The FCC completed a voluntary test of the disaster information reporting system (DIRS) Thursday, FCC Public Security Bureau Chief Debra Jordan said in an emailed statement. The test let communications providers practice filing outage reports as they would during an actual DIRS activation. The agency released a new version of DIRS in early December (see 2312040057). “We appreciate the widespread participation in this simulated DIRS activation in advance of hurricane and wildfire seasons, which will help ensure that the FCC can provide the public and emergency managers with timely, accurate data on the operational status of communications networks during disasters and support recovery efforts,” Jordan said. Because the test was primarily a practice session centered on logging in, filing and accessing reports in DIRS, there aren’t results to share, an FCC spokesperson told us.
Broadband experts emphasized the need for the FCC to reclassify broadband internet access service as a Communications Act Title II telecom service Thursday. "Today, there is no expert agency ensuring the internet is fast, open, and fair," Ramesh Nagarajan, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's chief legal adviser, said during a New America Open Technology Institute event (see 2310190020). Multiple court decisions have made it clear that "Title II is the foundation of strong, legally sustainable net neutrality rules," Nagarajan said, adding it would also aid in the commission's efforts in addressing national security, cybersecurity and public safety. Hooman Hedayati, Communications Workers of America senior strategic research associate, agreed. Title II allows regulators to "require service quality standards and basic safeguards so that networks are there at times of emergencies," Hedayati said. Title II reclassification and net neutrality are "incredibly relevant to individual privacy for lots of reasons" said Stacey Gray, Future of Privacy Forum senior director-U.S. policy. "The most obvious one is that it's the most clear hook, arguably mandate, that the FCC has for promulgating specific and robust privacy rules" for broadband providers, Gray said. Future of Music Director Kevin Erickson noted net neutrality protections would also allow online creators to have more choice when deciding on platforms that best fit their business models. It gives smaller creators "the same level of access to audiences that huge corporations have," Erickson said. "Net neutrality policy is competition policy" because it ensures that consumers and small businesses can access online content and services "without undue interference by their ISP," said Incompas President Angie Kronenberg. Consumers "don't have a lot of choice" in the home broadband marketplace, Kronenberg said. Providers offering broadband service need only the nondiscriminatory access and rights provided through reclassification to "build the networks faster and more affordably," she said. "Most consumers do not have Title II-regulated services for their communications needs," Hedayati added. A national framework established at the FCC that is ultimately responsible for ensuring consumers and businesses have access to affordable services and choice is necessary, Kronenberg said, because "we don't have a place to really go right now to say there's an issue" when one is identified.
President Joe Biden’s nominee for U.S. coordinator of international communications and information policy, drew a favorable response from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats during a truncated Thursday confirmation hearing. Steve Lang emphasized the need for U.S. “solidarity with like-minded partners around the world” on communications and cybersecurity issues “to better face the existential challenge from” China and other “countries that don't share our democratic values.” Lang is currently deputy assistant secretary of state-international information and communications policy.
Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act (HR-889/S-341) lead Senate sponsor Mark Warner, D-Va., is considering attaching the measure’s language to the House-approved Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (HR-7024) ahead of the upper chamber’s consideration of the package. Lobbyists question whether there’s sufficient momentum for swift action on HR-889/S-341 despite communications industry interest. Meanwhile, a potential bid to allocate $3.08 billion from an FCC reauction of 197 returned AWS-3 licenses to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2401240001) is unlikely to become part of the 2024 National Security Act supplemental appropriations package but could be a factor in talks for other must-pass legislation this year.
Space operators see themselves facing emerging policy hurdles around the globe that could impede satellite spectrum sharing and satellite mesh networks. At the SmallSat Symposium in Silicon Valley Thursday, there also was discussion about the growing challenges of an increasingly noisy and crowded low earth orbit (LEO) environment and talk of the need for a global approach to space sustainability.
Moving most of the FCC’s economists under the Office of Economics and Analytics, a controversial step taken on a Republican 3-2 commissioner vote in 2018 (see 1801300026), has proven helpful to the commission, OEA Chief Giulia McHenry said at an FCBA Engineering and Technical Committee lunch on Thursday.
FCC commissioners moved quickly to approve 5-0 a declaratory ruling prohibiting voice-cloning technology in robocall scams. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated the ruling a week ago. The agency issued a notice of inquiry exploring the issue in November (see 2311160028).
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announces leaders of U.S. AI Safety Institute, to be established at the National Institute for Standards and Technology: White House National Economic Council’s Elizabeth Kelly as director and NIST’s Information Technology Laboratory Elham Tabassi as chief technology officer (see 2402070069) … Slingshot Aerospace, satellite tracking and space modeling platform, hires Dun & Bradstreet’s Tim Solms, also former Microsoft, as CEO ... Cybersecurity vendor SoSafe names Andrew Rose, ex-Proofpoint, chief security officer ... Digital communications company IDX hires Scott Paterson, ex-Trend Networks, as chief financial officer.
Comments are due March 8, replies April 8, on an FCC proposal requiring refunds for consumers when blackouts occur due to failed retransmission consent negotiations, said a notice in Wednesday's Federal Register. The blackout NPRM was adopted 3-2 on circulation in January (see 2401100026).
The Virginia Senate passed a junk-fees bill Tuesday that the wireless industry raised concerns about last month. Also on that day the Senate approved an AI bill and the House passed a kids privacy bill. State senators voted 28-11 for SB-388, which would prohibit businesses from displaying prices that don’t include mandatory added fees other than taxes. CTIA opposed including the wireless industry in the bill. The FCC’s 2023 broadband labeling rules already protect consumers from surprise or unfair fees, the association said in a Jan. 24 letter. Wireless providers also follow the FCC’s truth-in-billing requirements, CTIA said. “Any new law should expressly exempt services already regulated by the FCC.” The Virginia Senate voted 39-0 for SB-487, which would set guardrails on public bodies’ use of AI. The House voted 98-0 for HB-707, which would add children-specific protections to the state’s comprehensive consumer privacy law. It would prohibit data controllers from selling a child’s personal data or using it for targeted advertising or profiling (see 2401310071).