Title 47 published on 2011-10-01
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In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of October 26, 2012. The document announces the effective date of rules containing information collection requirements approved by the Office of Management and Budget that were adopted to help consumers prevent and detect the placement of unauthorized charges on their telephone bills, an unlawful and fraudulent practice commonly referred to as “cramming.”
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of May 24, 2012. This document corrects rules adopted to help consumers prevent and detect the placement of unauthorized charges on their telephone bills, an unlawful and fraudulent practice commonly referred to as “cramming.”
In this document, the Commission adopts rules to create a Do-Not-Call registry for public safety answering points (PSAPs) as required by the “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012” (Tax Relief Act). Specifically, section 6507 of the Tax Relief Act requires the Commission, among other things, to establish a registry that allows PSAPs to register telephone numbers on a Do-Not-Call list and prohibit the use of automatic dialing equipment to contact those numbers. Therefore, the Commission adopts rules necessary for the creation and ongoing management of the Do-Not-Call registry, including requirements for adding PSAP telephone numbers, granting and tracking access by operators of automatic dialing equipment, and protecting the registry from unauthorized disclosure or dissemination of registered numbers. In addition, the Commission adopts specific monetary penalties for unauthorized disclosure or contact of any numbers on the PSAP registry. These provisions are designed to address concerns about the use automatic dialing equipment which can generate large numbers of phone calls in a short period of time, tie up public safety lines, divert critical responder resources away from emergency services, and impede access by the public to emergency lines.
On October 15, 2012, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) of the Commission published a document announcing that a Report and Order implementing public safety broadband provisions of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, adopted as DA 12-1462, would become effective November 14, 2012, except for the removal of certain sections. The Bureau explained that it would publish a separate document in the Federal Register announcing the subsequent effective date of the removal of these two rule provisions. In this document we announce the effective date of the removal of these two rule provisions.
In this document, the Commission adopts new rules to allow cable operators to encrypt the basic service tier in all-digital systems, provided that those cable operators undertake certain consumer protection measures for a limited period of time in order to minimize any potential subscriber disruption.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of October 16, 2012. The document announces the effective date of rules containing information collection requirements approved by the Office of the Management and Budget that were adopted to address unwanted telemarketing calls.
The Audio Division modified the FM Table of Allotments by substituting Channel 293A for vacant Channel 291A at Knox City, Texas; Channel 288C2 for vacant Channel 239C2 at Rule, Texas; Channel 255C3 for vacant Channel 293C3 at Crowell, Texas; and Channel 251C3 for vacant Channel 255C3 at Quanah, Texas. Channel 255C3 can be allotted to Crowell, Texas at reference coordinates 34-03-58 NL and 99-43-52 WL, at a site 9.2 km (5.7 miles) north of Crowell. Channel 293A can be allotted to Knox City, Texas at reference coordinates 33-25-55 NL and 99-47-43 WL, at a site 2.7 km (1.6 miles) northeast of Knox City. Channel 251C3 can be allotted at Quanah, Texas at reference coordinates 34-24-09 NL and 99-46-02 WL, at a site 11.9 km (7.4 miles) north of Quanah. Channel 288C2 can be allotted at Rule, Texas at reference coordinates 33-10-29 NL and 99-49-26 WL, at a site 6.6 km (4.1 miles) east of Rule. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, supra.
In this document, the Commission declines to extend the prohibition on exclusive contracts involving satellite-delivered, cable-affiliated programming beyond its October 5, 2012 expiration date. Instead of this prohibition, the Commission will address exclusive contracts involving satellite-delivered, cable-affiliated programming on a case-by-case basis in response to program access complaints. The Commission also affirms its expanded discovery procedures for program access complaints.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's document Empowering Consumers to Prevent and Detect Billing for Unauthorized Charges (“Cramming”); Consumer Information and Disclosure; Truth-in-Billing Format. This notice is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective dates of those sections.
