Today’s Regulatory Mix:  FCC Grants C-Band Licenses, FCC to Host FAQ Seminar for the Emergency Connectivity Fund  

FCC Grants C-Band Licenses 

The FCC announced the grant of 5,676 licenses in the 3.7 GHz service (3.7 to 3.98 GHz), also known as the C-band following completion of Auction 107 earlier this year. “These mid-band licenses are the sweet spot for 5G deployment,” explained FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “That’s because they have the right mix of capacity and propagation that will help us reach more people in more places faster. With these licenses in hand, more carriers can deploy mid-band 5G, which means faster speeds over much wider coverage areas and more robust competition.” In a separate statement, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr added, “I am grateful that we are now in a position to grant these spectrum licenses. But we must do more than implement the tough spectrum decisions the FCC made over the last few years if we are going to extend U.S. leadership in 5G. We must move forward with a number of new spectrum proceedings too.” 





FCC to Host FAQ Seminar for the Emergency Connectivity Fund 

On Tuesday, August 3 starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT, the FCC will host a virtual webinar to provide additional information about the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) Program, on fcc.gov/live. The webinar will cover frequently asked questions about the ECF Program and application process. Questions may be submitted prior to or during the webinar, which will be recorded and available on the FCC’s website. The ECF was established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and will provide $7.17 billion to support the reasonable costs of the purchase of connected devices (i.e., laptop and tablet computers), WiFi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity for off-campus use to serve the unmet needs of students, school staff, and library patrons during the COVID-19 emergency period. The 45-day application filing window is now open and will close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 13. During this application filing window, eligible schools, libraries, and consortia of schools and libraries, will be able to submit requests for funding to purchase eligible equipment and services received or delivered between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. 


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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related 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 an Inteserra Briefing.