Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Wednesday defended the FCC’s proposal to require disclosures on political ads created with generative AI (see 2407250046). Rosenworcel was asked during a news conference about comments from Commissioner Brendan Carr characterizing the NPRM as part of a Democratic National Committee effort to put a “thumb on the scales” ahead of the 2024 election. “That’s not remotely accurate,” Rosenworcel said of Carr’s characterization. “We came up with this proceeding on our own, because we have familiarity with what a public and political file looks like at our nation’s broadcasters. After all, we’ve been doing this kind of work for decades.” AI is “a technology that is going to show up in so many aspects of our economy, communications technology included,” she said. “So it's smart to wrap our arms around these issues.”
Tropical Storm Debby left .5% of Florida and .1% of South Carolina cellsites down, an improvement from .9% and .4%, respectively, on Tuesday, the FCC said in Wednesday’s disaster information reporting system report (see 2408060053). 17,344 cable and wireline subscribers lack service, down from 22,422 Tuesday. No TV stations were reported down, but one FM station remains down in Florida, along with another FM station redirected. Tuesday’s report listed one TV station down.
Representatives of the Edison Electric Institute discussed electric utilities' need for licensed spectrum to support uncrewed aerial systems. Accordingly, they urged that the FCC examine the 4.9 and 5 GHz bands. “Access to licensed spectrum would enable networked operations, expanding drone range and facilitating Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights,” a filing Tuesday in docket 22-323 said: “This would significantly improve inspection efficiency and enhance security.” EEI representatives met with an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington, after an earlier session with staff for Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks (see 2407250020).
Gogo Business Aviation asked the FCC to move forward on a rulemaking proceeding that considers revised rules for the 800 MHz commercial air-ground service to enable more flexible use of the spectrum. In June, the Wireless Bureau sought comment on Gogo’s request for an NPRM. Only APCO filed initial comments, Gogo noted in reply comments posted Wednesday in docket 24-184. APCO urged independent technical analysis of the interference potential of the rule change and a requirement for real-world testing, among its requests. While Gogo “disagrees with APCO’s proposals, each can be addressed and more deeply explored in the context of an NPRM,” the company said. Gogo “is developing a next-generation network to deliver higher capacity, higher quality broadband connectivity to aircraft operating in the United States,” Gogo said: “These network upgrades expand capacity and help Gogo BA more efficiently use its spectrum to meet aircraft operators’ ever-increasing demand for broadband data and new types of broadband services.”
Comments are due Sept. 9, replies Sept. 23, on an FCC NPRM that proposes industry-wide handset unlocking rules, a notice for Thursday’s Federal Register said. Commissioners approved the NPRM 5-0 last month (see 2407180037). It proposes a requirement that all mobile wireless providers unlock handsets 60 days after they’re activated, unless a carrier determines the handset “was purchased through fraud.”
Representatives of the FirstNet Authority, joined by AT&T, “discussed and fielded questions” from the FCC Public Safety Bureau on whether FirstNet should be subject to the agency’s network outage and disaster information reporting systems rules (see 2406140053). The main topic was FirstNet Central, “a tool available to FirstNet public safety users that provides near-real time network status information, including visibility into areas that may be experiencing outages, the cause if known, and estimated restoration time if known,” said a filing this week in docket 21-346. Representatives “explained and demonstrated the features and functionality of the FirstNet Central platform” and how users “can visualize network outage data inclusive of towers, outage notifications, and various informative map layers and showed how users can subscribe to and customize alerts,” the authority said.
Benton Institute for Broadband & Society asked the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hold in abeyance scheduled briefings on the pending challenge of the FCC's net neutrality rules following the court's decision to stay the rules and schedule oral argument for the fall (see 2408010065). In a motion Tuesday the FCC did not oppose (docket 24-7000), Benton cited a pending petition before the commission that "makes it possible that other further action of this could likely render moot or alter the issue" presented before the court. "Courts of Appeal commonly hold proceedings in abeyance when overlapping petitions for administrative reconsideration have been filed," Benton said: "That is the most prudent course here." A coalition of industry groups conditionally opposed the motion, saying the court “plainly should not hold industry petitioners’ cases in abeyance, nor should it pause the briefing of industry petitioners’ cases while it considers the abeyance motion.” CTIA, USTelecom, NCTA, ACA Connects, the Wireless ISP Association and several state telecom associations said they didn’t oppose the motion only if Benton sought “for only their own petitions to be held in abeyance.”
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
The FCC unanimously approved an order Wednesday creating an alert code for missing adults and an NPRM on proposed revisions for the robocall mitigation database. At their open meeting, commissioners also voted on an item that protects consumers from AI in robocalls (see 2408070037). “We do not have a tool on par with Amber alerts to raise awareness and assist with recovery efforts of those 18 and older,” Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said of the new Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) alert code. “I think it would make a difference if we did. Because while only one third of those who go missing are adults, they account for 70% of people who are never found.” Though originally scheduled for Wednesday morning, the meeting’s start time was pushed back nearly three hours due to flight delays that affected Rosenworcel, she said.
FCC commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved an NPRM aimed at reducing unwanted AI robocalls, as expected (see 2408050029). Commissioner Nathan Simington raised concerns about part of the notice, with which he would only concur. Responding to concerns that Incompas and Cloud Communications Alliance raised, officials said some questions were moved to a notice of inquiry. Commissioners during their open meeting approved 5-0 a pair of other items (see 2408070047).