The Audio Division, at the request of Sound Enterprises, substitutes Channel 275A for vacant Channel 271A at Randsburg, California to accommodate the hybrid contingent application for Station KSSI (FM), requesting to upgrade the facilities of the FM station from Channel 274A to Channel 271B1 at China Lake, California. A staff engineering analysis determines that Channel 275A can be allotted to Randsburg consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 0.04 kilometers (0.03 miles) southeast of the community. The reference coordinates for Channel 275A at Randsburg are 35-22-06 NL and 117-39-25 WL.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period that expires on September 30, 2015, the information collection associated with the Commission's rules in the Extension of the Commission's Rules Regarding Outage Reporting to Interconnected Voice Over Internet Protocol Service Providers and Broadband Internet Service Providers Report and Order ( Order ). This notice is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's document Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (Report and Order). This notice is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those amendments.
In this document, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) of the Commission implemented certain provisions of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Public Safety Spectrum Act) governing deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network in the 700 MHz band. Pursuant to clear statutory directives, the Bureau reallocated the D Block (758-763/788-793 MHz) for “public safety services” and delete Commission rules that are plainly inconsistent with this revised allocation; deleted the rules establishing, providing license authority with respect to, and governing operations under the Public Safety Broadband License in the existing public safety broadband spectrum; and adopted rules implementing the clear mandate of the Public Safety Spectrum Act to grant a license with respect to the public safety broadband spectrum (763-768/793-798 MHz), guard band (768-769/798-799 MHz), and the D Block to the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). By eliminating any confusion or uncertainty about the new regulatory framework applicable to the public safety broadband network, these action takes further steps necessary to facilitate the transition of this spectrum to FirstNet as required by the Act.
In this document, the Commission modifies its rules to permit the certification and use of Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) equipment. These amendments are necessary in order to permit implementation of TETRA technology in the United States.
In this document, the Commission, via the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) terminates, as dormant, certain docketed Commission proceedings. Termination of these inactive proceedings furthers the Commission's organizational goals of increasing the efficiency of its decision-making, modernizing the agency's processes in the digital age, and enhancing the openness and transparency of Commission proceedings for practitioners and the public.
This document contains a correction to the final regulations of the Commission's rules, which were published in the Federal Register on Monday, May 2, 2011, 76 FR 24393. The final regulations address fraud, waste, and abuse in the Video Relay Service (VRS) industry.
In this Report and Order, the Commission suspends, on an interim basis, the Commission's rules allowing for automatic pricing flexibility grants for special access services, pending adoption of new rules. The Commission suspends its pricing flexibility rules in light of evidence that the proxies for measuring actual and potential special access market competition, which are based on collocation by competitive carriers within a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), do not accurately predict whether competition is sufficient to constrain special access prices and deter anticompetitive practices by price cap local exchange carriers. In the Report and Order, the Commission also initiates a process to obtain data needed to conduct a special access market analysis. Based on this forthcoming data collection, the Commission will undertake a robust special access market analysis to determine the extent to which the special access market is competitive and develop special access pricing flexibility rules to replace the collocation-based competitive showings.
In this document, the Commission, via the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) provides notice of the implementation of a revised procedure for it to provide service of copies of orders, pleadings, and other documents to parties to a docketed proceeding when required by statute or regulation. Henceforth, that service will be made in an electronic format, rather than by mail.
This document expands the Commission's Medical Device Radiocommunications Service (MedRadio) rules to permit the development of new Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) devices in the 2360-2400 MHz band. The MBAN technology will provide a flexible platform for the wireless networking of multiple body transmitters used for the purpose of measuring and recording physiological parameters and other patient information or for performing diagnostic or therapeutic functions, primarily in health care facilities. This platform will enhance patient safety, care and comfort by reducing the need to physically connect sensors to essential monitoring equipment by cables and wires. This decision is the latest in a series of actions to expand the spectrum available for wireless medical use. The Commission finds that the risk of increased interference is minimal and is greatly outweighed by the benefits of the MBAN rules.
In this document, the Commission takes further steps to remove regulatory barriers and lowering costs for the wireless microwave backhaul facilities that are an important component of many mobile wireless networks. The steps we take will remove regulatory barriers that today limit the use of spectrum for wireless backhaul and other point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communications. This will also facilitate better use of Fixed Service (FS) spectrum and provide additional flexibility to enable FS licensees to reduce operational costs and facilitate the use of wireless backhaul in rural areas. By enabling more flexible and cost-effective microwave services, the Commission can help foster deployment of broadband infrastructure across America. In addition, a number of parties sought reconsideration of the Backhaul Report and Order, and we address those requests and deny reconsideration, for the most part.
