Good afternoon from Washington, DC! Below you will find our Weekly Wireless Wrap-Up, your update on the wireless telecommunications regulatory landscape, important wireless decisions, and more! Here is your wrap-up:
- 7/14/22 OPEN MEETING
- On 7/7, the FCC released the Agenda for the July Open Meeting, scheduled for tomorrow at 10:30 AM. The meeting will be available online at fcc.gov/live and in person at the FCC’s headquarters. The FCC will be considering six items, including a Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Enhanced Competition Incentive Program. For more information and to view a copy of the Agenda, see our post here.
- ROBOCALLS
- On 7/7, the Enforcement Bureau released a Public Notice notifying all U.S.-based voice service providers that they may block voice calls or cease to accept traffic from identified originating/intermediate providers found to be apparently originating auto warranty robocalls. For more information and to view a copy of the Notice, see our post here.
- 5 GHz
- On 7/8, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau released a Public Notice announcing that it was waiving the 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Window specific interim and final performance deadlines. Tribal Window licensees will instead be subject to the performance deadlines for all other 2.5 GHz licensees initially granted after October 25, 2019, as set forth in sections 27.14(u)(2) and (3) of the FCC’s rules. For more information and to view a copy of the Notice, see our post here.
- On 7/11, the Office of Economics and Analytics and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau released a Public Notice announcing that 82 applicants have been qualified as bidders for Auction 108, which will offer new flexible-use geographic overlay licenses in the 2.5 GHz band. Bidding in Auction 108 will begin on Friday, July 29, 2022 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. For more information and to view a copy of the Notice, see our post here.
- ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
- On 7/8, the Enforcement Bureau released a Notice of Apparent Liability (“NAL”) for Forfeiture proposing a $100,000 fine against Verizon for its apparent failure to comply with the FCC’s request for documents. The request stemmed from a Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 informal consumer complaint where the consumer alleged that Verizon’s Premium Visual Voicemail service was not accessible to him, in violation of section 255 of the Communication’s Act and Part 7 of the FCC’s rules. For more information and to view a copy of the NAL, see our post here.
- BDC
- On 7/8, the Broadband Data Task Force, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Wireline Competition Bureau, and Office of Economics and Analytics (collectively “FCC”) released a Declaratory Ruling and Limited Waiver responding to the Competitive Carriers Association’s Petition for Declaratory Ruling or Limited Waiver asking for clarification that Broadband Data Collection (“BDC”) filings can be certified by any qualified engineer, not only certified professional engineers (“PE”). The FCC clarified that a corporate engineering officer certifying the provider’s BDC data need not be a PE and issued a limited waiver of its professional engineering requirement for the first three BDC cycles, subject to certain other requirements. For more information and to view a copy of the Ruling, see our post here.
- On 7/11, the FCC released a Public Notice announcing that it would be holding a Technical Assistance Webinar on the Broadband Data Collection System for Tribal Filers and Leaders. The webinar will be held July 26, 2022, beginning at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Parties interested in participating should send an e-mail with their name, contact information, and Tribal affiliation, if any, to [email protected]. For more information, see a copy of the Notice here.
- BROADBAND FUNDING
- On 7/13, NTIA announced that all 50 states, U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia have signed on to receive funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (“BEAD”) Program. The BEAD Program will award $42.45 billion to the states and territories to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs. BEAD Program participants are required to submit their initial planning fund applications by August 15, 2020. For more information, see NTIA’s post here.
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