Robocall Notice of Inquiry

The FCC has released a tentative agenda for its July 13 Open Meeting.  Among the items to be considered are a Notice of Inquiry relating to the creation of a comprehensive database that businesses can use to identify telephone numbers that have been reassigned to new consumers in order to avoid placing automated calls and texts (“robocalls”) to consumers who have not agreed to receive them.  The NOI asks about the best way for voice service providers to report information about reassigned numbers, how that information should be made available to callers, whether and how service providers should be compensated, and whether callers should be charged an access fee.

Senate Appropriations Hearing on FCC Budget

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held a hearing regarding the FCC’s FY2018 budget request.  The 2018 budget request cuts approximately $13 million from the current budget.  Throughout the hearing, both Commissioners and Senators focused on the FCC’s work to close the digital divide.  Subcommittee Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) highlighted the importance of broadband deployment in rural areas.  On a related note, the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Council announced that it will hold a meeting on July 20. 

FirstNet Delivers State Plans

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) along with AT&T, Inc. delivered plans to select state officials describing how AT&T plans to build and maintain each states’ radio access network (RAN).  Individual state plans became available on a restricted basis through an online portal, in which FirstNet notifies the state when their plan becomes available or when it is updated.  FirstNet also announced that states have until August 4 to review and file comments regarding their plan.  FirstNet will then take another 45 days to review comments and offer responses.  At the conclusion of the review period, Governors will have 90 days to determine whether to opt-in or opt-out of the FirstNet-AT&T plan. 

Broadband Access Coalition Requests Fixed Wireless Service in 3700-4200 MHz Band

The newly formed Broadband Access Coalition filed a Petition for Rulemaking requesting the FCC to adopt regulations that would establish a new licensed, point-to-multipoint (P2MP) fixed wireless service in the 3700-4200 MHz C-band.  The Petition requests 500 MHz of contiguous spectrum for licensed P2MP broadband services.  It is the Coalition’s position that shared use can be implemented “rapidly and simply,” and that Part 101 frequency coordination will ensure that incumbent users will not experience harmful interference.