In this Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) clarifies certain rules relating to Phase I of the Connect America Fund. Commission staff have received informal inquiries from price cap companies on certain implementation aspects of the rules governing Connect America Fund Phase I. The Bureau also makes an amendment to one of the Commission's rules to fix a clerical error relating to the support for carriers serving remote areas of Alaska.
In this document, the Commission adopts a new approach to its review of foreign ownership in common carrier radio station licensees, where the foreign ownership is held in the licensee through U.S.-organized entities that do not control the licensee. This action responds to pleadings filed in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking initiating this docket and to the Public Notice in this docket seeking further comment on the new approach.
The Audio Division, at the request of Connoisseur Media of Erie, LLC, allots Channel 265A at Westfield, New York, as its first local transmission service. Channel 265A can be allotted to Westfield consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) west of the community. The reference coordinates are 42-18-51 NL and 79-37-04 WL. The allotment of Channel 265A at Westfield is located 320 kilometers (199 miles) from the Canadian border. Therefore, Canadian concurrence has been requested and approved by the Canadian government.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) modifies its C-band and Ku-band licensing and service rules for Earth Stations on Board Vessels (ESVs) in order to promote greater ESV operational flexibility without causing harmful interference to the Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS) operators.
The Audio Division unreserved Channel 239A at Westley, California for noncommercial educational (“NCE”) use by operation of law since none of the applications in NCE Reserved Allotment Group No. 8 would provide the requisite level of first and second NCE use. The window period for filing applications for Channel 239A at Westley, California will not be opened at this time. Instead, the issue of opening this allotment for auction for commercial use will be addressed by the Commission in a subsequent order. Accordingly, we are amending the FM Table of Allotments by removing the NCE “asterisk” from Channel 239A at Westley, California.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission revises and clarifies certain provisions of its rules relating to the transition of intrastate switched access rates and the operation of the transitional recovery mechanism that were adopted in the USF/ICC Transformation Order. The Commission also grants a number of limited waivers of the Commission's rules to address administrative concerns and rule inconsistencies.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) reconsiders certain aspects of the USF/ICC Transformation Order in response to various petitions for reconsideration and/or clarification.
This document revises the Commission's list of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved public information collection requirements with their associated OMB expiration dates. This list will provide the public with a current list of public information collection requirements approved by OMB and their associated control numbers and expiration date as of June 30, 2012.
This document amends the Commission's rules to provide a more efficient use of the 76-77 GHz band, and to enable the automotive and aviation industries to develop enhanced safety measures for drivers and the general public. Specifically, the Commission is eliminating the in-motion and not-in-motion distinction for vehicular radars, and instead adopting new uniform emission limits for forward, side, and rear-looking vehicular radars. This will facilitate enhanced vehicular radar technologies to improve collision avoidance and driver safety. The Commission is also amending its rules to allow the operation of fixed radars at airport locations in the 76-77 GHz band for purposes of detecting foreign object debris on runways and monitoring aircraft and service vehicles on taxiways and other airport vehicle service areas that have no public vehicle access. The Commission takes this action in response to petitions for rulemaking filed by Toyota Motor Corporation (“TMC”) and Era Systems Corporation (“Era”).
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) determines that the four factors contained in section 713(e) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Act) will continue to apply when evaluating individual requests for closed captioning exemptions under section 713(d)(3) and our corresponding rules, notwithstanding a change in terminology in the statute, enacted by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA), which replaced the term “undue burden” in that section with the term “economically burdensome.” The Order further amends the Commission's rules to replace all current references to “undue burden” with the term “economically burdensome.” These rule amendments correspond with the new statutory language in the CVAA requiring petitioners seeking individual closed captioning exemptions under section 713(d)(3) of the Act to show that providing captions on their programming would be economically burdensome.
The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by ION Media Greenville License, Inc. (“ION”), the licensee of WEPX-TV, channel 51, Greenville, North Carolina, requesting the substitution of channel 26 for channel 51 at Greenville. While the Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of full power television rulemaking petitions requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, it subsequently announced that it would lift the freeze to accept such petitions for rulemaking seeking to relocate from channel 51 pursuant to a voluntary relocation agreement with Lower 700 MHz A Block licensees. In addition, according to ION, this channel substitution serves the public interest as it will increase the station's service area by almost 100,000 persons.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's Report and Order ( Order ) implementing provisions of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 related to closed captioning of Internet protocol-delivered video programming and apparatus closed captioning requirements. This notice is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.
