Posted by CommLaw | Apr 13, 2021 |
On April 1, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project, 141 S.Ct. 1150 (2021), affirming the FCC's deregulation of certain media ownership restrictions. The decision affirms the deference owed to FCC decision making, including its reliance on predic...
Posted by CommLaw | Apr 06, 2021 |
The Federal Communications Commission recently adopted rules implementing the Beat CHINA for 5G Act, enacted in December 2020, which requires the FCC, by December 31, 2021, to begin an auction for new licenses authorizing flexible use of the 3.45 GHz (3450-3550 MHz) band.
The new rules establish...
Posted by CommLaw | Mar 22, 2021 |
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021 provides $7,171,000,00.00 for an Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) to assist schools and libraries to bridge the “Homework Gap” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qualifying schools and libraries may obtain fundin...
Posted by CommLaw | Mar 04, 2021 |
On February 25, 2021, the FCC approved a Report and Order setting rules for the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program to disburse $3.2 billion to service providers that furnish discounted broadband service and devices to low-income and Tribal area households. Congress established this progr...
Posted by CommLaw | Mar 01, 2021 |
The Federal Communications Commission last week announced that it has established GN Docket No. 21-63, Promoting the Deployment of 5G Open Access Radio Networks (ORAN), and released a draft Notice of Inquiry that the Commission will vote on at its March 3, 2021 monthly meeting.
The Notice of Inq...
Posted by CommLaw | Feb 10, 2021 |
One of the most significant issues facing the new Administration is the long-running battle over how to regulate broadband Internet access service (BIAS) offerings. Early signs indicate that the FCC again will become the focal point of efforts to reclassify broadband as a Title II telecommunicati...
Posted by CommLaw | Feb 03, 2021 |
Broadband adoption and the greater use of broadband services to enhance quality of life and the economy are a top priority for the Biden Administration. While funding the construction of broadband networks is essential to driving access to broadband services, Democrats will likely focus on polic...
Posted by CommLaw | Jan 29, 2021 |
The Biden-Harris Administration Transition: What It Means for Telecommunications Policy – Spectrum
As discussed in prior blogs posts, nationwide 5G deployment is a bipartisan issue, and expanding access to spectrum for service providers, and to spectrum-based services for consumers, will contin...
Posted by CommLaw | Jan 25, 2021 |
Federal funding to build broadband networks in rural, underserved, and underserved areas of the country is a top priority of the Democrats. While Republicans also generally support greater broadband deployment, Democrats, including FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, have advocated for hig...
Posted by CommLaw | Jan 22, 2021 |
Following the January 20, 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the new Administration is poised to both quickly counter many deregulatory initiatives promulgated under the prior Administration and begin crafting new rules consistent with the new Administratio...
Posted by CommLaw | Jan 18, 2021 |
The FCC issued a Public Notice seeking comment on proposed procedures for Auction 108, which will offer approximately 8,300 geographic overlay licenses in the 2496-2690 MHz (2.5 GHz) band, the largest band of contiguous spectrum below 3 GHz. Comments and reply comments on the issues addressed in ...
Posted by CommLaw | Jan 14, 2021 |
FCC Chair Ajit Pai, in what he termed his Grand Finale, presided over his final monthly meeting of the agency on January 13, 2021. The agenda focused on the agency's significant achievements during the past four years. Presentations summarizing those efforts were delivered by current heads of the...
Posted by Ash Johnston | Jan 05, 2021 |
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, signed into law on December 27, 2020, appropriates $900 billion for coronavirus relief for individuals and businesses, including $7 billion for broadband connectivity and infrastructure.
Posted by CommLaw | Dec 14, 2020 |
NPRM Seeks Comment on Further Relaxing Equipment Marketing and Importation Rules
Posted by CommLaw | Dec 01, 2020 |
FCC Revises Forms 499A and 499Q for Telecommunications Service Providers
Earlier this week, the FCC released revisions to the annual and quarterly reporting forms that must be filed by interstate telecommunications providers. Although the obligation to make these filings is often overlooked, it ...
Posted by CommLaw | Nov 17, 2020 |
President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris have announced their review team for the Federal Communications Commission and other federal agencies, in preparation for the transition to their administration. As noted by the Biden-Harris transition news release, the review teams...
Posted by CommLaw | Oct 11, 2020 |
The Federal Communications Commission on September 30, 2020 adopted new rules permitting states to lease spectrum in the 4.9 GHz (4940-4990 MHz) band. Under the new rules, states may determine the highest and best use for the band, and thus may continue to use the spectrum for their own public safety network operations; may enter into commercial arrangements for deployment of public-safety communications services; may lease spectrum to a commercial provider for deployment of mobile or fixed wireless Internet service, private land mobile radio service or critical infrastructure connectivity; or a combination of any of these or other arrangements allowed by FCC rules.
Posted by Mark O'Connor | Sep 28, 2020 |
On September 23, 2020, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a Funding Opportunity Announcement for grants ranging from $100,000.00 to $3,000,000.00 in fiscal year 2021, which will be awarded through a competitive application review process. Grant appli...
Posted by CommLaw | Aug 25, 2020 |
New rules governing the licensing of Educational Broadband Service spectrum substantially increased flexibility regarding the sale or lease of current licenses and spectrum capacity in advance of an FCC auction of “overlay” EBS licenses. Since the rules took effect in April, the number of transactions seeking FCC approval to sell EBS licenses or lease spectrum has increased, with 42 applications seeking approval to assign EBS licenses and 33 new applications seeking approval of EBS spectrum leases.
Posted by CommLaw | Aug 10, 2020 |
On August 3, 2020, President Donald Trump abruptly withdrew the re-nomination of FCC Commissioner Michael O'Reilly (R), which had been pending before the U.S. Senate. Mr. O'Rielly has been an FCC Commissioner since 2013, and the withdrawal of his re-nomination for a third term is unprecedented.
...
Posted by CommLaw | Aug 07, 2020 |
Bidding for 5,684 C-Band Licenses in Auction 107 to Begin December 8, 2020
Posted by Mark O'Connor | Jul 23, 2020 |
Summary
On July 19, 2020, the FCC approved an Order regarding wireless E911 vertical location data that that wireless carriers must provide to public safety answering points (PSAPs) in order for emergency responders to locate E911 callers living and working in multi-story buildings. While provid...
Posted by Ash Johnston | Jun 26, 2020 |
The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau released a Public Notice earlier this month seeking public comments to refresh the record on whether the FCC should exercise its authority under Section 254(d) of the Communications Act to subject revenues from one-way VOIP calling services to federal univers...
Posted by Mark O'Connor | Jun 11, 2020 |
On June 9, the FCC approved final procedures for the upcoming Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF) reverse auction, setting a deadline of July 15 for participants to file short-form applications with bidding to commence on October 29. Winning broadband providers will receive subsidies over a...
Posted by Mark O'Connor | May 19, 2020 |
On May 13, the FCC adopted rules to provide six MHz broadband licenses in the 900 MHz band for a range of wireless broadband deployments. The new 15-year broadband licenses (897.5-900.5/936.5-939.5 MHz) will be available on a county-by-county basis. Possible uses for the spectrum include private ...