The FCC Wireline Bureau rejected two petitions seeking waivers of the March 1, 2019, deadline to upload and certify geocoded location information data with Universal Service Administrative Co. through the high-cost universal broadband portal (HUBB). Staff acted on a petition by ComSouth and Bloomingdale Telephone and a petition by State Telephone. “Petitioners have not demonstrated that there is good cause to waive the applicable sections of the Commission’s rules and, accordingly, deny the requested relief,” said a Wednesday order in docket 10-90: “It is the responsibility" of all eligible telecom carriers" to familiarize themselves with any applicable rules and ensure that its filings are timely received, regardless of the time and method.”
Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry urged congressional leaders Wednesday to “consider provisions” in any compromise version of the next COVID-19 aid bill that would “help Americans connect to broadband, and in particular, mobile." Senate leaders are negotiating with House colleagues and the White House, though there's no sign of a deal. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday the chamber will delay the start of recess and be in session next week amid hopes for a breakthrough. Senate Republicans’ recent proposals included a few telecom and tech provisions (see 2007280059). House Democrats had more tech and telecom language in their Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HR-6800), including broadband funding (see 2005130059). “Wireless technology is the optimal way to provide immediate connectivity to Americans seeking a broadband connection,” Berry said in a letter to McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and the chambers’ minority leaders. “Prioritize policies and support for wireless broadband as you move forward with pandemic relief legislation. Consumers need connectivity now,” he asked. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also sought broadband provisions in the next pandemic bill Wednesday, saying in a floor speech that "all Americans should have access to high speed internet. This pandemic has put a magnifying glass on the gap. It’s time to act now."
All Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications in question in a March inspector general report “contained sufficient basis for probable cause,” DOJ said Monday, defending the agency’s surveillance practices (see 2003310068). The FBI and the DOJ National Security Division took “more than 40 corrective actions.” The IG uncovered widespread FBI wiretapping application flaws in the March report, with specific issues for the FBI’s Woods files. Woods procedures require DOJ officials verify that information submitted to the FISA court matches FBI investigatory data. Justice reviewed the 29 FISA applications and “uncovered only two material errors, neither of which invalidated the authorizations granted by the FISA Court,” Assistant Attorney General John Demers said: That included “one material misstatement and one material omission.” The FBI compiled Woods files for the four applications where an original file was missing, “and the FBI was able in many instances to locate documentation to support a factual assertion,” Demers said.
Citing "extraordinary demand for access to the Starlink non-geostationary orbit satellite system," SpaceX asked the FCC International Bureau to modify its blanket earth station license to bump authorized units from 1 million to 5 million. Friday's application said it hasn't advertised the broadband satellite constellation, but close to 700,000 people in all states over a few days registered interest. Its license was granted in March.
Groups urged the FCC to reject requests for a waiver of the June 30 deadline to offer real-time text instead of traditional text technology filed by the Competitive Carriers Association, U.S. Cellular and East Kentucky Network (see 2007010045). Comments were due Friday in docket 16-145. Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, National Association of the Deaf, Hearing Loss Association of America and others filed joint comments, posted Monday. “When the Commission issued the RTT Order in 2016, it may have anticipated some deviation from the estimated transition timeline, and we acknowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced additional complexity,” they said: “But the Commission did not condone, and should not now permit, a poorly executed transition that risks Americans losing access to 9-1-1 services for an indefinite period of time.” As carriers retire TTY “without RTT access to 9-1-1, people will die,” they said. The groups filed the only comment.
The FCC released new versions of its speed test app Monday, with updates for iOS and Android. “Like its predecessor, the updated app allows users to test their cellular and Wi-Fi network performance for download and upload speed, latency, jitter, and packet loss,” the agency said.
Wi-Fi advocates offered a compromise on 5.9 GHz unlicensed, proposing a more-conservative out-of-band emissions limit at the edge. They suggest -9 dBm/MHz at the 5925 MHz band edge for indoor and outdoor unlicensed operations, with -7 dBm/MHz in the remainder. “This limit will advance the Commission’s goal of ‘optimiz[ing]' the use of spectrum resources in the 5.9 GHz band by enabling valuable additions and enhancements to the unlicensed ecosystem,’” said Broadcom, CableLabs, Facebook and NCTA in a filing posted Monday in docket 19-138. Automakers discussed the band with acting Chief Ronald Repasi and others from the Office of Engineering and Technology, urging protections for vehicle-to-everything technologies. Representatives of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Toyota, Honda, General Motors and Volkswagen were among those on the call.
A cable industry legal challenge to the requirement it pay franchise fees wouldn't be surprising, given the imbalance between heavily regulated cable and not-at-all regulated over-the-top services, CCG Consulting President Doug Dawson blogged Friday. The cable industry has a strong argument OTT enjoys a competitive leg up by not having to pay franchise fees, he said. NCTA didn't comment. FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly was critical of the cable franchise rules regime and fees in a Media Institute talk last week (see 2007290039).
Comments are due Aug. 31, replies Sept. 29, on a July FCC in docket 17-59 on an NPRM implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (Traced Act), says Friday's Federal Register.
Expect to see the FCC playing a diminishing role in video regulation, with the boom of over-the-top delivery, and that's good, said Commissioner Michael O'Rielly. Such direct-to-consumer video offerings "rightfully [bypass] stodgy, outdated FCC regulations," he told the Media Institute Wednesday, also seeking less regulation of other industries. His prepared remarks (see 2007290072) were later posted. OTT is giving "a rare look into an almost completely unregulated free market," and the evidence shows less regulation leads to a bigger overall market for content production and distribution and more access and lower prices for consumers, O'Rielly said. DOJ has failed to take a properly expansive view of relevant advertising market participants, ignoring how some tech companies are grabbing a bigger share of local ads and not considering nonbroadcast ad sales when stations in a market want to combine, O'Rielly said. Justice didn't comment Thursday.