The Commission revises its Schedule of Regulatory Fees to recover an amount of $339,844,000 that Congress has required the Commission to collect for fiscal year 2012. Section 9 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, provides for the annual assessment and collection of regulatory fees under sections 9(b)(2) and 9(b)(3), respectively, for annual “Mandatory Adjustments” and “Permitted Amendments” to the Schedule of Regulatory Fees.
The Commission adopts rule changes to three aspects of the technical provisions of part 90 of the Commission's rules pertaining to public safety operations. All of these changes are designed to correct typographical or other ministerial errors in these provisions. First, the Commission reinstates a rule provision that exempted 4940-4990 MHz (4.9 GHz) band applicants from certified frequency coordination. Next, the Commission corrects the bandwidth of Channel 14 in the 4.9 GHz band plan from five megahertz to one megahertz, and amends the band plan to list the center frequencies for each channel aggregation permitted in the rules. Finally, the Commission corrects minor errors in the Public Safety Pool Frequency Table and associated list of limitations. All of these changes are designed to correct typographical or other ministerial errors in these provisions. These changes affecting the 4.9 GHz band in particular will improve spectrum efficiency and clarify the rules so as to encourage greater use of the 4.9 GHz band.
This document modifies the rules to remove the restriction that grantee codes must consist of only three characters. This action will permit the Commission to issue longer grantee codes, thus greatly increasing the supply of available codes and ensuring that it will continue to have new ones to assign to parties that wish to certify new equipment.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's Wireless E911 Phase II Location Accuracy Requirements, Third Report and Order's 911 service rules. This notice is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Order would become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register , subject to OMB approval for new information collection requirements.
In this document, the Commission adopts a measure that prohibits Internet-Protocol (IP) Relay providers from handling non-emergency calls made by new IP Relay registrants as guest users prior to taking reasonable measures to verify their registration information. The Commission's action is intended to eliminate abuse that has resulted from unauthorized users having access to IP Relay services prior to verification of their registration information.
This document modifies the rules governing the operation of Unlicensed Personal Communications Service (UPCS) devices in the 1920-1930 MHz band (UPCS band) to promote more efficient use of the UPCS band and to facilitate the introduction of a new generation of unlicensed devices capable of supporting broadband connectivity using Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) technology.
The Audio Division, on its own motion, deletes four vacant allotments in various communities in Arkansas, Michigan, Montana, and Washington. These vacant allotments have been auctioned through our competitive bidding process, and are considered unsold permits that were included in Auction 93. We are deleting these vacant allotments from the FM Table, because there were no bona fide expressions of interest filed to retain these four vacant allotments. Deletion of these allotments may create other opportunities in nearby communities for new FM allotments or upgrades of existing stations. We conclude that the deletion of these vacant allotments could promote a more effective and efficient use of the FM broadcast spectrum. See Supplementary Information, supra.
In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau (the Bureau) maintains support on a limited, interim, fiscally responsible basis for specific Rural Health Care Pilot Program participants that have exhausted their funding this year or will exhaust such funding during funding year 2012 to ensure that they can continue to benefit from access to these Pilot Program-funded broadband networks, while the Commission considers potential reforms to transition recipients of Pilot funding to a longer-term mechanism for supporting broadband services delivered to rural HCPs. This interim support will preserve transitioning Pilot Program participants' connectivity and the resulting health care benefits that patients receive from those investments made by the Commission in health care broadband networks.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, Section 105, Relay Services for Deaf-Blind Individuals, Order ( Order ). This document is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the requirement.
The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology (Bureaus) adopt the 2011 ANSI Standard for evaluating the hearing aid compatibility of wireless phones. The Bureaus take this action to ensure that a selection of digital wireless handset models is available to consumers with hearing loss.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection requirements associated with the Commission's Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMS), Second Report and Order (“CMAS Second Report and Order”). This document is consistent with the CMAS Second Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.
