The FCC has shifted stances in its draft repacking reimbursement order and proposes using FY 2019 reimbursement dollars to pay back low-power TV, translator and FM stations as well as using the $200 million from FY 2018. The draft order was released Friday along with the tentative agenda. It includes items on spectrum horizons and other 5G changes, a proposal for new 911 wireless location accuracy requirements, a draft order setting intermediate carrier standards for rural call completion and rules on reauthorization of broadcast satellite stations.
The FCC will take up an order at the March 15 commissioners’ meeting setting aside a big chunk of spectrum across four bands, above 95 GHz, for 5G, Chairman Ajit Pai said Thursday. With President Donald Trump also tweeting about 5G (see 1902210057), Pai blogged that 5G is the meeting’s key focus. The agenda also includes 900 MHz rules and media modernization and repacking reimbursement orders. Also on the agenda: spectrum partitioning, disaggregation and spectrum leasing rules, tougher requirements for locating wireless calls to 911 and intermediate carrier standards to improve rural call completion. Draft items are to be released Friday.
The FCC will vote on a repacking reimbursement order for low-power TV, FM stations and TV translators at its March 15 commissioners’ meeting, an FCC official told us. A media modernization item on broadcast satellite stations is also expected to be on the agenda (see 1803220027), the officials said.
A senator who has not yet signed on to either current Senate bill tackling national security tariffs says he prefers the stronger approach taken by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. (see 1901310029). Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a phone call from Connecticut that he believes that because Toomey's bill requires Congress to act within 60 days to accept or reject new tariffs, it would still allow the tariffs to be used in true national emergencies. Blumenthal said that because the approach taken in the other bill, sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, (see 1902060051) -- essentially a disapproval resolution after tariffs are announced, giving Congress power to overrule the president on future Section 232 tariff actions -- it would require veto-proof majorities to change the White House's course. "In this day and age, veto-proof majorities are pretty rare," Blumenthal said.
Chairman Ajit Pai cited FCC action timelines and other efforts to improve 911 calling and responses as part of an "all-of-the-above" approach to public-safety communications. He expects to adopt rules later this year on Kari's Law provisions to require building and campus multiline telephone systems to let users dial 911 directly, he said in remarks at a National Emergency Number Association event Friday. The FCC is working to meet a September deadline for implementing a Ray Baum's Act mandate to ensure "dispatchable location" information is conveyed with 911 calls, regardless of technology. He expects to move later this year on a "Z-axis accuracy" standard in a proceeding aimed at pinpointing wireless 911 callers' vertical location in multistory buildings. He said the FCC is reviewing how best to improve wireless 911 call routing -- plagued by "upwards of tens of thousands" misrouted calls -- to ensure it's based on the location of callers and not cell towers. Pai said wireless providers are "making meaningful progress" toward meeting "stringent" location accuracy standards on 70 percent of calls in 2020 and 80 percent in 2021 to help responders find the callers. Since some states continue to divert 911 fee funds to other purposes, he's ready to work with Congress and stakeholders to ensure all such fees strengthen public safety communications. Pai's "continued engagement will keep pressure on those states stealing critical 9-1-1 fees to change their awful ways & prevent new states/territories from joining," tweeted Commissioner Mike O'Rielly. "New Congressional action would be welcome for habitual states that divert (NY, NJ & RI)."
Congress appeared on the way Thursday to enacting the seven remaining FY 2019 federal spending bills and avoiding a new partial government hiatus that would automatically shutter the FCC (see 1902130046). The current continuing resolution to temporarily fund agencies previously affected during the recent 35-day shutdown (see 1901280044) is to expire Friday night. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said President Donald Trump will sign the legislation but also intends to declare a national emergency to reallocate funds for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Senate voted 83-16 Thursday to adopt an appropriators' conference report that would enact the remaining spending bills, which include appropriations for the FCC, FTC and NTIA. The House was to vote Thursday night. The legislation provides a combined $339 million to the FCC and its Office of Inspector General, almost $310 million to the FTC and $39.5 million to NTIA. It would clarify rules for the Department of Agriculture's $600 million ReConnect pilot distance learning, telemedicine and broadband program. Congress allocated the ReConnect pilot funding in March as part of the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill (see 1803220048).
Congress appeared on the way Thursday to enacting the seven remaining FY 2019 federal spending bills and avoiding a new partial government hiatus that would automatically shutter the FCC (see 1902130046). The current continuing resolution to temporarily fund agencies previously affected during the recent 35-day shutdown (see 1901280044) is to expire Friday night. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said President Donald Trump will sign the legislation but also intends to declare a national emergency to reallocate funds for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Senate voted 83-16 Thursday to adopt an appropriators' conference report that would enact the remaining spending bills, which include appropriations for the FCC, FTC and NTIA. The House was to vote Thursday night. The legislation provides a combined $339 million to the FCC and its Office of Inspector General, almost $310 million to the FTC and $39.5 million to NTIA. It would clarify rules for the Department of Agriculture's $600 million ReConnect pilot distance learning, telemedicine and broadband program. Congress allocated the ReConnect pilot funding in March as part of the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill (see 1803220048).
Congress appeared on the way Thursday to enacting the seven remaining FY 2019 federal spending bills and avoiding a new partial government hiatus that would automatically shutter the FCC (see 1902130046). The current continuing resolution to temporarily fund agencies previously affected during the recent 35-day shutdown (see 1901280044) is to expire Friday night. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said President Donald Trump will sign the legislation but also intends to declare a national emergency to reallocate funds for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Senate voted 83-16 Thursday to adopt an appropriators' conference report that would enact the remaining spending bills, which include appropriations for the FCC, FTC and NTIA. The House was to vote Thursday night. The legislation provides a combined $339 million to the FCC and its Office of Inspector General, almost $310 million to the FTC and $39.5 million to NTIA. It would clarify rules for the Department of Agriculture's $600 million ReConnect pilot distance learning, telemedicine and broadband program. Congress allocated the ReConnect pilot funding in March as part of the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill (see 1803220048).
Senators across the political spectrum -- from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. -- see levying national security tariffs on imported automobiles as "a step too far," Ohio Republican Sen. Robert Portman said, and he believes his bill, S.B. 365 on Section 232 tariffs could pass Congress and avoid a presidential veto.
Telecom interests advised the FCC to encourage wireless network resiliency improvements through coordination with electric utilities, going easy on mandates. Utilities urged more telecom sector engagement with state and local authorities, and greater network protections, including through backup power. Comments were posted in docket 11-60 through Monday on a Jan. 3 Public Safety Bureau public notice seeking ways to increase such coordination amid emergencies (see 1901030037). Some telco and cable parties cited their backhaul efforts, responding to a Dec. 10 PN (see 1812100027).