The FCC released an NPRM Wednesday seeking comment on rules allowing the use of the 5030-5091 MHz band by drones, which commissioners approved Dec. 23. Comments will be due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, replies 60 days after publication.
An NPRM on out-of-band emissions limits into the 24 GHz band, proposed by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel a year ago, remains on hold at the FCC. She circulated the NPRM Dec. 27, 2021, but it has yet to get the required four votes. Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks have voted for the item, but Republicans Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington haven’t voted. NTIA endorsed the limits, on behalf of NASA, NOAA and the National Science Foundation.
Providers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands disagreed over whether the FCC should cut transitional support for incumbent providers on the islands, in reply comments posted Wednesday in docket 18-143. Puerto Rico's Negociado de Telecomunicaciones (NET) is now calling on the FCC not to slash transitional support, as proposed in an October NPRM (see 2210270046). Initial comments were filed earlier this month (see 2212120053).
The FCC revised a 2020 order limiting the number of exempted non-telemarketing robocalls to three to any residential phone from any caller within a 30-day period (see 2012300043) to allow both oral and written consent to exceed the limit, in an order posted Tuesday. Commissioners approved the order Friday. ACA International and the Enterprise Communications Advocacy Coalition had sought revisions. The FCC declined to revise “any of the numerical limitations on the number of exempt non-telemarketing calls to residential lines that we established” in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act exemptions order. “We also conclude that the differing numerical limitations for different categories of exempt calls to residential lines are both constitutional and necessary to advance the health and safety of consumers.” The FCC also retained the opt-out requirements for exempt informational calls. The agency said it wouldn’t revisit the limitations on package delivery notifications to wireless numbers in place since 2015 and confirmed that the commission’s 2016 declaratory ruling on calls by utilities to wireless numbers applies equally to similar calls made to residential lines. “We agree with petitioners and commenters that there is no reason for the consent requirements for informational calls to residential lines to differ from the consent requirements for informational calls to wireless numbers, which allow for either oral or written consent,” the order said: “In addition, as some commenters note, to extend the written consent requirement to informational calls that include calls from utilities and healthcare providers could impair the ability of these callers to provide important public safety information to consumers.” The FCC said it wasn’t convinced it should revise the numerical limits on such calls. “As the TCPA Exemptions Order emphasized, limiting the number of exempted calls to residential lines will greatly reduce interruptions from intrusive and unwanted calls and reduce the burden on residential telephone users to manage such calls,” the order said. Limiting the number of calls “strikes the appropriate balance between these callers reaching consumers with valuable information and reducing the number of unexpected and unwanted calls consumers currently receive and thus restoring trust in the residential landline network and advancing health and the safety of life,” the FCC said.
Broadcasters and wireless carriers urged the FCC not to impose proposed new rules designed to make the emergency alert system and wireless emergency alerts more secure. Industry said cybersecurity requirements would be difficult to implement and are unnecessary. FCC commissioners approved an NPRM 4-0 in October (see 2210270058). Comments were posted Tuesday in docket 15-94.
All four FCC commissioners have now voted to approve an NPRM seeking comment on rule revisions tied to the need of operators of unmanned aircraft systems for licensed spectrum. Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington OK'd the item late last week, and it’s expected to be released after the Christmas holiday, officials said.
The FCC’s NPRM on more precisely routing wireless 911 calls and texts to public safety answering points through location-based routing (LBR), approved 4-0 Wednesday (see 2212210047), was largely the same as the draft. The NPRM was posted Thursday. One change of note is that several questions were tweaked to seek information on covered text providers, in addition to commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers. “Should we require CMRS and covered text providers to report information on misrouted 911 calls and texts?” the NPRM asks: “We also seek information on planned or expended costs by CMRS providers and covered text providers that have voluntarily implemented or plan to implement location-based routing to any extent on their networks.” Among other tweaks, the NPRM now notes that conclusions on cost estimates, based on data from T-Mobile, are only tentative. “T-Mobile states that it deployed location-based routing to some PSAPs and not others, so we rely on this statement in tentatively concluding that CMRS providers implement location-based routing at the PSAP level and CMRS providers incur material costs on a per-PSAP basis,” the NPRM says. “We seek comment on this tentative conclusion.” Only Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks had written statements. Comments are due 30 days after Federal Register publication, replies 30 days after that.
All four FCC commissioners expressed support Wednesday for proposed rules to more precisely route wireless 911 calls and texts to public safety answering points through location-based routing (LBR). The NPRM wasn’t controversial while before commissioners, though industry is expected to weigh in during the comment period (see 2212200064).
All has been quiet on the FCC’s proposed NPRM on location based routing (LBR) to public safety points, set for a vote Wednesday (see 2211300072). Industry officials said they expect the FCC to approve the NPRM largely as circulated by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, especially since there has been no lobbying.
Fines proposed by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel against the major wireless carriers for allegedly failing to safeguard data on their customers' real-time locations have apparently stalled, according to a document we viewed. Commissioners haven't voted to approve the fines, though fellow Democrat Geoffrey Starks voted yes, the document shows. It confirms that Rosenworcel circulated an order in September (see 2209090028). Public interest groups want action.