In this document, the Commission adopts rules to implement the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (“CALM”) Act. Among other things, the CALM Act directs the Commission to incorporate into its rules by reference and make mandatory a technical standard, developed by an industry standards development body, that is designed to prevent digital television commercial advertisements from being transmitted at louder volumes than the program material they accompany. As mandated by the statute, the rules apply to digital TV broadcasters, digital cable operators, and other digital multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”). Also per the statute, the rules will take effect one year after adoption, and will therefore be effective as of December 13, 2012. The rules adopted are designed to protect viewers from excessively loud commercials and, at the same time, permit broadcasters and MVPDs to implement their obligations in a minimally burdensome manner. The Commission will require broadcast stations and MVPDs to ensure that all commercials are transmitted to consumers at the appropriate loudness level in accordance with the industry standard.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts a limited forbearance from requiring that the service area of an eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) conform to the service area of any rural telephone company serving the same area for the Mobility Fund Phase I auction 901. This forbearance applies only with respect to conditional ETC designations for participating in Auction 901.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's Enhanced Disclosure Requirements, Second Report and Order (“Order”), FCC 12-44. This notice is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.
This document contains corrections to the final rules in 47 CFR part 54, which were published in the Federal Register March 2, 2012, (77 FR 12952). A correction to the final regulations in part 54 was published in the Federal Register March 30, 2012 (77 FR 19125). The regulations relate to the Federal Communications Commission's initiatives to comprehensively reform and modernize the Universal Service Lifeline program. The reforms adopted will substantially strengthen protections against waste, fraud, and abuse; improve program administration and accountability; improve enrollment and consumer disclosures; initiate modernization of the program for broadband; and constrain the growth of the program in order to reduce the burden on all who contribute to the Universal Service Fund.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's rules to permit Economic Area (EA)-based 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) licensees to exceed a legacy channel spacing requirement and bandwidth limitation.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of 3 years, revisions to an information collection associated with the Commission's Connect America Fund, Report and Order ( Order ). The Commission submitted revisions to this information collection under control number 3060-0298 to OMB for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 77 FR 20629, April 5, 2012. OMB approved the revisions on May 29, 2012.
The Federal Communications Commission published in the Federal Register of May 29, 2012, a document that reconsiders and modifies certain provisions of the Commission's rules that were adopted in the USF/ICC Transformation Order. This final rule correction states that the amendments made to 47 CFR part 51 shall be effective on July 13, 2012, and, the amendments made to 47 CFR part 54 shall be effective on June 28, 2012.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collections associated with the Commission's Migratory Bird Order on Remand ( Order ). This document is consistent with the Order, which stated that the rules will become effective upon Commission publication of a document in the Federal Register announcing their approval by OMB.
In this document, the Commission finds it in the public interest to allow the viewability rule to sunset as scheduled. The Commission reinterprets the statutory viewability requirement to permit cable operators to require the use of set-top equipment to view must-carry signals, provided that such equipment is both available and affordable (or provided at no cost). The Commission establishes a transitional period of six months after expiration of the current rule during which hybrid systems will be required to continue to carry the signals of must-carry stations in analog format to all analog cable subscribers. The Commission also concludes that the small-system HD carriage exemption continues to serve the public interest and extends the existing exemption for three more years.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of 3 years, revisions to an information collection associated with the Commission's Connect America Fund, Report and Order ( Order ). The Commission submitted revisions to this information collection under control number 3060-0400 to OMB for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 77 FR 20629, on April 5, 2012. OMB approved the revisions on May 17, 2012.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or “Commission”) revises its rules to: require prior express written consent for all autodialed or prerecorded telemarketing calls to wireless numbers and for prerecorded calls to residential lines and, accordingly, eliminate the established business relationship exemption for such calls to residential lines while maintaining flexibility in the form of consent needed for purely informational calls; require all prerecorded telemarketing calls to allow consumers to opt out of future prerecorded telemarketing calls using an interactive, automated opt-out mechanism; and limit permissible abandoned calls on a per-calling campaign basis, in order to discourage intrusive calling campaigns. The Commision also exempts from its telemarketing requirements prerecorded calls to residential lines made by health care-related entities governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Taken together, today's actions offer consumers greater protection from intrusive telemarketing calls and protect consumers from unwanted autodialed or prerecorded telemarketing calls to wireless numbers and from unwanted prerecorded telemarketing calls to residential lines, also known as “telemarketing robocalls,” and maximize consistency with the analogous Telemarketing Sales Rule (“TSR”) of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), as contemplated by the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act (“DNCIA”) in a way that reduces industry confusion about telemarketers' obligations and does not increase compliance burdens for most telemarketers.
