FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel added Carmen Scurato, who was at Free Press, as legal adviser-consumer and public safety issues. Scurato was associate legal director and senior counsel at the public interest group, focused on “racial justice, technology and internet policy.” She was previously general counsel to the National Hispanic Media Coalition. Rosenworcel welcomed Scurato’s expertise working for consumers. “Keeping our telecommunications networks safe and protecting consumers takes on elevated urgency as new threats emerge from all sides,” Rosenworcel said Monday. The addition was part of a larger shift in the chairwoman’s office. David Strickland is now Rosenworcel’s adviser on media, Ethan Lucarelli on wireless and international, and Ramesh Nagarajan on wireline and enforcement.

The FCC is making progress, a year after the release of President Joe Biden’s executive order on competition (see 2107090063), Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Monday. “We’ve taken action to give families living in apartment buildings more choices for their broadband service, assisted with expanding the reach of next-generation 5G networks to more parts of the country, and we are developing more opportunities for companies to build communications equipment here at home,” Rosenworcel said: “There’s more work to do, and we’re rolling up our sleeves to make sure it continues.”

The FCC Enforcement Bureau proposed a $100,000 fine against Verizon Wireless Friday for allegedly failing to adequately respond to a complaint about the company’s premium voicemail service. Someone with disabilities “filed an informal complaint” with the Enforcement Bureau “alleging that the Company’s Premium Visual Voicemail service was not accessible,” the bureau said. As the FCC investigated, and after the initial response, it sent the carrier a letter of inquiry (LOI) in February seeking additional information, the notice said. “Verizon did not provide documentation supporting its assertion that the complainant’s problem was caused by” the customer’s “device,” the bureau said: “Verizon did not provide any evidence that the problem was unique to the individual complainant; nor did Verizon explain or offer evidence to show how it reached that conclusion.” The carrier also didn’t “respond fully to the LOI’s demand for information and documentation about problems with accessing its Premium Visual Voicemail service, and how those problems were resolved.” Verizon “takes its accessibility obligations very seriously,” a spokesperson emailed: “While we respect the FCC's role in ensuring that services are available to all individuals, we do not agree with the factual analysis and legal conclusions in today's notice. At all times the Verizon service at issue was accessible to everyone -- including the single individual who filed the underlying complaint with the FCC. We will respond on the record and if necessary appeal the decision."

Citing SpaceX's campaign to drive comments to the FCC and lawmakers opposing opening up the 12 GHz band to 5G (see 2207060012), the 5Gfor12GHz Coalition emailed Thursday that the satellite operator is falsely claiming 5G/Starlink coexistence isn't possible in the band despite data showing otherwise. The campaign "is not only disingenuous, but it promulgates an anti-5G narrative that is harmful to American consumers who deserve greater competition, connectivity options and innovation," it said. SpaceX didn't comment.

State Emergency Communications Committees (SECCs) that haven’t submitted their state emergency alert system (EAS) plans in the alert reporting system should do so “as soon as possible,” said the FCC Public Safety Bureau in a public notice Wednesday. The plans were due in the ARS Tuesday. “The Bureau stands ready to assist any SECCs that may need help either with the Commission’s rules governing State EAS Plans or with utilizing the ARS.” The FCC website Thursday afternoon listed only Illinois as having submitted an approved state EAS plan.

