The_Mix_logo3.pngThe Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Briefing.

TELECOM

US Congress

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced it will hold an executive session on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, at which it will consider several bills impacting the telecommunications industry.  This includes: S. 2644, The FCC Reauthorization Act of 2016; S. 421, Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2015; and  S. 2607, Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a full committee markup starting April 26, 2016, and continuing to April 28, 2016, to consider a substantial number of bills.  This includes consider 9 bills from the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, as follows:

  • H.R. 2031, Anti-Swatting Act of 2015 (creating enhanced penalties for those who use false or misleading caller ID information to trigger a response by law enforcement agencies);
  • H.R. 2589  (requiring the FCC to publish on its website changes to the rules of the Commission not later than 24 hours after adoption);
  • H.R. 2592  (requiring the FCC to publish on its website documents to be voted on by the Commission);
  • H.R. 2593 (requiring the FCC to identify and describe on its website items to be decided on authority delegated by the Commission);
  • H.R. 3998  (requiring the FCC to conduct proceedings to address wireless network roaming during disasters);
  • H.R. 4111 (allowing USF rural heal care support to be used for communications services at  skilled nursing facilities);
  • H.R. 4167  (requiring MLTS to be capable of connecting to 911 without a dialing code);
  • H.R. 4190 (requiring the Commerce to Department to conduct a prize competition for technology that improves spectrum efficiency); and
  • H.R. 4889 (requiring mobile network operators to provide location information to law enforcement in emergencies).

 

FCC Open Meeting

The FCC announced the agenda for its April 28, 2016, Open Meeting.  As expected, the following items are on the agenda:

  • Transition from TTY to Real-Time Text Technology:  A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on proposals to support real-time text communications over IP communications networks, to improve the accessibility of these networks for consumers who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and speech disabled.
  • Business Data Services:  A Tariff Investigation Order and a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing a new regulatory framework for the provision of business data services (aka special access services).
  • Commercial Operations in the 3550-3650 MHz Band: An Order on Reconsideration and a Second Report and Order that will finalize rules for the innovative spectrum sharing regime it created for making 150 megahertz available in the 3.5 GHz band.

The agenda also includes a consent agenda with five Media items and three enforcement items as to which no specific information was provided.

 

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