In this document the Commission amends its rules to allow Economic Area (EA)-based 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) licensees to exceed a legacy channel spacing and bandwidth limitation, subject to conditions to protect 800 MHz public safety licensees from harmful interference. Licensees are permitted to exceed the channel spacing and bandwidth limitation in the 813.5-824/858.5-869 MHz band segment in National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) regions where 800 MHz reconfiguration is complete. In areas where 800 MHz reconfiguration is incomplete, EA-based 800 MHz licensees only are permitted to exceed the channel spacing and bandwidth limitation in the 813.5-821/858.5-866 MHz band segment. Any EA-based 800 MHz SMR licensee that intends to exceed the channel spacing and bandwidth limitation of the Commission's rules must provide 30 days written notice to public safety licensees with base stations in an affected NPSPAC region and within 113 kilometers (70 miles) of the border of an affected NPSPAC region. This rule change is necessary to allow EA-based 800 MHz SMR licensees to deploy advanced wireless services to effectively compete in the wireless marketplace.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of six months, the information collection associated with the Commission's Review of the Emergency Alert System, Fifth Report and Order ( Order ). This document is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of amendments adopted therein that were subject to OMB approval.
This document contains a correction to the interim regulations of theCommission's rules, which were published in the Federal Register on Monday, August 5, 2011. The interim regulations require Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (iTRS) providers certify, under penalty of perjury, that their certification applications and annual compliance filings are truthful, accurate, and complete.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with certain of the provisions of the rules adopted as part of the Connect America Fund & Intercarrier Compensation Reform Order ( Order ), FCC 11-161 and a Bureau Order, DA 12-147. This notice is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.
On May 17, 2012, the Commission released a Third Memorandum Opinion and Order, in the matter of “Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Band Approval.” This document contains corrections to the final regulations that appeared in the Federal Register of May 17, 2012 (77 FR 29246).
The Audio Division, at the request of Bryan King (“petitioner”), removes FM Channel 293C3 and allots FM Channel 242C3 at Llano, Texas, contingent upon the final outcome in MB Docket No. 05-112. Channel 242C3 can be allotted at Llano, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules, at coordinates 30-55-34 NL and 98-43-24 WL, with a site restriction of 19.1 km (11.9 miles) north of the community. The Government of Mexico has concurred with the allotment of Channel 242C3 at Llano, which is located within 320 kilometers (199 miles) of the U.S.-Mexican border. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION infra.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announce a limited suspension of the acceptance and processing of certain applications for certain services operating in the 470-512 MHz (T-Band) spectrum band in order to maintain a stable spectral landscape while the Commission determines how to implement recent spectrum legislation contained in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The suspension applies only to applications for new or expanded use of T-Band frequencies.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection requirements and form revisions associated with the Commission's rules contained in the Third Report and Order, FCC 11-190, pertaining to the policies to promote rural radio service and to streamline allotment and assignment procedures. This notice is consistent with the Third Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of these rules and form changes.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission reconsiders and modifies certain provisions of its rules that were adopted in the USF/ICC Transformation Order. The Commission grants a Petition for Reconsideration and Clarification of the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc., Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies and Western Telecommunications Alliance. The Commission grants in part and denies in part a Petition for Reconsideration filed by the Independent Telephone & Telecommunications Alliance and a Petition for Reconsideration and/or Clarification filed by Frontier Communications Corp. and Windstream Communications, Inc. Finally, the Commission denies a Petition for Reconsideration filed by the United States Telecom Association.
