Public Notice

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau)—in coordination with the Office of Economics and Analytics—seeks comment on modifying the calculation of the FCC's broadband reasonable comparability benchmarks for the Urban Rate Survey (URS or Survey). In particular, the Bureau seeks comment on methods for calculating benchmarks for a wider spectrum of service speeds as well as other proposed improvements. The FCC seeks comments on whether it should change how it calculates its broadband benchmarks using data collected through the URS.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced a new Affordable Connectivity Program application landing page available at GetInternet.gov.

The Federal Communications Commission seeks comment on the contours and specific requirements of the proposed 2023 Mandatory Data Collection for incarcerated people’s communications services (IPCS).

Under the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP), also called “iCanConnect,” the Federal Communications Commission may provide up to $10 million annually from the interstate telecommunications relay service fund (TRS Fund) to support local programs that distribute equipment to eligible low-income individuals who are deafblind, so that these individuals can access telecommunications service, Internet access service, and advanced communications services. On April 25, the FCC announced the funding allocations for the NDBEDP for 2023-2024.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is proposing to issue 1) a Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Challenge Process Policy Notice to provide Eligible Entities with additional guidance on how to design and conduct their BEAD challenge process and 2) A BEAD Model Challenge Process to provide Eligible Entities.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted the following spectrum management principles.

Interference Realities

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau and Office of the Managing Director announced that the service delivery/receipt deadline for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program was April 10, 2023, due to the signing and enactment of the joint resolution ending the COVID-19 national emergency on the same day. This guidance supersedes earlier guidance identifying May 11, 2023, as the service delivery/receipt deadline.

As the Federal Communications Commission continues taking steps to sustain and spur growth within the white space ecosystem, we adopt three orders addressing pending issues associated with white space devices. These actions will provide additional certainty to white space device users and manufacturers to enable unlicensed white space devices to operate efficiently while protecting other spectrum users. In the Report and Order we adopt rules specifying the database re-check interval for the new categories of mobile and narrowband white space devices established in 2020.

The Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund will invest $1.5 billion in the development of open and interoperable networks. By demonstrating the viability of new, open-architecture approaches to wireless networks, this initial round of funding will help to ensure that the future of 5G and next-gen wireless technology is built by the US and its global allies and partners—not vendors from nations that threaten our national security.

The Federal Communications Commission' Wireline Competition Bureau announced that comments in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on issues related to the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022 are due no later than May 8, 2023, and reply comments are due no later than June 6, 2023. The Notice, which seeks comment on matters related to implementing the new Act and establishing just and reasonable rates and charges for incarcerated people’s communications services, requires that comments and reply comments be filed no later than 30 days an