FCC Adopts A-CAM Expansion NPRM, FM Directional Antenna Order

A-CAM and the FCC’s other high-cost programs “are so important,” said Commissioner Brendan Carr during the commissioners' meeting (see 2205100052). “[O]ur focus on this is coming at the right time,” he said: “Going forward, it’s imperative that these programs be coordinated in order to prevent subsidized overbuilding in areas already funded by other federal or state programs.”

Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said he looks forward to “understanding further after reviewing the record the alignment between the short [broadband, equity, access and deployment] buildout window and the proposed time frame submitted by the A-CAM providers.” The NPRM includes a Starks-sought question on whether A-CAM carriers and carriers receiving high-cost support should be required to “have baseline cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans.” There were also some "small changes" in response to ex parte filings and additional questions on the "affordability of the service offerings," Wireline Bureau Chief Trent Harkrader told reporters. Commissioners expressed concern about potential duplication of support, Harkrader noted, but "we think the timing is right" and "we are laser focused on that as well."

The ACAM Broadband Coalition is “gratified” the FCC adopted the notice, the group said: Its proposal would “accelerate the provision of higher-speed broadband services to unserved and underserved Americans living in rural, high-cost areas throughout the country.” NTCA “deeply appreciates the FCC's ongoing commitment to universal service” and is “eager to move now to the next stage of the debate,” said CEO Shirley Bloomfield. WTA is "pleased" the item was adopted and will "continue to discuss the ideas outlined in the NPRM with our members," said Senior Vice President-Government and Industry Affairs Derrick Owens.

An order adopted Thursday on gateway providers and foreign-originated robocalls defined gateway provider as a "U.S.-based intermediate provider that receives a call directly from a foreign-originating provider or foreign intermediate provider at its U.S.-based facilities before transmitting the call downstream to another U.S.-based provider," said Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Attorney Adviser-Consumer Policy Division Jerusha Burnett (see 2205160051). It also requires gateway providers to certify robocall mitigation plans in the robocall mitigation database and implement Stir/Shaken. The “biggest change” from the draft is that providers now have until June 2023 to comply with the Stir/Shaken requirement, Wireline Bureau Competition Policy Division Chief Pamela Arluk told reporters.

An order on reconsideration requires domestic voice service providers to accept only calls carrying North American numbering plan numbers or from foreign providers that submitted certification to the robocall mitigation database, and cover traffic sent directly from foreign intermediate providers, said Wireline Bureau Attorney Adviser-Competition Policy Division Jonathan Lechter. Also adopted was a Further NPRM seeking comments on non-IP authentication methods and existing obligations to curb illegal robocalls.

The item "takes robust steps to stop robocalls before they reach our domestic networks," said Commissioner Geoffrey Starks: "If we can make it more difficult for these illegal and unwanted calls to hit our networks, we will be much closer to winning our fight." The item included a Starks-sought request that the proposed attributable interest threshold for repeat offenders be lowered from 10% to 5%. It also included a Commissioner Nathan Simington-sought request to make “material edits that give industry the flexibility it needs to position internal resources for the new authentication requirements while not unduly slowing anti-robocall efforts."

“USTelecom and our members strongly support FCC efforts to address illegal robocalls and believe many aspects of the order, combined with the ongoing efforts of the USTelecom-led industry traceback group, will be impactful," emailed a spokesperson: "The order’s requirement that gateway providers sign unauthenticated international calls, however, will not advance the fight against illegal robocalls. The FCC should reconsider this requirement so that industry leaders can focus efforts on more impactful activities.”

FCC Meeting Notebook

The FCC unanimously approved an order Thursday allowing FM and low-power FM broadcasters to verify the pattern of directional antennas using computer models (see 2205170054. Under the existing rules, the agency allowed only the use of full-size or scale models to verify such patterns for FM. “With high-quality computer modeling tools now available, this policy no longer makes sense,” said Rosenworcel Thursday. One-fifth of FM radio stations use directional antennas, and Thursday's order brings the FCC’s FM antenna modeling requirements in line with “their AM and television broadcasting counterparts,” she said. The new policy was supported by the industry and initially pushed by Dielectric, Jampro Antennas, Shively Labs, Radio Frequency Systems and the Educational Media Foundation. The agency will still require physical mockups the first time a given type of antenna is modeled by a particular software to verify the results. “The action will provide regulatory relief for both antenna manufacturers and FM broadcasters while maintaining the integrity of the Commission’s licensing requirements,” said an FCC release.

The FCC is “working closely with our counterparts at NTIA” to ensure it has the mapping data needed for the BEAD program, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told reporters (see 2205130054). Carr told reporters he’s “concerned” about the potential impact of an “unrefined map” being used for BEAD because the maps aren’t ready yet. There are also “some challenges around the edges” regarding coordination and preventing overbuilding, Carr said.

The FCC staffers participating in Thursday’s meeting were physically present in the FCC meeting room, the first time that has occurred since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first time ever in the FCC’s current headquarters, said Rosenworcel. “We have more people in this room, working together, than at any other time in this building.” Public and press participation was still limited to watching over streamed video. Since March the agency has been ramping up the in-person element of commissioners’ meetings (see 2203160031), but during a post-meeting press call Thursday, Rosenworcel declined to specify when that would be an option for the public. The agency is being “thoughtful and careful” and will assess how the meeting went, consider Washington, D.C., COVID-19 strictures and consult with the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, she said. The agency entered phase 3 of its re-entry plan this week (see 2204060064). Phase 4, the final phase, would be a return to pre-pandemic operations.

Carr said there are questions about smaller carriers in his proposal Monday for a requirement that all wireless carriers be required to participate in the wireless network resiliency cooperative framework rather than a voluntary program, and for mandatory roaming arrangements (see 2205160067). “We should start broadly, but as we do so be sensitive to smaller carriers and their needs” and “whether there will be, in fact, the need for roaming between them,” he said. It’s unclear whether Elon Musk will buy Twitter (see 2204250063), but Carr remains “pretty vocal” in his views of social media. “It’s a great thing if we’re able to move toward a greater embrace of free expression,” but “a particular billionaire” buying a platform isn’t the answer to “reforms that reflect a greater embrace of free expression.”