The FCC's North American Numbering Council will meet March 1 at 10 a.m. and June 25 at 2 p.m. at FCC headquarters, said a public notice Wednesday in docket 23-1. The group will vote on a report at the March meeting from the Toll Free: Future Utilization of Numbers working group regarding toll-free numbering resources. In June, the group will vote on an additional report from the T-FUN working group, as well as the Call Authentication Trust Anchor working group concerning regulatory treatment of international cellular roaming traffic and the IoT Numbering Usage working group on the use of North American numbering plan numbers for the routing and addressing of IoT communications. It will also consider a report from the Numbering Administration Oversight working group on the numbering administration performance review, as well as the North American Numbering Plan Fund size projections and contribution factor.
An FCC order requiring providers of incarcerated people's communications products to offer access to all telecom relay services in certain jurisdictions went into effect Tuesday, according to a notice in that day's Federal Register (see 2212080063). Previously, an incorrect date was announced.
Securus met with FCC staff last week to highlight its pilot subscription programs for incarcerated people’s communication services, according to an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 23-62 (see 2203090035). The provider gave Wireline and Office of Economics and Analytics details about its programs’ “utilization, effective rates, and the extent of usage required to save money compared to making calls rated on a per minute basis.” Securus said its data “demonstrates that consumers achieve savings from the pilot subscription programs at relatively low levels of usage compared to then-existing intrastate rates.”
An FCC order making pole attachment dispute resolutions faster takes effect Feb. 12, said a notice for Friday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the item in December along with a related declaratory ruling on transparency requirements and a Further NPRM seeking comment on rules that could hasten deployment (see 2312130044).
Enhanced alternative connect America cost model (ACAM) carriers must certify and submit their cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans to the FCC by Feb. 12 (see 2308310047). A Wireline Bureau public notice posted Thursday in docket 10-90 said any carrier that misses the deadline or lacks operational plans during the support term, the bureau will direct the Universal Service Administrative Co. to "withhold 25% of monthly support until the carrier comes into compliance."
The FCC wants comments by Feb. 13, replies by Feb. 28, in docket 17-84 on a Further NPRM concerning pole attachment applications and make-ready work, a notice for Thursday's Federal Register said. Commissioners adopted the item in December (see 2312130044). It seeks comment on proposed steps making the pole attachment process more efficient and resolving disputes that may delay broadband deployment.
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau granted Global Caption conditional certification for two years as an IP captioned telephone service provider on a fully automatic basis in carceral facilities. Conditional certification was contained in an order posted Thursday in docket 03-123. In a separate order, the bureau granted Nagish conditional certification as IP CTS provider for two years.
The FCC wants comments by Jan. 29, replies by Feb. 27, in docket 23-234 on an NPRM seeking to establish a schools and libraries cybersecurity pilot program, said a notice for Friday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the item in November (see 2311130062).
The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC) raised concerns in response to comments filed on an FCC inquiry about whether the agency should extend certain robocall rules to all voice service providers (see 2309110060). “In reviewing the overall record in the proceeding, many Comments and Reply Comments stated mixed views about the effects of the FCC’s proposals if implemented with no changes in the current environment,” said a filing posted last week in docket 17-59. “In particular, most Commenters did not support making network-based call-blocking analytics mandatory and many expressed concerns or at the very least acknowledged that existing analytics’ erroneous blocking of legitimate, legal calls poses a serious unresolved problem for callers that is harmful to the public as well,” NORC said: “The record demonstrates a consensus from callers and even carriers themselves that making carrier-based call blocking mandatory under the current circumstances would be problematic.”
The Utility Reform Network and Public Knowledge urged the FCC to act on pending petitions for reconsideration. In a meeting with Commissioner Anna Gomez and staff, the groups said their joint petition for declaratory ruling on Title II classification of interconnected VoIP services would "allow the commission to better address interconnection and call quality issues, ensure competition and affordable access, and establish firmer legal authority" (see 2203020052), according to an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 19-308. They also backed Title II classification of short messaging service. In addition, the groups sought action on Sonic Telecom's 2021 petition for reconsideration of portions of the FCC's reverse unbundling network elements rules, saying "continued access by [competitive LECs] to dark fiber and DS0 loops is crucial for deploying fiber to the home" (see 2210170079).