Comments are due Nov. 16, replies Dec. 3, on whether the FCC should terminate as dormant a variety of docketed proceedings (here), said a Federal Register notice Wednesday.

The FCC will exempt presentations to the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee from ex-parte rules, the agency said Wednesday. “Such presentations, like comments on a Notice of Inquiry, will not directly result in the promulgation of new rules.” That includes presentations to IAC subcommittees and working groups, IAC-sponsored roundtables and talks between members and FCC staff or commissioners. They must be placed in the record of a relevant proceeding if the FCC relies on them for making rules.

Sprint asked the FCC to waive rules that "hamper" emergency calls via IP captioned telephone service. Sprint is in compliance, said its petition, posted Monday in docket 13-24, noting Innocaption, CaptionCall and Hamilton sought relief earlier. Some required information "is useless" to public safety answering points, Sprint said. "The name of the IP CTS provider, the [communications assistant's] callback number and the CA’s identification number have virtually no value to the PSAP, and delivery of such information actually slows down the emergency call" and sometimes confuses PSAPs. Sprint also targeted a rule requiring IP CTS providers, if a call is disconnected, immediately re-establish contact with users "and/or" PSAPs. It said PSAPs and users should decide about resuming a call, not CAs "in an awkward position to make this judgment call." Noting detailed FCC staff concern about "over-utilization" of captioned phone service, which is subsidized, the American Academy of Audiology vowed to educate members on "IP CTS regulations and guidelines for usage by our patients" and prevent unauthorized usage.

AT&T proposed an "address-based approach" to filling broadband data gaps in FCC Form 477 submissions. The telco supported more granular deployment reporting but said it's unrealistic to expect every broadband provider to overcome data challenges simply through Form 477 mandates. It proposed a four-step process for FCC-industry cooperation, focused initially on rural areas, where data problems and broadband needs are most "acute," meeting with staffers, posted in docket 11-10 Monday: (1) The FCC would develop a database of all residential and small-business street addresses; (2) the commission, Universal Service Administrative Co. or a specialized vendor would comb through the addresses to remove duplicates and standardize the database; (3) consumers and others would then be allowed to augment or correct the database with more accurate information on their own locations; and (4) once a geocoded database is complete, the FCC would require fixed and mobile Form 477 filers "to submit data that 'overlays' the foundational address data to identify areas where they currently can provide broadband service, including the technology and the speed."

The FCC heard of efforts to provide broadband access to veterans, with NTCA and Verizon stressing importance of rural service, and Lifeline providers citing the low-income subsidy program. Comments were posted Friday and Monday in docket 18-275 on a public notice seeking input on a Ray Baum's Act report due next year. Comcast said it's "unacceptable" about one-third of low-income veterans lack internet service at home, and only 60 percent own a computer. Through expansion of its Internet Essentials, "an estimated one million low-income veterans will be eligible for the comprehensive broadband adoption program," it said. It urged the FCC to "work closely with other agencies" and veterans services organizations. NTCA said more than 40 percent of the U.S. military comes from rural America and 24 percent of veterans live in rural areas. "Access to broadband-enabled health care and educational resources can enable their greater successes," said the RLEC group, citing its pilot telehealth program for veterans. Verizon urged the FCC to focus on rural broadband needs and deployment, including 5G: "Rural veterans account for a disproportionate share of the [Veterans Affairs Department's] patient population; are significantly older than non-rural veterans (and are therefore more likely to be diagnosed with chronic conditions); and are more likely to live far from medical facilities or specialists." The National Lifeline Association (NaLa) faulted the PN not mentioning Lifeline, which it said covers up to 1.3 million veterans and was modified in 2016 to cover vets on pensions and their survivors. TracFone advised continuing to let resellers participate in Lifeline, as did NaLa, and the company sought to fix national verifier implementation "complications" (see 1810040045).

The FCC Technological Advisory Council meets Dec. 5, the agency said Friday. The year-end meeting will be longer than normal, running 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Commission Meeting Room.

A toll-free service provider asked the FCC for emergency relief or a rulemaking to declare the Communications Act doesn't let telecom carriers "block interconnection to their location platform for toll-free calls initiated on their networks." Sections 222 and 251 also shouldn't permit carriers "to impose upon connecting carriers and providers of toll-free telephone service an obligation to obtain the consent of customers to use their location for purposes of routing their calls to a toll-free number," petitioned 800 Response Information Services, posted Thursday in docket 96-115. It asked for relief to take effect by Oct. 19, when AT&T "has notified connecting carriers and toll-free service providers that it will no longer provide even 'coarse' location information for toll-free calls initiated by its own customers unless such calls are 'safety related' (a term which it does not define), while continuing to provide location information support of a full suite of location-based services to non-telecommunications users." It said Verizon also plans "to initiate in the near future a cumbersome double consent requirement forcing customers to provide consent via SMS after already having imposed an opt-in consent for call termination via an interactive voice response." AT&T emailed that it's "winding down relationships with aggregators as soon as practical in a way that preserves critical services, like roadside assistance and fraud prevention." Verizon didn't comment.

Though telecom accessibility is improving, gaps remain, said the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau in the biennial 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act report to Congress, in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. Low-end mobile phones with accessibility features are hard to find, a need for accessible alerts for video calls isn’t being met, and accessible telecom devices for the deaf-blind are lacking, CGB said. In 2016 and 2017, 24 consumer requests for dispute assistance were filed. “No consumer chose to escalate his or her RDA to an informal complaint for investigation by the Enforcement Bureau,” the report said. “Complaints received by the Bureau suggest that companies should remain aware that upgrades to their software may result in accessibility barriers if measures are not taken to test such upgrades for accessibility prior to deployment." Some aspects of telecom accessibility improved over the period, the report said. Cisco added accessibility features for wireline office phones, smartphones became more accessible for “people with a wide range of disabilities” and more hearing aid compatible headsets became available, it said.

One in six U.S. broadband households owns a smartwatch, Parks Associates blogged Tuesday. It predicts “strong growth” by year-end as the devices begin a transition from innovators and early adopters to the early majority (see 1809130062 or 1809130037).

Comments are due Oct. 17 on the World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee's draft recommendations for WRC-19, said an International Bureau public notice in Thursday's Daily Digest. The bureau said it "generally support[s]" most of the draft recommendations. It sought comment on NTIA draft proposals for WRC-19. The committee said it couldn't come to consensus on Agenda Item 1.13, identifying band for future international mobile telecom; on 1.14 on high-altitude platform stations in existing fixed-service allocations; on 1.16 about wireless access systems in the 5150-5250 MHz band; or on 1.5 about use of the 17.7-19.7 GHz downlink and 27.5-29.5 GHz uplink bands by earth stations in motion communication with geostationary satellites.