988 Georouting Test Underway, FCC Says as Outage Reporting Order OK'd

The 988 Lifeline, which officially started service 12 months ago, will add videophone service in coming months for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, said Monica Johnson, director-SAMHSA 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office. Videoconferenced into Thursday's meeting, she told the commissioners Lifeline received nearly 5 million contacts in the past year, compared with nearly 2 million contacts in the 12 months before the three-digit Lifeline number. She said 655,000 of those nearly 5 million were texts, up 1,000% year over year.

The order requires the FCC, SAMHSA, Veterans Affairs and the 988 administrator to get notifications in case of an outage affecting 988 service, similar to existing FCC rules about reporting 911 outages. Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Chief Debra Jordan said implementation of the 988 outage reporting requirements was reconciled in the approved order with the time frame for implementation of updated 911 outage reporting rules adopted in November (see 2211170051).

The FCC's 988 activity is "one of the most enduring and important initiatives" it has had a chance to work on, Commissioner Brendan Carr said. Lifeline's 800 number was often seen as being specifically for suicide prevention, but 988's wider branding is making it associated with a broader set of mental health challenges and people are more willing to call -- "an upside I don't think we could have appreciated on the front end," he said.

Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the 988 georouting trial entails privacy and security concerns that are going to require mental health community expertise and input. The commission referred questions about the trial to SAMHSA, which didn't comment.

Other Orders

Thirteen of the FM6 stations have been broadcasting ancillary analog signals since the digital transition under temporary authorization from the FCC, which Rosenworcel compared Thursday to “gum and bailing wire.” “We make it possible today for them to continue to broadcast to their radio listeners, because we know in a world where content feels like it is everywhere, there is still something special about local radio and a signal in the air,” Rosenworcel said Thursday. The order (see 2307180041) makes the arrangement permanent but limits it to the original 13 and another FM6 station that was blocked from participating due to border interference concerns. The order clarifies that the stations will need to pay the FCC’s required ancillary service fees, and rejects proposals to allow noncommercial educational FM stations to use unused channel 6 spectrum or to relax interference protections. "The order adopted by the Commission today will protect channel 6 television operators while recognizing the audience built by existing FM6 stations," said NAB in a news release.

The E-rate order also extends the FCC's tribal libraries pilot program for an additional funding year, Rosenworcel said. Commissioners expanded E-rate access to tribal libraries, colleges, and universities, adopting an order defining "tribal libraries" and making clear tribal colleges and universities are eligible for support if they also serve the public. The order provides training to tribal library applicants and adds a tribal representative to the Universal Service Administrative Co. board. A Further NPRM seeking comment on updates to streamline E-rate rules for all program participants was also adopted.

"E-rate is a crucial source of support for schools and libraries on Tribal lands, and their surrounding communities," said Commissioner Geoffrey Starks: "I’m glad we have quickly taken this step to promote additional broadband deployment and adoption on tribal lands." The action "goes a long way to clear some of the regulatory underbrush that can allow a lot of these institutions to leverage E-rate in a way that will make sense" and expand connectivity to more people, said Carr.

"We are thrilled to see the FCC taking steps to simplify the E-rate application process," said Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition Executive Director John Windhausen: "For small schools and libraries, this decision is the most significant reform of the E-rate program since the modernization orders in 2014." The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums "appreciate[s] that the FCC is listening to tribal librarians and acting on recommendations received, said CEO Susan Feller, adding the group looks forward to "facilitating more listening sessions in the months ahead."

Meeting Notebook

Before the meeting, the commissioners adopted a notice of apparent liability against Enhanced Communications for failing to submit required documentation to the Universal Service Administrative Co. and filing inaccurate reports. The company was fined $1 million for failing to file documentation for its worksheets for 2017 through 2022. Enhanced "failed to cooperate with a USAC audit, and failed repeatedly to respond to directives from USAC to provide documentation," said an order.

Carr hasn’t taken a side on reclassifying streaming services as MVPDs, he said at a news conference after Thursday’s meeting. “There are concerns raised about, generally, does the Communications Act itself need an update to deal with some of these issues?” Carr said Thursday. “I am still open-minded on the issue, still taking meetings on the issue, but do not have a particular perspective to share on it right now.” ACA Connects President Grant Spellmeyer Wednesday suggested Congress update “the whole model” to address the matter. Spellmeyer's tweet was in response to the broadcast station groups’ recent formation of a coalition aimed at lobbying the FCC and lawmakers on the item (see 2307180058).