The Senate Communications Subcommittee plans a Tuesday hearing on renewing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority and related legislative issues, as expected (see 2207180067). The House is expected to vote as soon as Wednesday night on the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624) to extend the FCC's authority past its current Sept. 30 expiration date. The measure's backers argued on its behalf Tuesday (see 2207260063). Witnesses set to testify Tuesday include Public Knowledge CEO Chris Lewis, who opposes HR-7624’s proposal to extend the FCC’s remit by 18 months, to March 31, 2024, and CTIA President Meredith Baker, whose group backs a short-term renewal. The upcoming renewal deadline means “Congress has a unique opportunity to set future spectrum priorities and coordination goals to encourage efficient spectrum use,” the Senate Commerce Committee said: “Past disputes” between the FCC and other federal agencies on spectrum issues (see 2010260001) “have demonstrated the importance of strong leadership at” the commission and NTIA “to ensure coordinated agency management of this important resource. This coordination will become even more important as developing technologies lead to better spectrum sharing in the future.” Also on the witness list: Brattle Group principal Coleman Bazelon and GAO Director-Physical infrastructure Andrew Von Ah. The hearing will begin at 2:30 p.m. in 253 Russell.
The Michigan Public Service Commission is preparing for telcos to opt out of the state Lifeline program later this year due to a 2020 state law. Providers may give customers 90 days' notice starting Aug. 30. “There’s always worries” about customers who may be using the state discount, but the number of customers receiving the discount is “very small and continuing to diminish pretty drastically,” and getting people enrolled in the FCC’s affordable connectivity program (ACP) could have bigger impact, Commissioner Tremaine Phillips told us last week at the NARUC meeting in San Diego.
The California Public Utilities Commission needn’t delay investigating T-Mobile’s MetroPCS while related litigation is pending at U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the CPUC’s Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division (CPED) said Thursday in docket I.22-04-005. The CPUC said in April that Metro faces up to $230 million in possible fines for failing to remit California USF payments for prepaid phone service, but Metro asked in May to dismiss the probe due to the pending court case (see 2205190013). The CPUC investigation "seeks only to determine the intrastate surcharges owed by MetroPCS on intrastate communications under the Prepaid Act and in no way seeks to impede the regulation of interstate communications by the FCC,” CPED said. “This issue is separate and distinct from the Federal Litigation." Metro disagreed: "The Commission should not move forward with any portion of the [investigation] until the MetroPCS Litigation concludes."
Eighteen wireless carriers and stakeholders are urging Congress to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program amid ongoing concerns about the FCC’s final estimate that lawmakers will need to appropriate an additional $3.08 billion to pay the costs of replacing the unsecure equipment (see 2207150067). Industry experts told us the outlook on whether Congress will act on the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) or other proposals to provide additional funding is unclear, but the risk for industry and negative implications for closing the digital divide are real.
AT&T said the California Public Utilities Commission should adopt a proposed decision (PD) allowing it to discontinue residential landline service in Frontier Communications territory. The PD correctly says AT&T fully complied with CPUC mass migration guidelines and additional requirements set in the proceeding, the carrier commented Wednesday in docket A.21-05-007. "AT&T appreciates" the CPUC's "commitment to ensure that customers do not lose essential local voice service when their local service provider exits the market,” and that the PD clarifies that all comments from the public responded to erroneous concerns. The Utility Reform Network generally supports the PD but wants the CPUC to clarify that relinquishing eligible telecommunications carrier status doesn't excuse AT&T from reimbursing California LifeLine and federal Lifeline for overcollection since May 2021, said TURN. California commissioners may vote Aug. 4 (see 2207010061).
SAN DIEGO -- State utility regulators passed a resolution meant to increase affordable connectivity program (ACP) enrollment. The NARUC board adopted the resolution Wednesday after it cleared the Telecom Committee in a unanimous vote Tuesday at the association’s summer meeting. Intensifying economic factors make programs like ACP critical, said committee Chairman Tremaine Phillips in an interview.
Commenters raised concerns on a proposal by the University of Utah for an FCC waiver of citizens broadband radio service rules for its POWDER (Platform for Open Wireless Data-driven Experimental Research) platform, used for wireless research. Comments were due Monday in docket 22-257. The university asked for a waiver to use software-defined radio equipment to interact with the spectrum access system operator “within the POWDER Platform Innovation Zone” and for other exceptions to rules for the band. The university said it uses the platform as a “living laboratory that allows research in a real-world, spectrum realistic environment.”
Congress’ clash on spectrum legislation is expected to escalate just before lawmakers leave for the long August recess with a continued lack of bicameral consensus. House Commerce Committee leaders are eyeing potential floor consideration the week of July 25 of the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624) the panel advanced Wednesday (see 2207130066). Senate Commerce Committee leaders haven’t signed on in support of HR-7624’s approach and are likely to hold a hearing the week of Aug. 1 on renewing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority and other matters the measure addresses. HR-7624 authorizes an FCC auction of up to 200 MHz on the 3.1-3.45 GHz band.
The FCC Wireless Bureau will host a workshop Sept. 13 on the environmental compliance and historic preservation review process for the construction of communications facilities supporting FCC licensed services, the agency said Wednesday. The workshop will be in-person in the Commission Meeting Room at FCC headquarters, starting at 10 a.m. It will also be streamed on the agency’s YouTube channel. “FCC and other federal agency subject-matter experts will provide information on a range of topics related to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the FCC’s implementing regulations and related agreements,” the bureau said.
Every state and territory applied for NTIA’s digital equity planning grant program, the agency announced Wednesday (see 2206160072). NTIA received letters of intent from "hundreds of tribal nations" to participate in the digital equity program. All states and territories also submitted a letter of intent for the $42.45 billion broadband, equity, access and deployment program by the July 18 deadline, NTIA said. Iowa and Florida were the last two states to sign on, per a tweet from NTIA Tuesday.