December 6, 2012

Inside The Beltway 12/06/12

On the agenda of next week’s (Dec. 12) Federal Communications Commission open meeting are the following items: a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to broaden the agency’s broadband initiatives, promote technological innovation and encourage investment via the creation of a shared access broadband service in the 3550 MHz-3650 MHz band for small-cell use; an item on developing the capability to contact 911 emergency services via text messaging and to provide automatic consumer notification where text-to-911 isn’t supported; a Report and Order (R&O) on reforming the FCC’s universal-service support programs for healthcare that would expand healthcare providers’ access to broadband, especially in rural areas, while increasing overall efficiency and accountability in the programs; a R&O and an Order of Proposed Modification to increase spectrum for mobile broadband by adopting service rules for 40 megahertz of spectrum in the 2 GHz band (2000 MHz-2020 MHz and 2180 MHz-2200 MHz); and a NPRM that would implement the congressional directive in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 to grant new initial licenses for the 1915 MHz-1920 MHz and the 1995 MH-2000 MHz bands through a system of competitive bidding. The meeting begins at 1 pm and will be streamed live at www.fcc.gov/live…In a challenge to the FCC’s net-neutrality order, Verizon and MetroPCS yesterday asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to extend the current Dec. 6 (today) deadline to file briefs by two weeks. The two say more time is needed to incorporate the court’s ruling yesterday that upheld the FCC’s data roaming rules (click here for more information).