Welcome back to TLP’s Weekly Wireless Wrap-Up, your weekly update on the wireless telecommunications regulatory landscape, important wireless decisions, and more! This week, the FCC held its May Open Meeting where it adopted a new FNPRM on STIR/SHAKEN and NTIA announced the initiation of its $300 Million Broadband Infrastructure Program. Here’s your wrap up:
FCC:
- On Thursday, the FCC established opposition and reply deadlines for two petitions for reconsideration. The first was CTIA’s Petition, seeking reconsideration of the heat map requirement and the base forfeiture amount in the FCC’s Third Report and Order in the Digital Opportunity Data Collection matter. The second was USTelecom’s Petition, seeking reconsideration and clarification of the blocking notification requirements in the FCC’s Fourth Report and Order in the Advanced Methods to Target Robocalls matter. For more information, check out our post here.
- Also on Thursday, the FCC held its May Open Meeting and adopted six items (for more on the items on the agenda, see our post here). Of particular relevance to wireless providers, the FCC unanimously adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“FNPRM”) seeking comment on shortening the STIR/SHAKEN exemption for small voice service providers that are most likely to originate robocalls. The FNPRM proposes to reconsider the FCC’s prior determination that all small voice service providers should receive a two-year extension to implement STIR/SHAKEN, and instead proposes to reduce the extension by one year, to June 30, 2022, for certain small providers that originate an especially large number of calls. For more information on this item, see our post here.
- On Monday, the Wireline Competition Bureau released a Public Notice seeking comment on several procedures for the Rip and Replace Program. Specifically, the Notice seeks comment on the application and reimbursement claim forms, the application reimbursement filing process, and the review process, among other things. For more information, check out our post here.
NTIA:
- Last Wednesday, NTIA released a Notice of Funding Opportunity initiating the $300 Million Broadband Infrastructure Program. NTIA’s new program will provide grants ranging from $5,000,000 to $30,000,000 to state and local governments that have partnered with a provider for fixed broadband service with speeds of at least 25/3 Mbps. Applications must be received by August 17, 2021. For more information, see our post here.
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