The FCC Wireline Bureau extended deadlines for additional carriers to remove, replace and dispose of Huawei and ZTE equipment from their networks. In an order posted in Friday’s Daily Digest, the bureau said extensions went to Advantage Cellular Systems, extended to March 10, AST Telecom (April 18), Country Wireless (Feb. 23) and Inland Cellular (Sept. 30). NE Colorado Cellular received an extension to March 9 for part of its system, and April 6 for other parts. Competitive Carriers Association President Tim Donovan told us Friday he remains hopeful Congress will find a spending vehicle this year to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to pay for carriers to rip and replace the Chinese gear (see 2408230039). The program faces a $3.08 billion funding gap (see 2404100067).
The Edison Electric Institute urged the FCC to maintain its rules on contractor qualifications for electric utility pole work and large pole orders (see 2408190053). EEI said in a meeting with Wireline Bureau staff that the record "demonstrates the need for a flexible approach to timelines" for larger pole orders, per an ex parte filing Friday in docket 17-84. A "one-size-fits-all timeline would be impractical," EEI said. Utilities also "have a legitimate interest in ensuring that contractors who work on their poles meet certain safety and reliability standards," the group said: "Allowing contractors to unilaterally select their own contractors to work above the communications space bypassing utility vetting and training through a utility’s onboarding process could compromise these standards."
The FCC Wireless Bureau on Friday agreed to delay by three weeks the comment deadlines on a Further NPRM on the broadband data collection process as sought by CTIA, USTelecom and the Competitive Carriers Association (see 2408260010). With the delay, comments are now due Oct. 7, replies Nov. 5 in docket 19-195. “Given the importance of receiving both timely and accurate BDC data submissions as well as robust input on the questions raised in the Fourth Further Notice, we find there is good cause to grant Joint Petitioners’ request,” the bureau said.
After more than a year of meetings, the NAB-led, FCC-involved ATSC 3.0 task force, the Future of TV Initiative, hasn’t reached consensus on controversial topics, we're told. Its members include broadcasters, cable interests, and consumer and public interest groups. Its first meeting was in June 2023, and it was expected to issue a final report in the fall, yet members told us that it's likely merely to reiterate many of the positions stakeholders held going into the effort. It's also unlikely to provide a firm timeline for the sunset of ATSC 1.0. Just before the initiative's launch, ATSC President Madeleine Noland said the goal was for the diverse group to “chart a path forward together,” and NAB told us the goal was to make concrete recommendations to the FCC by June 2024.
Maurine and Matthew Molak filed a petition Thursday seeking review of a July FCC order that lets schools and libraries use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services (see 2407180024), in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Molaks previously sought reconsideration of the July order, which three public interest groups and T-Mobile opposed last week (see 2408280029).
FCC commissioners released an order Thursday approving initial rules allowing drone use of the 5030-5091 MHz band (see 2303100028). Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated the order in April for a commissioner vote (see 2404080065). The order permits operators of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) to obtain direct frequency assignments in a portion of the band for non-networked operations. The band is one of five targeted for further study in the national spectrum strategy (see 2403120056). The rules “rely on dynamic frequency management systems to manage and coordinate access to the spectrum and enable its safe and efficient use,” an FCC news release said: These systems “provide requesting operators with temporary frequency assignments to support UAS control link communications with a level of reliability suitable for operations in controlled airspace and other safety-critical circumstances.” Currently, operators “largely rely on unlicensed airwaves to communicate with and control” drones, Rosenworcel said in statement. “But the use of unlicensed spectrum leaves these aircraft more vulnerable to interference that could disrupt operations,” she said: The order, for the first time, allows UAS operators “to access dedicated spectrum for control operations in circumstances where safety is essential.” The FCC’s job isn’t finished, said Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. “We still need to address a number of remaining issues, including spectrum for networked UAS operations in the 5030-5091 MHz band to fully realize the promise and public interest benefits of UAS,” he said. The order was approved 5-0. None of the other commissioners released statements. “A revolution in aviation” is starting “and sufficient spectrum availability for UAS will be crucial to unleashing the vast transformational power of Advanced Air Mobility,” emailed AURA Network Systems CEO Bill Tolpegin. “Equally critical is that the spectrum used to support uncrewed flights is not only licensed and fully dedicated for aviation but also managed to guarantee coverage along flight routes.”
The proposed factor for the North American Numbering Plan Administration Fund size for FY25 will be $8.64 million with a contribution factor of 0.0000896, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Wednesday in docket 92-237 (see 2308100068). The proposed decrease in the contribution factor is due to the "higher surplus carried over from the prior year," the bureau said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau granted Alaska's Lower Yukon School District's request that broadband services "to and within on-campus teacher housing owned by the school district is eligible for E-rate funding." In a declaratory ruling Thursday in docket 02-6, the bureau said the district "serves a unique population of students who reside in 10 remote, impoverished villages in a part of rural Alaska with an extremely harsh climate." It determined that the district-owned on-campus housing provided for Lower Yukon teachers "is a non-instructional facility in which the use of broadband service meets the definition of an educational purpose, and thus such service is eligible for category one and category two E-Rate support." In addition, it noted the ruling is limited to the Lower Yukon school district. The on-campus teacher housing is necessary for the district's "unique student population" because Lower Yukon’s "severe weather conditions and remote geography prevents students from having their educational needs met during the unusually frequent on-campus school closures."
Comments are due Sept. 30, replies Oct. 15 on the transfer of Intelsat's FCC licenses and authorizations to SES, said a public notice Thursday in docket 24-267. Responses to replies are due Oct. 25, the FCC Space Bureau, Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology notice said. The license transfers are part of SES' proposed $3.1 billion purchase of Intelsat (see 2405310004).
Congress appears unlikely to renew FCC auction authority this year, which makes prompt FCC action on approving fixed wireless use of the lower 12 GHz band even more important, former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said in a new blog post. O'Rielly called inaction on FCC auction authority “especially vexing" given the importance of spectrum to U.S. competitiveness and enabling new technologies. “Having served as an FCC Commissioner, I understand the agency’s limited options to make more spectrum available absent Congressional action on auction authority,” O’Rielly said: “Despite this challenge, there is a prime opportunity before the Commission in the pending lower 12 GHz proceeding that would enable more efficient use of spectrum even while Congress works to restore auction authority.” The FCC “should not wait to act on … and should move to adopt final rules to authorize the use of high-power two-way, fixed wireless service in the band.” The 12 GHz for 5G Coalition continues pressing for FCC action on the band (see 2407030061).