Why We Get Excited For An “Open Commission Meeting” -- And What To Watch For This Time.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold its January Open Meeting, setting off the usual buzz in Telecom Policy Land and prompting everyone else to ask “what is an FCC Open Meeting and why does anyone care?” The upcoming meeting has two items of interest to Public Knowledge: an Order on the transition of the phone system to new Internet-based technologies, and an update on the 600 MHz “Incentive Auction.”

The Transition Of The Phone System Item -- Leading the agenda, the FCC will issue its first real full Commission action on the transition of the phone system. The FCC will adopt a set of principles to provide a framework for the transition – something we’ve pushed the FCC to do for almost exactly a full year. Also as part of the item, the FCC will outline the process for AT&T (or any other carrier) to apply to conduct technical trials that will inform the transition. They contentious issue that may split the FCC along party lines is whether participation in a technical trial should be mandatory for all consumers and businesses in the selected geographic area, or whether participation in technical trials will require consumers and businesses to consent to participate. PK has pushed very hard that “consumers are not guinea pigs” and participation should be voluntary. At last report, Republican Commissioners disagree and want to require all businesses and consumers in the test area to participate. The item was written before the network neutrality decision. So even though the network neutrality decision will have a big impact on the transition overall, I don’t expect any of the Commissioners to talk about it at this meeting. But they might.

The 600 MHz Incentive Auction -- The FCC will hear an update on the insanely complicated first-time-ever-in-the-world effort to construct an “Incentive Auction” where broadcasters sell back their broadcast licenses so we can sell the reclaimed wireless capacity (“spectrum”) back to cell phone companies like Verizon. The FCC won’t make any decisions, but it will hopefully enlighten everyone about the staff recommendations on critical issues. For us at PK, that means: Do we have enough space left for a robust, unlicensed TV white spaces. Will the FCC adopt a “No Piggies Rule” that ensures that all carriers, not just Verizon and AT&T, get enough spectrum to meet their future need? The update will signal the invitation to all interested parties to lobby the FCC intensely over the next few months on the critical points. So while not an official Commission decision, it will attract a lot of attention.