Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Florida and the communications industry are preparing for Idalia, a tropical storm that's expected to develop into a major hurricane before it makes landfall on the Gulf Coast in days. “It will become a hurricane ... without question,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) at a Monday news conference in Largo, Florida. “Buckle up for this one.”

NTIA raised concerns on an April petition by the Shortwave Modernization Coalition (SMC) urging the FCC to launch a rulemaking to amend its eligibility and technical rules for industrial/business pool licensees to authorize licensed use of frequencies above 2 MHz and below 25 MHz for fixed, long-distance, non-voice communications (see 2305010053). “Numerous federal entities” including the Commerce, Transportation and Homeland Security departments, the Air Force, the Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the FAA and the National Science Foundation “are greatly concerned by the regulatory changes contemplated in the Petition,” NTIA said, in a Thursday filing in RM-11953. “To the extent the Commission considers initiating a responsive rulemaking, NTIA respectfully requests that the Commission recognize that much more information would be needed to ensure protection of the significant number of incumbent federal operations in the 2-25 MHz band,” NTIA said. The FCC could also consider excluding bands “where federal incumbents and safety missions are operating,” the agency said. NTIA warned that “some 28 Federal agencies hold over 120,000 frequency assignments in the 2-25 MHz frequency band, including safety-of-life operations such as the aeronautical mobile service where no interference can be tolerated.” NTIA attached comments by the Coast Guard laying out specific concerns. ARRL, NCTA and others oppose a rulemaking, which the SMC defended, in recent comments (see 2308180033).

Three telecom policy stakeholder groups urged Senate Communications Subcommittee leaders Friday to include stronger accountability rules in USF revamp legislation but diverged on some other goals. The entities were responding to a late July feedback request from Communications Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., and other USF working group members for feedback on the path forward on legislation (see 2305110066). FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, meanwhile, is pushing back against criticisms from House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, of the agency's Learning Without Limits proposal to allow E-rate program money to pay for Wi-Fi on school buses and for hot spots (see 2307310063).

ASPEN, Colo. -- House and Senate priorities when they're back in session in September include reauthorizing the FCC's spectrum auction authority, agency oversight and filling FCC and FTC commissioner openings, legislative aides said Monday at Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum. Panels and speakers also discussed the inevitability of further media consolidation and social media's effect on political polarization. UScellular CEO Laurent Therivel urged revisiting the decision to allocate the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use. The prospects of AI regulation also were discussed (see 2308210029).

ARRL, which represents amateur operators, slammed an April petition by the Shortwave Modernization Coalition (SMC) asking the FCC to launch a rulemaking to amend its eligibility and technical rules for industrial/business pool licensees to authorize licensed use of frequencies above 2 MHz and below 25 MHz for fixed, long-distance, non-voice communications (see 2305010053). SMC defended the petition in two filings. Hundreds of amateur operators warned the proposal would be harmful to their operations (see 2307270035). Comments were posted Friday in RM-11953.

The current iteration of the FCC’s Technology Advisory Council, with its focus on 6G, held its final meeting Thursday, its first meeting in 2023. TAC members approved two white papers and reports by its working groups. Andrew Clegg, co-chair of the Advanced Spectrum Sharing Working Group, told TAC the group faced roadblocks getting data from the government. TAC approved recommendations and a white paper from the WG, which the FCC hasn't posted.

Wireless carriers see the 12.7 GHz band, also known as the 13 GHz band, as a candidate for reallocation for 5G, and eventually 6G, based on comments filed last week at the FCC. But carriers consider the band in general inferior to 3.1 GHz and other bands with less packet loss and better propagation characteristics. Broadcasters, the satellite industry and NTIA also raised concerns.

Industry groups disagreed on an FCC NPRM proposing to expand certain robocall rules to all voice service providers, in comments posted Thursday in docket 17-97. Commissioners adopted the item in May (see 2305180036). Some urged caution and asked the FCC to grant flexibility if it mandates any additional call blocking rules.

NTCA and the Rural Wireless Association warned of looming costs for smaller carriers if the FCC approves rules to facilitate a move to next-generation 911, in comments on a June NPRM (see 2306080043). The FCC’s proposed approach got general support from the National Association of State 911 Administrators, the National Emergency Number Association and other public safety commenters (see 2308090036), but industry is raising concerns. Comments were due at the FCC Wednesday in docket 21-479 and were still being posted Thursday.

The FCC released an NPRM Thursday on a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices (see 2307180054). Commissioners approved the NPRM 4-0 last weekend. The NPRM poses dozens of questions about the scope and nature of the program. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington released statements. Comment deadlines will come in a Federal Register notice.