The Education and Library Networks Coalition asked FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington to prioritize school districts in E-rate's Category I discount matrix if demand exceeds available funds to "ensure that urban and rural areas with the lowest income students are first in line," a filing said Thursday in docket 21-31. Participating in the conversation were the American Federation of School Administrators, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, National School Boards Association, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and others. The groups backed allowing funds to be used for home internet access services and said the commission will need to determine what's considered a reasonable reimbursement for costs associated with eligible equipment. They "noted that costs for hardware may have increased in particular regions of the country or throughout the country as a result of scarcity." Waive competitive bidding and bid evaluation rules because "state and local procurement rules are sufficiently rigorous to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the program," the groups said.
The FCC will likely move forward on a Further NPRM allowing very low-power use of the 6 GHz band outdoors without automated frequency coordination, said Alex Roytblat, Wi-Fi Alliance vice president-regulatory affairs, on an alliance webinar Thursday. Then-Chairman Ajit Pai declined to seek a vote before leaving in January (see 2012180057). Roytblat said the change in administrations slowed FCC work on the rulemaking, approved 5-0 in April (see 2004230059). Review “is ongoing,” and the agency recently asked additional questions about client-to-client devices (see 2102230056), Roytblat said. “They are moving forward,” he said. “Once the leadership at the FCC is stabilized, we hope that this would come back as a priority item.” Brazil allows such low-power operations, and the U.S. shouldn’t be “left behind,” he said. Alliance officials didn’t discuss the legal challenge to the rules (see 2102160082), which acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel mentioned last month when asked about the status (see 2102170049). Approaches on 6 GHz vary, with a few countries considering only licensed use, Roytblat said. In Europe, 500 MHz of 1,200 MHz is being offered for Wi-Fi, he said. Some countries are taking a “staged approach” waiting to make decisions beyond an initial 500 MHz, he said. Broadcom, Intel, MediaTek and Qualcomm chipsets and end-user devices are certified for Wi-Fi 6E, which uses the 6 GHz band, said Nick Sargologos, alliance senior product manager. Seven of 12 new routers premiered at January's CES use 6 GHz, he said. Smartphones, PCs and laptops with Wi-Fi 6E chips are expected to start shipping this quarter, he said, with TVs and virtual reality devices certified by midyear. The swath provides 160 MHz-wide channels, Sargologos said. Only two similarly wide channels are in 5 GHz, versus seven at 6 GHz, he said. He said all Wi-Fi 6E devices must work with earlier generations.
Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is "anxious" to develop new broadband data maps, said Jean Kiddoo, who will head the commission's new broadband data task force (see 2102170052), during an FCBA event Thursday. The agency has identified a vendor to assist in the data collection and database for serviceable location fabric, and "it will be an FCC system," Kiddoo said. The fabric will combine all locations where fixed broadband is available and where it can be installed. "That is beneficial for everybody," said Lynn Follansbee, USTelecom vice president-policy and advocacy, because it will be a "living, breathing database" that providers and consumers can access. "This can be transformative in ways that you can't imagine," said AT&T Assistant Vice President-Federal Regulatory Mary Henze. Questions on how to file data can be sent to broadbanddatainquiries@fcc.gov. The Office of Economics and Analytics will issue a public notice announcing the initial filing deadline at least six months in advance, said Chelsea Fallon, broadband data task force chief implementation officer. Providers must have a corporate officer and qualified engineer certify accuracy. If one person is designated as both roles, one certification is needed, Fallon said. Fixed wired and satellite providers must submit polygons or lists of locations where they have service and where they could provide service within 10 business days of a request, with no charges or delays resulting from extending their network. Wireless providers must submit coverage maps for 3G, 4G LTE and 5G-NR data and voice coverage. The task force will accept third-party submissions. Those challenging a provider's availability data must include a certified submission of key information about locations and a basis for the challenge. Providers have 60 days to respond, either by agreeing within 30 days to remove a location or by resolving with the challenger. Providers responding to challenges must show availability by a preponderance of evidence. Nonconsumer challenges must show lack of availability by clear and convincing evidence. The goal is to resolve any challenges within 60 days, said Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force Deputy Chief Kirk Burgee.
A virtual discussion on diversity in tech and tech startups is set for March 24 by the FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment and the Media Bureau, said a public notice (see 2102110071). The roundtable will feature organizations that support minorities, women and small businesses in the tech field and highlight best practices for encouraging employment diversity, the PN said. Support organizations “are rapidly becoming economic cornerstones for minority communities, thereby expanding workforce training and employment opportunities in underserved communities,” the PN said.
Calculating a satellite constellation's orbital debris risk on an aggregate basis, rather than per satellite, would mean different safety standards for similar satellites because of system size and possibly limit larger constellations, Amazon Kuiper representatives told FCC International Bureau staffers, recounted a docket 18-313 posting Wednesday. It said current rules don't give operators guidance for resolving conflicting requests for orbits and urged an orbital separation rule for large constellations.
SpaceX's Starlink is offering users speeds twice of what's required by the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and latency at a small fraction of the threshold for a low-latency service, CEO Elon Musk told FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, per an RM-11768 post Tuesday. SpaceX said repeated extensive analyses over the past 11 months show that allowing a lower orbit for more than 2,800 proposed satellites (see 2004200003) won't create significant interference issues for other satellite or terrestrial licensees. SpaceX said some opponents, such as Amazon's Kuiper, "have apparently abandoned their own systems" and are focusing on lobbying efforts in opposition to that lower altitude to forestall SpaceX. Amazon emailed that SpaceX "would love to stifle competition and be the only [low earth orbit] system out there. That’s not only unrealistic -- it’s bad for the billions of people on Earth without reliable broadband. The Kuiper team is over 500 people and growing. Amazon is fully committed to Project Kuiper and its mission to deliver fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world.” SpaceX said multichannel video and data distribution service licensees against the license modification haven't explained how it would affect them, as other non-geostationary orbit systems are already licensed with wider beams and at lower elevation angles in the 12 GHz band.
"Figure out how to fund a long term, permanent broadband subsidy" to assist low-income consumers, because the emergency broadband benefit program is a "temporary solution," the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council asked acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a filing said Tuesday in docket 20-445. MMTC supports allowing school districts to temporarily use E-rate funds for remote learning. It wants to ensure that "diverse suppliers have an opportunity to compete for downstream opportunities from auctions and appropriate transactions within the FCC's jurisdiction."
The FCC Wireline Bureau granted Zoom's Dec. 9 application for interconnected VoIP numbering authorization, a public notice said Monday (see 2102050034).
The Copyright Office issued a Music Modernization Act-related (see 2102110040) supplemental interim rule that adjusts “certain reporting requirements of digital music providers and significant nonblanket licensees.” The unopposed amendment “adjusts certain provisions concerning the reporting of information about permanent download licenses that are passed through by record labels to digital music providers, under both the statutory license and voluntary licenses.” It takes effect April 5.
A Connecticut panel will consider bills Tuesday to require net neutrality and stop internet data caps during the pandemic, said an agenda Thursday by the Joint Committee on Energy and Technology. SB-4 would include requiring the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to enforce net neutrality. SB-990, introduced this week, would ban broadband providers from imposing data caps until the end of the governor’s emergency declaration. It comes as localities and states respond to Comcast data caps (see 2102120068). The panel also plans to weigh broadband bill HB-6442 proposed by Gov. Ned Lamont (D) and SB-922 to require phone companies text customers.