Public Notice
Chairman Pai Announces Precision Agriculture Task Force Working Groups
This Public Notice serves as notice that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, in consultation with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, has appointed Working Group members to serve on the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States (Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force or Task Force).
FCC Announces Updated Restrictions On Visitors To Its Facilities
As the number of reported COVID-19 cases in the US increases and the World Health Organization has classified COVID-19 as a pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission, effective immediately, will no longer allow visitors into our facilities, absent special permission from the Office of Managing Director. No visitor will be granted such permission unless there is a clear operational necessity.
E-Rate and Rural Health Care Programs' Inflation-Based Caps for Funding Year 2020
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau announces the E-Rate and Rural Health Care (RHC) programs’ funding caps for funding year 2020. The new caps represent a 1.8% inflation-adjusted increase in each program cap from funding year 2019. The E-Rate program funding cap for funding year 2020 is $4,226,120,519. The new cap represents a 1.8% inflation-adjusted increase in the $4,151,395,402 cap from funding year 2019. The RHC Program funding cap for funding year 2020 is $604,759,306. The cap for upfront payments and multi-year commitments under the Healthcare Connect
FCC Concludes Largest Ever Spectrum Auction
The Federal Communications Commission announced the conclusion of bidding in Auction 103, which made 3,400 megahertz of millimeter-wave spectrum available in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands. The auction had a total of $7,558,703,201 in net bids, with 28 bidders winning a total of 14,142 of 14,144, or more than 99.9%, of available licenses. “The successful conclusion of Auction 103—the largest amount of spectrum offered in an auction in US history—is one more significant step the FCC has taken toward maintaining American leadership in 5G,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
FCC Seeks Comment on Competition in the Communications Marketplace
In the last quarter of every even numbered year, the Federal Communications Commission must publish a Communications Marketplace Report that, among other things, assesses the state of competition in the communications marketplace, including competition to deliver voice, video, audio, and data services among providers of telecommunications, providers of commercial mobile service, multichannel video programming distributors, broadcast stations, providers of satellite communications, Internet service providers, and other providers of communications services. In assessing the state of competiti
FCC Opens Supply Chain Information Collection Reporting Portal
The Federal Communications Commission began collecting information from telecommunications carriers on the use of Huawei and ZTE equipment and services in their networks. This follows the FCC’s adoption of a rule barring the use of Universal Service funds to purchase equipment and services from companies posing a national security threat. The FCC has proposed requiring carriers receiving Universal Service funds to remove and replace existing equipment and services from such companies.
FCC Seeks Comment on Alaska Plan Model
As part of implementation of the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to support mobile and fixed service in high-cost areas of Alaska (Alaska Plan), the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau proposes and seeks comment on a population distribution methodology for estimating the number of Alaskans who receive mobile service within census blocks in remote areas. The Bureau proposes to use this methodology to determine whether mobile service providers participating in the Alaska Plan have met their performance commitments through deployment in eligible census blocks.
Special Servicing of Telecommunications Programs Loans for Financially Distressed Borrowers
The Rural Utilities Service is issuing a final rule with request for comments to outline the general policies for servicing actions associated with financially distressed borrowers from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program, Rural Broadband Program, Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, Broadband Initiatives Program, and Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program.
National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier for all New Enrollments in Five States
The Federal Communications Commission announces the launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier for all new enrollments in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Starting on March 24, 2020, eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) in these five states will be required to use the National Verifier’s eligibility determination process for all consumers applying for Lifeline service and must cease using legacy eligibility processes for prospective Lifeline subscribers. As of March 24, 2020, consumers in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin can begin to check
FCC Announces Working Group Members of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announces the appointment of members to serve on three working groups of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE). These working groups—Access to Capital, Digital Empowerment and Inclusion, and Diversity in the Tech Sector—will assist the ACDDE in carrying out its work. The current members of these working groups are identified in the Appendix to this Notice. As previously announced, Chairman Pai designated Anna M.