Wireless Streamlining Order Expected to Be Approved 4-0
Commissioners are expected to approve an order streamlining Part 22 rules 4-0 at their Thursday meeting, FCC and industry officials said. Based on filings, no one has been in to visit to push for or against the cellular service order. When members voted to streamline Part 20 rules in December, only then-Commissioner Mignon Clyburn dissented. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel voted yes (see Notebook 1712140054).
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Wireless industry lawyers said they have heard virtually nothing about the order since it circulated, which they take as a sign that it won't be controversial. “It just eliminates duplicative rules and shouldn’t upset anyone,” a former FCC legal adviser with wireless clients said. FCC and industry officials said this order isn’t related to the December one.
“We modernize our rules by eliminating several Part 22 record-keeping and reporting obligations that were adopted more than two decades ago -- obligations for which there is no longer a benefit to outweigh the compliance costs and burdens,” the draft order says. “We also eliminate certain Cellular Service-specific rules that are no longer necessary.”
The draft deletes administrative and record-keeping rules for all Part 22 licensees, including station inspections, retention of hard copies of station authorizations and other station records and a requirement to have station control points for each license and personnel on duty at control points. This provides "Cellular and other Part 22 licensees with enhanced flexibility and advance our goal of ensuring more consistency in licensing across commercial wireless services, while taking into account unique features of each service," the draft order says.
The Telecommunications Industry Association "supports the FCC’s efforts to modernize the Part 22 rules,” said Cinnamon Rogers, senior vice president-government affairs. “This proceeding seeks to remove outdated requirements adopted many years ago, and it makes perfect sense to update the 800 MHz rules in order to bring them into greater alignment with those that apply to services in other bands.”
“CTIA welcomes Chairman [Ajit] Pai’s and the FCC’s ongoing focus on reforming outdated regulatory burdens and harmonizing the commission’s licensing rules among competing wireless services,” said Kara Graves, director-regulatory affairs.