The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) published in the Federal Register of May 8, 2012, a document announcing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of information collections associated with the Commission's; Connect America Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-Cost Universal Service Support, Report and Order, ( Order ), released on November 18, 2011. That notice was consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules once it receives OMB approval. This document corrects information in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of that document.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) reconsiders and clarifies certain aspects of the USF/ICC Transformation Order in response to various petitions for reconsideration and/or clarification. We grant in part and deny in part petitions relating to certain aspects of eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) reporting obligations, while maintaining our overall framework for ETC accountability. We also grant in part and deny in part a petition relating to universal service support adjustments for carriers with artificially low local rates, making a minor adjustment in the timing for the sampling of rates to be used in calculating any such adjustments. We also clarify certain implementation details for both the reporting requirements and the rate floor requirement. In addition, we make a minor adjustment to the rule relating to the calculation of baseline support for competitive carriers serving remote areas of Alaska. We also clarify that the framework established for rate-of-return companies to extend broadband upon reasonable request would take into account any unique circumstances, such as backhaul costs, that may impact the ability of such companies, in Alaska or elsewhere, to extend broadband to their customers. We also deny a number of other requests relating to support for carriers serving Alaska. We deny a request to reconsider which 12 months of revenues will be considered for purposes of defining Eligible Recovery. Finally, we deny a request to reconsider the use of tariff forecasts for calculating the baseline for rate-of-return carriers.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopts rules to help consumers prevent and detect the placement of unauthorized charges on their telephone bills, an unlawful and fraudulent practice commonly referred to as “cramming.” The rules amend the Commission's existing Truth-in-Billing (TiB) rules, build on existing industry efforts to prevent cramming, and apply to wireline telephone carriers. The fact that the number of complaints received by the FCC, the Federal Trade Commission, and state agencies remains high and the widespread nature of cramming are strong evidence that current voluntary industry practices have been ineffective to prevent cramming and make clear the need for additional protection for consumers.
Jurisdictional separations is the process by which incumbent local exchange carriers (incumbent LECs) apportion regulated costs between the intrastate and interstate jurisdictions. In this document, the Commission extends the current freeze of part 36 category relationships and jurisdictional cost allocation factors used in jurisdictional separations until June 30, 2014. Extending the freeze will allow the Commission to provide stability for carriers that must comply with the Commission's separations rules while the Federal-State Joint Board completes its analysis of, and recommendations for, interim and comprehensive reform of the jurisdictional separations process.
In this order, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) adopts the methodology for establishing reasonable limits on recovery of capital costs and operating expenses or “benchmarks” for high cost loop support (HCLS). The methodology the Bureau adopts, builds on the analysis proposed in the USF/ICC Transformation FNPRM, but also includes several changes in response to the comments from two peer reviewers and interested parties and based on further analysis by the Bureau. These changes significantly improve the methodology while redistributing funding to a greater number of carriers to support continued broadband investment. The methodology the Bureau adopts today is described in detail in a technical appendix to the order.
In the Report and Order, the Commission takes preliminary steps toward making a portion of the UHF and VHF frequency bands currently used by the broadcast television service available for new uses as required under the recently enacted Spectrum Act, while also preserving the integrity of the television broadcast service.
This document addresses five petitions for reconsideration of the Commission's decisions in the Second Memorandum Opinion and Order (“ Second MO&O ”) in this proceeding and modifies the Commissions rules in certain respects. In particular, the Commission is increasing the maximum height above average terrain (HAAT) for sites where fixed devices may operate; modifying the adjacent channel emission limits to specify fixed rather than relative levels; and slightly increasing the maximum permissible power spectral density (PSD) for each category of TV bands device. These changes will result in decreased operating costs for fixed TVBDs and allow them to provide greater coverage, thus increasing the availability of wireless broadband services in rural and underserved areas without increasing the risk of interference to incumbent services. The Commission is also revising and amending several of its rules to better effectuate the Commission's earlier decisions in this docket and to remove ambiguities.
In this document the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) and Office of Managing Director (OMD) make nonsubstantive, editorial revisions to the Commission's rules. The Bureau and OMD make these revisions to delete certain rule provisions that are without current legal effect and obsolete. These nonsubstantive revisions are part of the Commission's ongoing examination and improvement of its processes and procedures. The revisions and the specific reasons for each one are set forth below.
