The FCC extended its disaster information reporting system Friday to cover counties in Georgia and South Carolina hit by Hurricane Ian, which headed north after pummeling Florida. The FCC said it acted in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and FEMA. The FCC also set up a dedicated website on Ian.
The FCC approved a requirement that satellites in low earth orbit deorbit within five years of end of life, and the International Bureau anticipates further orbital debris rule-making action but can't say when, Deputy Chief Patrick Webre said Thursday. The 4-0 approval at the commissioners' September meeting was expected (see 2209230003). It also adopted unanimously orders updating emergency alert system rules, an NPRM removing FCC rules references to analog TV now that no analog TV services remain, and an order expanding access to telecom relay services for deaf or hard of hearing individuals. The agency said it's acting in Florida in response to Hurricane Ian (see 2209290055).
Washington, D.C., may want to reconsider its unified approach to handling 911 calls, two D.C. council members said at a Judiciary and Public Safety Committee virtual meeting Wednesday. Members raised alarm with the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) making little progress on recommendations from an audit last year (see 2209090049), and continued reports of dispatching delays due to incorrect addresses and miscommunication and the agency’s alleged failure to give victims’ families an explanation or apology.
New Street’s Blair Levin fired back at former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly for his criticism of the 2010 national broadband plan (see 2209260048). Levin managed creation of the plan. “I’m not surprised that the former Commissioner did not read the Plan, but fortunately others did,” Levin said: “These include Congress (which used the analysis and ideas regarding the incentive auction and FirstNet as the basis for the only communications legislation it has passed since the 1996 Act), the Administration (which used it as the basis for its 2010 and 2013 Spectrum Executive Orders), PCAST [the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology] (which brilliantly built on ideas in the Plan for detailing a new sharing regime), the FCC itself (which not only executed on the Congressional and Administration directives but also built on the Plan’s recommendations for various needed reforms for universal service), as well as industry (with Comcast’s Internet Essentials and Google Fiber being two initiatives that emerged from the planning process),” Levin emailed Tuesday: “I would be the first to acknowledge that 12 years after its publication, some of the analysis of the Plan, like the analysis of some former Commissioners, has become irrelevant.” O'Rielly declined comment.
New Street’s Blair Levin fired back at former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly for his criticism of the 2010 national broadband plan (see 2209260048). Levin managed creation of the plan. “I’m not surprised that the former Commissioner did not read the Plan, but fortunately others did,” Levin said: “These include Congress (which used the analysis and ideas regarding the incentive auction and FirstNet as the basis for the only communications legislation it has passed since the 1996 Act), the Administration (which used it as the basis for its 2010 and 2013 Spectrum Executive Orders), PCAST [the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology] (which brilliantly built on ideas in the Plan for detailing a new sharing regime), the FCC itself (which not only executed on the Congressional and Administration directives but also built on the Plan’s recommendations for various needed reforms for universal service), as well as industry (with Comcast’s Internet Essentials and Google Fiber being two initiatives that emerged from the planning process),” Levin emailed Tuesday: “I would be the first to acknowledge that 12 years after its publication, some of the analysis of the Plan, like the analysis of some former Commissioners, has become irrelevant.” O'Rielly declined comment.
An FCC draft order on improving the accessibility of Emergency Alert System messages is expected to be unanimously improved at Thursday’s meeting, but it isn’t clear if proposed deadlines for updating MVPD set-top equipment will change before the item is adopted, said industry and FCC officials. NCTA and ACA Connects seek changes to the draft language. The agency is also expected to unanimously approve an uncontroversial draft NPRM on removing references to analog TV in the agency’s rules now that there are no more remaining analog TV services.
The FCC plans a forum on accessible emergency information in video programming Oct.6, said a public notice Monday. Hosted by the Media Bureau and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, the event will “explore the current state of emergency information in video programming, as well as advancements that may occur in the future” and include panels featuring speakers from TV companies including ABC and Gray, and consumer groups such as the Hearing Loss Association of America and the National Federation of the Blind, the PN said.
Some industry officials say the national spectrum strategy the Biden administration is expected to release will have the most value if the administration lays out with more granularity mid-band spectrum that is targeted for 5G, and eventually 6G. The plan was the focus of a day-long NTIA forum Sept. 19 (see 2209190061). Experts agreed it will likely take six months or longer to put a strategy together.
The State Department will hold a closed meeting of its International Security Advisory Board next month to discuss various national defense and foreign policy issues. Topics for the Oct. 18 meeting include arms control, nonproliferation and “national security aspects of emerging technologies,” the agency said.
The FirstNet Authority appears likely to win easy approval of a renewal of its band 14 license, now before the FCC, industry experts said Friday. The National Sheriffs Association and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (see 2209070059) and 2208250056) have raised questions, but the general run of letters has praised the network. The license expires Nov. 15.