California should allow low-income consumers to apply for the state's LifeLine program without providing the last four digits of their social security numbers, consumer advocates told the California Public Utilities Commission Friday. The CPUC last month sought comments about expanding the program for those without SSNs (see 2312200019). Lifeline providers said they would consider it if the state makes up for a possible gap in federal funding and waives liability for incorrect enrollments.
The FCC’s 70/80/90 GHz order, approved by commissioners ahead of last week’s open meeting (see 2401240077), saw a noteworthy change with the agency now seeking comment in a Further NPRM on the potential inclusion of ship-to-aerostat transmissions as part of maritime operations. The FNPRM also seeks comment on including fixed satellite service (FSS) earth stations in the light-licensing regime for the 70/80 GHz bands, though that was in the draft. The order was posted in Monday’s Daily Digest.
House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone of New Jersey led four Democrats Monday in filing the Do Not Disturb Act to counteract perceived undermining of anti-robocall protections following the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous 2021 ruling in Facebook v. Duguid. In that case, the court backed a narrow definition of an automatic telephone dialing system under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (see 2104010063). Senate Communications Subcommittee leaders focused during an October hearing on DOJ’s perceived reluctance in enforcing existing anti-robocall statutes (see 2310240065).
The FCC Enforcement Bureau should change tactics to avoid the risk of targets making an end run around its processes by taking advantage of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions to drag the agency into litigation, said former FCC General Counsel Tom Johnson in a white paper sponsored by CTIA and published Monday by Wiley, where he's a partner.
The FCC has made “significant progress” in its handling of the affordable connectivity program during 2022, but “improvements were needed” in measuring and providing public transparency on grant recipients’ spending of program money, the Office of Inspector General said in a Jan. 22 memo to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and other commissioners that publicly circulated Tuesday. Some congressional Republican leaders have raised concerns about the FCC’s handling of ACP amid a push to provide the program stopgap funding to keep it running through the end of this year. The Wireline Bureau said earlier this month it would freeze new enrollments Feb. 8 as part of the program's wind-down process.
Before authorizing any supplemental coverage from space (SCS) operation, the FCC must ensure incumbents operating in the same bands won't suffer harmful interference, EchoStar representatives urged during meetings with leaders of the Space and Wireless bureaus. In a Space Bureau filing Friday recapping a meeting with Bureau Chief Julie Kearney and Wireless Bureau Chief Joel Taubenblatt, EchoStar said interference protection also must extend to adjacent bands and other geographies. No SCS technical rules can be finalized before studies showing these technical requirements will address co-channel, adjacent channel and adjacent geography interference, it said. Alternately, SCS applications could be required to submit evidence subject to public comment showing that there wouldn't be harmful interference, EchoStar said. SCS use of terrestrial spectrum in the U.S. should require consent from, and appropriate lease agreements with, the terrestrial licensee as well as the licensee with a meaningful role in managing interference, it said.
As part of Charter Communications' purchase of CCI Systems, the two companies are seeking FCC approval for a transfer of assets. In an application Friday, the companies said the deal covers CCI's Astrea cable, telecom and internet operations, brand and customers in more than 60 rural communities in Wisconsin and northern Michigan.
Oppositions are due Feb. 13 on a CTIA petition seeking a 12-month extension (see 2401090026) to the FCC's current six-month deadline for carriers to implement rules protecting consumers from SIM swapping and port-out fraud. Commissioners approved the rules unanimously in November (see 2311150042). The deadline was set in a notice for Monday’s Federal Register.
Tech advocacy group OpenPolicy told FCC staff a robust attestation process is critical to a successful cyber trust mark program for smart devices (see 2311130034). “The success of the Mark, and achieving its goal to support consumers’ trust, requires scaled, automated compliance approaches that leverage advanced technologies and cyber monitoring, to ensure alignment of the product with the underlying regulatory controls, throughout the product life,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-239. Group representatives met with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Nathan Simington.
Verizon representatives presented the company's positions on a proposed 5G fund in calls with FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics staff, a filing posted Friday in docket 20-32 said. The FCC should maintain a $9 billion budget, as proposed in 2020 (see 2310240046), “but consider shifting part of the budget from the Phase I auction to the Phase II auction,” the filing said: Define eligible areas as those lacking unsubsidized outdoor stationary 7/1 Mbps 5G coverage “based on the broadband data collection map at the time of the auction,” and “adopt clear procedures for verifying funding recipients’ compliance with deployment obligations.” Providers should have a choice “to what extent” open radio access network technologies are part of their builds, Verizon said.