FCC commissioners approved, as expected (see 2206300048), a draft order circulated by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see 2206150070) requiring wireless carriers to participate in the previously voluntary wireless network resiliency cooperative framework, and work out roaming arrangements before disasters, agency officials confirmed. The order builds on Commissioner Brendan Carr's proposal in May (see 2205160067). “We find it appropriate to apply today’s requirement to all facilities-based mobile wireless providers,” the order says: “We recognize the merits of the current Framework and agree with the commenters who argue that its provisions would be more effective if they were expanded to include entities beyond the Framework’s current signatories.” The order also requires carriers to negotiate roaming agreements. “We require that all such negotiations be conducted in good faith and note that any disputes will be addressed by the Commission on a case-by-case basis,” with the Enforcement Bureau delegated to “investigate and resolve … disputes.” The FCC also approved a Further NPRM asking more questions. The order “will help restore service faster, help speed response coordination, and keep more people connected in disaster,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “But we can’t stop here,” she said. “The rules we adopt today are also a critical part of our efforts to respond to the climate crisis,” said Commissioner Geoffrey Starks: “We also cannot ignore how these disasters disproportionately impact the low-income.” Replacing the voluntary framework “with new rules, as we do today, will provide consumers with strong, enforceable protections that will help ensure that even more Americans can reach public safety officials, loved ones, or others who can help during disaster scenarios where seconds can make all the difference," Carr said. “Our approach strikes the right balance between promoting industry’s incentive to invest in their networks and continuing to implement lessons learned from each disaster,” he said.

NielsenIQ and GfK will combine into a single entity offering “new capabilities in the consumer and retail measurement industry,” said the companies Friday. The terms of their definitive merger agreement weren’t disclosed. The transaction is expected to close later this year or early 2023, until which NielsenIQ and GfK will continue to operate as independent companies, they said. Private equity firm Advent International, which bought NielsenIQ last year, will remain majority shareholder in the combined venture, while the nonprofit Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions, GfK’s founder and anchor shareholder, will maintain a “key” ownership stake, they said.

The FCC’s Communications Equity and Diversity Council scheduled a virtual meeting July 22, said a public notice Friday. The meeting will include reports from each of the CEDC working groups. The Digital Empowerment and Inclusion Working Group will present on recommendations for addressing “barriers that impact equitable access to broadband and other emerging technology,” the Innovation and Access WG on solutions to encourage diverse ownership of communications and media entities, and the Diversity and Equity WG on how the FCC can affirmatively advance equity, civil rights and racial justice, and equal opportunity in the telecommunications industry. A footnote in the PN also lists newly appointed members of the CEDC and several individuals who are no longer participating.

The FCC said Friday it’s rechartering the Consumer Advisory Committee and asked for nominations for membership for a two-year term, due Aug. 1. The group last met in April (see 2204260056). The agency plans to renew the charter on or before Oct. 16. “The Commission seeks nominations from interested nonprofit organizations, corporations, trade associations, government agencies, or other entities from both the public and private sectors,” the notice said: “Selections will be made based on factors such as expertise and diversity of viewpoints that are necessary to effectively address the topics before the Committee.”

The FCC expanded the interstate Telecom Relay Service Fund contribution base to include intrastate and interstate end-user revenue, to ensure "fair treatment of intrastate and interstate communications services and users in the funding of relay services," said an order released Thursday in docket 03-123 (see 2206280060). The order modified contributions for video relay and IP relay services based on the "total interstate and intrastate end-user revenues of each telecommunications carrier and VoIP service provider." It denied an NTCA request to limit the contribution cost of rural providers' intrastate end-user revenue and set a compliance date of July 1, 2023. The order takes effect 30 days after Federal Register publication. Also released Thursday was a second order amending VRS and IP captioned telephone service rules, an NPRM proposing to modify certain VRS rules, and a declaratory ruling on COVID-19 pandemic waivers. The second order gave VRS and IP CTS providers a two-week "grace period" to be compensated for "providing service to new and porting-in customers ... after initial submission of the consumer's registration data." The change will allow users to "immediately start making and receiving relay calls," the order said. The NPRM seeks comments on increasing the percentage of a VRS provider's monthly minutes a communications assistant (CA) may handle from home to 80% and reducing or eliminating the requirement that CA's have at least three years of interpreting experience. The notice also seeks comment on whether to allow VRS providers to contract interpretation services for "up to 30% of their monthly call minutes." The commission also waived its cap on the rules for one year. Comments are due 30 days after Federal Register publication, 60 days for replies. The declaratory ruling clarified that the maximum period a VRS provider may be compensated for calls originating abroad by a VRS user is one year.