Since Chairman Pai took over the leadership of the FCC, he has emphasized that one of his main goals has been to “close the digital divide and bring the benefits of the Internet age to all Americans.” So it comes as no surprise that the FCC has taken several measures recently to overhaul the Lifeline … Continue Reading
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission took steps to review and update its Rural Health Care Program (RHCP) via a Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order. The item seeks comment on how to improve RHCP, including extending a waiver to allow for the rollover of RHCP funds from Fiscal Year 2017 into mid-2018. The … Continue Reading
On Oct. 24, 2017, the FCC issued a Report and Order eliminating the Commission’s rule requiring each AM, FM, and television broadcast station to maintain a main studio located in or near its community of license (i.e. the Main Studio Rule). In the same Order, the FCC eliminated existing requirements that are associated with the … Continue Reading
The FCC is having second thoughts about the auctioned “middle layer” of the planned Citizens Broadband Radio Service at 3550-3700 MHz. You may remember how this is all supposed to work, with three categories of users. The “Incumbent Access” (IA) users, already in place in the band, will have interference protection from all the others. … Continue Reading
The last of the rule revisions adopted by the FCC to help improve cell phone reception has now taken effect, thanks to a notice published in the Federal Register. This proceeding, aimed at allowing use of cellular signal boosters, last showed up on our radar here in the CommLawBlog bunker last fall, when the Commission … Continue Reading
In the wake of an impressively cooperative response to the Commission's 2014 proposals, the FCC has established a new set of E911 location standards.… Continue Reading
The effective date of the recently-adopted revisions to the cell phone signal booster rules has been set, as have the deadlines for comments concerning additional proposed revisions.… Continue Reading
Underscoring its interest in encouraging consumer cellular signal boosters, the Commission has tweaked its rules governing such devices.… Continue Reading
The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has asked for comments on a win-win proposal it might have been able to adopt without more comments. Good for them.… Continue Reading
We reported last year that all cell phone signal boosters marketed in the U.S. must comply with new standards by March 1, 2014. Not so fast.… Continue Reading
Because it's in the process of a much-needed update of its calculation methodology, the Commission isn't sure what regulatory fees to charge -- so it has invited comments on two alternative proposals.… Continue Reading
The Media Bureau has issued yet another public notice providing further "guidance" or "clarification" of the filing requirements FM translator applicants are facing in the very near term.… Continue Reading
In the long-running reality show "Survivor - 2003 FM Translators", if you happen to be a player whose FM translator applications haven't yet been kicked off the island, heads up: the Media Bureau has just announced the next challenge.… Continue Reading
It turns out that five petitions for reconsideration of the Commission's latest magnum opus in the LPFM proceeding were filed. Deadlines for opposing those petitions have now been announced.… Continue Reading
