Rosenworcel to Seek Vote on Funds for Puerto Rico, USVI Networks at Oct. 27 Meeting
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will seek a vote on a proposal to provide additional support for communications networks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to make them more resilient, at the commission’s Oct. 27 meeting, Rosenworcel blogged Wednesday. The FCC will also consider a 13 GHz notice of inquiry and an NPRM aimed at making emergency alerting more secure. An item on Stir/Shaken rounds out the agenda.
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Rosenworcel noted recent damage from Hurricane Fiona. “Some of the communities hit by Hurricane Fiona were the same ones I visited in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island’s communications infrastructure in 2017,” she said. The FCC wants to make sure networks there are “resilient enough to withstand the next big storm and others that follow,” she said.
After Maria, the FCC “established the Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund and the Connect USVI Fund to restore, harden, and expand communications networks on the islands,” Rosenworcel said: “Some of this support is scheduled to end starting in June 2023. The Commission will consider a plan to both extend this support and create new conditions to make sure the islands’ networks can withstand storm damage and have redundant capabilities.”
The 13 GHz item was previewed by Rosenworcel last month. The focus on 12.7-13.25 GHz was a surprise to advocates of using 12.2-12.7 for 5G (see 2209200071).
“We’re teeing up more mid-band spectrum for next-generation wireless services,” Rosenworcel said. “Mid-band airwaves have the mix of coverage and capacity that is essential for the widespread deployment of 5G service,” she said: “This could be up to 550 megahertz of new mid-band spectrum for 5G and beyond.”
Rosenworcel also announced last month she was a seeking a vote on the wireless emergency alert/emergency alert system NPRM (see 2209070076). An FCC spokesperson confirmed it’s the same item circulated then. “Over the years, the FCC has encouraged radio stations, television providers, and wireless service providers to take steps to ensure their emergency alerting systems are secure,” Rosenworcel said. The WEA and EAS systems are “strong,” but “we must remain vigilant and proactive to ensure they remain so,” she said: “The Commission will vote on a proposal to strengthen the operational readiness of EAS and WEA, including by reducing the vulnerability of these systems to cyberattacks.”
"We’re closing gaps in our defenses against illegal robocalls," Rosenworcel said. Commission rules for Stir/Shaken implementation currently require providers to adopt the caller authentication tool on the IP portions of their networks, "which means voice providers with non-IP network technology can’t necessarily verify that callers are who they claim to be," Rosenworcel said. Commissioners will consider an item on how to achieve "ubiquitous implementation" of Stir/Shaken call authentication. The FCC recently received comments from industry seeking more consistency on the matter (see 2210040061).