Public Notice

The Federal Communications Commission has announced the activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) in response to Tropical Storm Barry. DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system that communications providers, including wireless, wireline, broadcast, cable and Voice over Internet Protocol providers, can use to report communications infrastructure status and situational awareness information during times of crisis. Communications providers are reminded that for providers that participate in DIRS, the separate Network Outage Reporting System (NORS) obligations are suspended for

The Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate program is a vital source of support for connectivity to—and within—schools and libraries. In particular, the E-Rate program provides funding for internal connections, which are primarily used for Wi-Fi, a technology that has enabled schools and libraries to transition from computer labs to one-to-one digital learning. We propose to make permanent the approach adopted by the FCC in 2014 to fund these internal connections.

On May 31, 2019, the Federal Communications Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on establishing a cap on the Universal Service Fund (USF) and ways it could enable the FCC to evaluate the financial aspects of the four USF programs in a more holistic way, and thereby better achieve the overarching universal service principles Congress directed the FCC to preserve and advance. The Notice set deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 30 days and 60 days, respectively, after publication of the Notice in the Federal Register.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a Joint Petition to pause the implementation of scheduled updates to the Lifeline minimum service standards and support amounts. Petitioners request that the Bureau pause both the scheduled update to the minimum service standard for Lifeline-supported mobile broadband service and the scheduled reduction in the support amount for Lifeline-supported mobile voice service, both of which would otherwise take effect on December 1, 2019.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has appointed members to serve on two Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) working groups: (1) the Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Job Skills and Training Opportunities working group, and (2) the Increasing Broadband Investment in Low-Income Communities working group. The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Job Skills and Training Opportunities working group will be chaired by Leticia Latino, chief executive officer at Neptuno/SmartTecPort.

The Federal Communications Commission granted Verizon a partial waiver of FCC rules which prohibits Upper 700 MHz C Block licensees from “locking” handsets that are used in the band. In order to allow Verizon to better combat identity theft and other forms of handset-related fraud, this waiver will permit Verizon to lock a customer’s handset for 60 days from the date it becomes active on Verizon’s network. The FCC denied, however, Verizon’s request that the commission issue a Declaratory Ruling finding the handset unlocking rule already permits such temporary locking.

The Federal Communications Commission announces the formation of a new federal advisory committee, the Task Force for Reviewing Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States (Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force or Task Force), upon approval by the General Services Administration (GSA). The Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force will perform duties and will submit reports. The FCC seeks nominations for membership on and a Chairperson to the Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force.

The Federal Communications Commission's Office of Managing Director announced that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the third quarter of 2019 will be 0.244 or 24.4 percent. 

The Federal Communications Commission is renewing the charter of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment for a two-year period. The purpose of the Committee is to make recommendations to the FCC on how to empower disadvantaged communities and accelerate the entry of small businesses, including those owned by women and minorities, into the media, digital news and information, and audio and video programming industries, including as owners, suppliers, and employees.

In June 2018, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to address increasing demand in the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program. Specifically, the FCC: (1) increased the annual RHC Program funding cap; (2) provided for the annual RHC Program funding cap to be adjusted for inflation; and (3) established a process to carry-forward unused funds from past funding years for use in future funding years. The FCC also directed the Wireline Competition Bureau to announce a specific amount of unused funds from prior funding years to be carried forward to increase available funding for future fu