Citing AT&T and Verizon's acknowledgement implementation of device-based geotargeting of wireless emergency alerts could be faster, the National Weather Service, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency are pushing for that sped-up time frame. The agencies in an FCC docket 15-91 filing posted Wednesday said talks with state and local public safety agencies indicated a wide belief such geotargeting can be achieved in less than the 42-month minimum implementation recommended by the wireless operators. The companies in September said that in meetings with agency staff, they backed the recommendations of a Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council working group that a minimum 42-month timetable is needed for implementation, but said an expedited process is doable. Verizon said that expedited process would first require working group consensus on an appropriate accuracy threshold and if there were sufficient willingness to incorporate geo-fencing capabilities by device manufacturers and operating system providers. AT&T said the coordinate data being sent in the same WEA message would help in expediting implementation. Representatives of CTIA and members are complaining about a recent order upholding a Nov. 1 deadline for the nation’s five largest carriers to be able to provide “clickable” embedded references in WEAs (see 1711020054). The representatives met with Public Safety Bureau Chief Lisa Fowlkes, an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai and a staffer from the Office of General Counsel. AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular had reps there. “The net effect of the Commission’s new interpretation will cause many mobile devices capable of receiving WEA messages to alternate between being considered ‘WEA capable’ depending on the deadline of the Commission’s required WEA enhancements, a device’s ability to be updated through software, and whether consumers choose to exercise the software update,” CTIA said in a document in docket 15-91. “The Commission’s new interpretation risks extensive consumer and public safety community confusion, and unnecessarily complicates … providers’ efforts to inform consumers about WEA capable devices in a nearly continuous fashion.” Carriers “have limited visibility into whether mobile devices are or could be ‘WEA capable’ under this interpretation,” the association said.
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn decried an "assault on pro-consumer policies" by the majority, which she said "will continue down its destructive path" at Thursday's monthly meeting. “They will make it more difficult for low-income Americans to access affordable communications services" and "will shred consumer and competition protections," she said Wednesday, referring to Lifeline and wireline broadband deployment items. She also slammed expected FCC actions on a new broadcast TV standard and allowing "massive media consolidation" (see 1711150054).
Equipment maker Radwin agreed to pay a $95,000 fine for selling noncompliant U-NII devices, which allowed users to modify settings in a way that could cause harmful interference to terminal Doppler weather radar (TDWR) systems the FAA uses to detect potentially hazardous weather conditions for aircraft. “The Commission’s requirements ensure that devices that emit radio frequency radiation comply with the Commission’s technical requirements and do not cause harmful interference to Federal agency public safety systems, such as TDWR, or to other authorized Federal and non-Federal communications systems, once the devices are marketed to the public,” said an order and consent decree by the FCC Enforcement Bureau. “To settle this matter, Radwin admits that it violated the Commission’s equipment authorization and marketing rules with respect to these noncompliant U-NII devices.” The closely held firm "manufactures and distributes broadband wireless systems," the bureau said. Radwin fully cooperated with an investigation, the bureau said.
BALTIMORE -- Many broadband deployment questions went unanswered at last week’s meeting of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee because members couldn’t reach consensus, said state commissioners’ lone BDAC member Karen Charles Peterson. On a Tuesday panel at the NARUC annual meeting (see 1711140028), the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable commissioner repeatedly urged attendees to file comments in FCC docket 17-83 responding to Thursday’s meeting (see 1711090054). The BDAC debates on infrastructure seem to focus on urban areas, but it’s important not to forget that many rural areas don’t have any broadband, said Colorado Public Utilities Commissioner Wendy Moser.
FCC hires Matthew Duchesne, ex-U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, as chief, Office of Native Affairs and Policy; acting Chief Lyle Ishida remains at the agency ... FCC members appoint Commissioner Brendan Carr to Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service and Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations (see 1711130035); Carr succeeds FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, vacating those positions; Carr and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel join Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services because of their commission positions ... TiVo board elects Enrique Rodriguez, ex-AT&T Entertainment Group, president-CEO and names him to the board; he succeeds Thomas Carson, retiring and leaving the board, staying as adviser through Q1.
BALTIMORE -- State members of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service are ready to recommend how to revamp USF contribution, said State Chair Chris Nelson at a NARUC meeting. State members met unofficially Sunday without their FCC counterparts, Nelson told us. Monday, the NARUC Telecom Committee delayed voting on two competing Lifeline resolutions, but voted for a draft resolution to support requiring direct dialing of 911 in hotels and other enterprises.
Stakeholders objected to proposed FCC Lifeline actions in a draft item on the agenda for next Thursday's commissioners' meeting, with many against a possible move to eliminate low-income funding support for resellers. Wireless industry parties, civil rights advocates, tribal groups and others voiced concerns about the combined draft orders and notices, in meetings and filings posted Wednesday and Thursday in docket 11-42.
The Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee approved six sets of recommendations for speeding deployment of wireless and wireline infrastructure Thursday, but disagreements surfaced, especially from the local government officials appointed to the group. The FCC posted the documents for the committee, which meets again in January to finalize recommendations.
Officials working for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai have often used Twitter to slam news critical about the commission, according to our eight-month review of social media activities. Also unlike at DOJ, the FTC and NTIA, FCC aides using their government Twitter accounts regularly praise the substance of reporting that sheds a positive light on the agency under Pai. Some of the negative tweets may not abide by best practices, FCC responses to our Freedom of Information Act requests show.
The 911 grant program should target funds to proofs of concept in urban, suburban and rural areas, while requiring interoperability, APCO commented this week on revised implementation rules proposed by NTIA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (see 1709200043). Also in docket NTIA-2017-0002, some state and local agencies urged the agencies not to exclude certain areas from grants. The 2012 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act made $115 million available from the Public Safety Trust Fund for the 911 grant program, which funds improvements to 911, E-911 and next-generation 911 services and applications. NTIA and NHTSA plan to award NG-911 grants in FY 2018, which started Oct. 1 (see 1701200026).