FCC:
Moving forward on its goal of encouraging wireline and wireless broadband deployment, the Federal Communications Commission has a packed agenda for its upcoming June meeting. On June 7, the agency will vote on a total of 11 items, plus an enforcement bureau action, the details of which will be revealed after the vote.
At the top of the agenda is an order and a further notice of proposed rulemaking that would open up more high-band millimeter wave spectrum for next-generation 5G wireless. Specifically, the order addresses spectrum sharing issues with fixed satellite services already operating in the 24 GHz band, as well as performance requirements and mobile spectrum holdings policies. The FCC is also establishing a band plan for the lower 37 GHz band, proposing to establish six 100 MHz channels. Further, the agency is proposing to make additional spectrum in the 42 GHz band and 26 GHz band available for flexible wireless use, though the FCC noted it will need to protect the current federal user of these bands.
"For the past few years, one of the agency's highest priorities has been repurposing high-band spectrum for next-generation wireless services like 5G," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a blog post about the upcoming meeting, noting that the current agenda item builds on two past agency orders. In 2016, the FCC unanimously adopted the Spectrum Frontiers order, which established rules for wireless broadband operations in frequencies at or above 24 GHz. And in 2017, the agency approved a second order to modify the 2016 rules and make available an additional 1,700 MHz of wireless spectrum for flexible use in the 24 GHz and 47 GHz bands.
Also at the meeting, the FCC will vote on an order that would make it easier for companies to discontinue legacy communications services, such as DSL internet service provided over old copper lines. The goal is to make it easier for the companies to transition to the new fiber-based networks of the future.
"These reforms would enable the private sector to stop spending scarce dollars propping up fading technologies of the past and promote investment in technologies of the future," Pai said.
Public interest groups, however, warn that the FCC's order would eliminate protections aimed at ensuring consumers receive notice and educational materials when transitioning from legacy to next-generation services.
"While the copper network may be dated, millions of Americans still rely on it to support devices like credit card machines, fax machines, school fire alarms, and medical devices. With this order, the FCC gives carriers the green light to provide consumers with less notice about service changes and less time to respond," Daiquiri Ryan, policy fellow at the advocacy group Public Knowledge, said in a statement.
Among the other items on the agenda, the FCC will vote on two items focused on allowing satellite companies to offer new services in the U.S. The first item, according to Pai, would expand the U.S. market access of O3b Networks Ltd, allowing it to use 26 additional satellites to supply broadband to American customers. The second authorizes Audacy Corp., a California-based startup, to deploy a satellite constellation that enables satellite systems to "talk" to each other.
Following the recent departure of Mignon Clyburn, only four commissioners will be voting at the June 7 meeting. The agency is currently led by Pai and his two fellow Republicans, Commissioners Michael O'Rielly and Brendan Carr, along with Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat. On June 1, President Donald Trump said he intends to nominate Geoffrey Starks as the next Democratic FCC commissioner. Starks previously served as assistant bureau chief of the FCC's enforcement bureau.
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| Congress: | |||
| June 6 | The House Committee on Small Business will meet for a hearing titled, "Millennials and the Gig Economy | ||
| June 7 | The House Subcommittee on Energy will hold a hearing titled "The Electric Grid of the Future | ||
| The FCC: | |||
| June 4 | The FCC's Office of Communications Business Opportunities and Media Bureau, and the FCC's Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment will host a one-day supplier diversity workshop | ||
| June 7 | The FCC's monthly open meeting | ||
| June 8 | The FCC's Consumer Advisory Committee will meet to receive briefings on consumer protection and education | ||
| The courts: | |||
| June 4 - 8 | With closing arguments having wrapped in the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit | ||
| Industry events: | |||
| June 5 | TechFreedom will host an event titled "Net Neutrality in Congress: The CRA or Substantive Legislation? | ||
| June 5 | The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will host an event titled "What Works in Innovation Policy: Lessons From Europe | ||
| June 5 - 8 | The Telecommunications Industry Association will host its Network of the Future 2018 | ||
| June 6 | New America's Open Technology Institute will host an event titled "A Deep Dive Into Data Portability: How Can We Enable Platform Competition and Protect Privacy at the Same Time? | ||
| June 6 | Public Knowledge will host an event titled "The Case for Retaining and Strengthening the Comcast Corp./NBCUniversal Media LLC Consent Decree | ||
| June 6 | New America will host an event titled "Countering Disinformation & Violent Extremism in the Digital Age | ||
| Cybersecurity events: | |||
| June 6 | The law firm Wiley Rein will host a discussion on private-sector cybersecurity developments and partnerships | ||
| June 7 | USTelecom will host a Cybersecurity Policy Forum | ||
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