at night (see 2012290025) take effect April 21, the FAA announced Friday. Remote ID “requires identification of drones in flight as well as the location of their control stations or takeoff point,” the agency said. Drone operation over people and moving vehicles and at night is prohibited without a waiver.
The FCC OK'd priority access licenses for 222 of the 255 bidders in the citizens broadband radio service auction. The approved long-form applications cover 17,450 licenses, the FCC said Friday. The auction ended in August with total bids of $4.59 billion (see 2008260055). Verizon and major cable operators dominated, and Dish Network came in big (see 2009020057). Long-form applications were due Sept. 17. “Five years ago, this agency recognized that our traditional spectrum auctions needed an update -- and that the 3.5 GHz band was the perfect place to start,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel: “We continue to make progress in implementing the 3.5 GHz band concept and further demonstrate US leadership in spectrum innovation.”
FTC temporary suspension of early termination doesn’t apply to certain scenarios when an ET is granted “after the investigating agency has issued a Request for Additional Information,” the FTC clarified Friday (see 2102080070). With DOJ’s support, the commission clarified the suspension won’t apply to at least two circumstances involving “second requests.” Agencies will still grant ET when they issue second requests but “determine through investigation prior to the parties’ substantial compliance with the Second Request that the transaction is unlikely to substantially lessen competition.” Agencies will OK ET “when parties receive a Second Request, but then work with the agency to negotiate a Consent Agreement."