FCC Adopts 5.9 GHz Proposal & Other Updates

Monday, November 23, 2020

FCC Adopts 5.9 GHz Proposal

The FCC unanimously adopted a Report and Order at its November Open Assembly final week that repurposes the 5.9 GHz band for unlicensed makes use of (Vol. XVI, Subject 48).  Particularly, the Report and Order adopts guidelines that designate the decrease 45 MHz of the band for unlicensed use and the higher 30 MHz for enhanced car security utilizing Mobile Car-to-Every little thing (C-V2X) know-how.  The brand new guidelines will allow full-powered, indoor unlicensed operations within the decrease 45 MHz portion instantly, in addition to alternatives for out of doors unlicensed use on a coordinated foundation below sure circumstances. The FCC additionally adopted a Additional Discover of Proposed Rulemaking proposing guidelines for out of doors unlicensed operations within the decrease a part of the band.  

Rip-and-Substitute Report and Order

Final week, the FCC launched a draft Report and Order that will require eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) to take away and exchange any tools deemed to “pose an unacceptable danger to the nationwide safety of the US or the protection and safety of its individuals.”  The proposed “Secured and Trusted Communications Community Reimbursement Program” would reimburse smaller carriers for the prices of eradicating and changing such tools, topic to congressional appropriation of at the very least $1.6 billion.  The Report and Order would additionally require suppliers of superior communications providers to report whether or not their networks use lined communications tools or providers acquired after August 14, 2018.  The Fee plans to vote on the Order at its Open Assembly on December 10.  

Feedback Sought on 988 Location ID Prices

The FCC issued a Public Discover final week looking for touch upon the prices and feasibility of conveying computerized dispatchable location info with calls to the 988 nationwide suicide prevention and psychological well being disaster hotline (Vol. XVI, Subject 47). Performing below the directive of the Nationwide Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, the Fee seeks touch upon together with location info with 988 calls in addition to the technical points that would come up in doing so.  Within the Public Discover, the Fee additionally clarified that the implementation date for all telecommunications carriers, interconnected voice over Web Protocol suppliers, and one-way VoIP suppliers to make mandatory modifications so clients can dial 988 to achieve the hotline is July 16, 2022.  Feedback are due by December 21, 2020, and reply feedback are due by January 11, 2021.  

FCC Extends Lifeline Rule Waivers

The Wireline Competitors Bureau adopted an Order final week extending waivers it beforehand granted for numerous Lifeline guidelines because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Particularly, it prolonged the waiver of the rule requiring Lifeline subscribers reply to reverification documentation requests and directs the Common Service Administrative Co. (USAC) not de-enroll any subscriber for failure to reply till February 28, 2021.  It directs USAC not concern reverification requests till that date. The Order additionally extends the waiver of the annual recertification guidelines and clarifies {that a} subscriber’s eligibility must be recertified solely as soon as in 2021. 

Two Rounds Per Day for RDOF Public sale

The FCC will maintain two rounds of bidding per day in its Rural Digital Alternative Fund (RDOF) Section I public sale (Public sale 904) on Monday, November 23, and Tuesday, November 24.  Every spherical will final two and a half hours, starting at 9:30 a.m. and a couple of:30 p.m.  There’ll solely be one spherical on Wednesday, November 25. 

Sean Stokes, Wesley Ok. Wright, Michael T. N. Fitch, Timothy A. Doughty, Kathleen Slattery Thompson and Adam (AJ) Reust contributed to this text.