Updated: Jan 4, 2019
On December 17, 2018, the FCC released a Public Notice (“Notice”) announcing that FCC Bureaus and Offices are seeking public comment in the 2018 Biennial Review of Telecommunications Regulations, specifically as to what rules should be modified or repealed as part of the upcoming review. Section 11 of the Communications Act requires the Commission to biennially review its regulations that apply to telecommunications services and “determine whether any such regulation is no longer necessary in the public interest as the result of meaningful economic competition between providers of such service.” The Commission is directed to repeal or modify any regulation that it finds is no longer in the public interest.
Submissions should specifically identify the rule(s) that the commenting party believes should be modified or repealed, and explain why or how, and explain how the suggested change satisfies the Section 11 standard. Note that separate pleadings must be filed with each Bureau or Office that has jurisdiction over the applicable rule.
Specifically, the Wireless Bureau seeks comment on amending Parts 1 (Subparts F, Q, X, and AA), 8 (Internet freedom), 17 (antenna structures), 20 (commercial mobile services), 22 (public mobile services), 24 (personal communications services), 27 (miscellaneous wireless communications services), 80 (stations in the maritime service), 87 (aviation services), 90 (private land mobile radio services), 95 (personal radio services), 96 (citizens broadband radio service), and 101 (fixed microwave services). Comments should be filed in WT Docket No. 18-374. Several other rule parts included in the Notice may be relevant, including but not limited to:
- HAC Compliance (CGB; Part 20, 68)
- Filing of Formal Complaints (EB; Part 1)
- Outage Reporting (PS; Part 4)
- WEA (PS; Part 10)
- E911 (PS; Parts 12 & 20)
- Open Internet (WCB; Part 8)
- Universal Service (WCB; Part 54)
Comments are due January 17, 2019.
Reply comments are due February 19, 2019.
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