In this document, the Commission revises its public file regulations to require that television station public inspection files be made available in an online public file to be hosted on the Commission's Web site.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's Connect America Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-Cost Universal Service Support, Report and Order , ( Order ), released on November 18, 2011. The Commission submitted revisions to information collections under control number 3060-0986 to the OMB for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 77 FR 13320, March 6, 2012, which were approved by the OMB on April 16, 2012. This notice is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules once it receives OMB approval. This document also notifies Eligible Telecommunications Carriers and other stakeholders that information filed pursuant to § 54.313(a)(2) through (a)(6) and (h) of the Commission's rules must be filed by July 2, 2012.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) amends its rules governing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules so that EAS Participants may, but are not required to, employ the text-to-speech (TTS) functions described in the EAS-CAP Industry Group (ECIG) Implementation Guide.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of six months, the information collection requirements associated with certain of the provisions of the rules adopted as part of the Commission's Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization Report and Order ( Order ). The Commission submitted revisions to those information collection requirements under control number 3060-0819 to OMB for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 77 FR 13319, March 6, 2012. The revisions as updated were approved by OMB on April 13, 2012.
In this document, the Commission extends the outage reporting requirements of the Commission's rules to interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers and defers action with respect to reporting of outages of broadband Internet services. In addition, the NPRM for The Proposed Extension of Part 4 of the Commission's Rules Regarding Outage Reporting to Interconnected Voice Over Internet Protocol Service Providers and Broadband Internet Service Providers proposal included reporting of both outages based on the complete loss of service and those where, while service is technically available, technical conditions effectively prevent communication. The rule adopted applies only to outages resulting from complete loss of service and only to interconnected VoIP services. Collecting this data will help the Commission help ensure the Nation's 9-1-1 systems are as reliable and resilient as possible and also allow the Commission to monitor compliance with the statutory 9-1-1 obligations of interconnected VoIP service providers.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's document Implementing the Provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as Enacted by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, ( Report and Order ). This notice is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding concerning rules that comprehensively reform and modernize the Lifeline program to strengthen protections against waste, fraud and abuse; improve program administration and accountability; improve enrollment and consumer disclosures; initiate modernization of the program for broadband; and constrain the growth of the program.
In this document, the Commission adopts LPFM and translator licensing policies that conform to the Local Community Radio Act (“LCRA”). The LCRA requires the FCC to balance the competing demands of LPFM and translator applicants when making licensing decisions. Section 5 of the Act requires the Commission to ensure that: licenses are available for both LPFM and translator stations; licensing decisions are based on community needs; and translator and LPFM stations remain equal in status. The item finds that a previously adopted cap on translator applications pending from Auction No. 83 is inconsistent with the LCRA's directives, and adopts a market-specific processing policy. The item finds that this approach most faithfully implements Section 5's directives, and will allow the Commission to resume the processing of approximately 6,500 translator applications that have been pending since 2003, while also ensuring that the upcoming LPFM window will provide a real opportunity for significant community radio licensing in major metropolitan areas. The item also adopts national and market caps to prevent the trafficking of translator construction permits. Finally, the item relaxes the May 1, 2009, date restriction to allow pending translator applications from Auction No. 83 that are subsequently granted to rebroadcast the signals of AM stations at night.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission clarifies certain rules. The order clarifies, but does not otherwise modify, the USF/ICC Transformation Order. The petition for Clarification or, in the Alternative, for Reconsideration of Verizon is granted in part and dismissed in part, and the Petition for Reconsideration of United States Telecom Association is dismissed in part.
In this document, the Commission conditionally waives the requirement for National Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) certified programs to submit reimbursement claims only once every six months, to permit certified programs to submit reimbursement claims as frequently as monthly. The Commission waives this requirement for good cause shown, to reduce the financial burden on programs that the Commission certifies to participate in the NDBEDP, and to better enable selected participants to fully meet the needs of eligible low-income, deaf-blind individuals in a timely manner.
In this document, the Commission modifies its rules in order to implement provisions of the Local Community Radio Act of 2010 (“LCRA”) that unambiguously require the Commission to eliminate its third-adjacent channel spacing requirements and to maintain the spacing requirements currently in place to protect radio reading services. The Commission also dismisses and/or denies various petitions for reconsideration of the Third Report and Order in MM Docket No. 99-25 and terminates a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in that docket.
This document corrects errors in the DATES section of a Federal Register document (77 FR 12952, March 2, 2012) regarding the Federal Communications Commission comprehensively reforming and beginning to modernize the Universal Service Fund's Lifeline program. The reforms adopted will substantially strengthen protections against waste, fraud, and abuse; improve program administration and accountability; improve enrollment and consumer disclosures; initiate modernization of the program for broadband; and constrain the growth of the program in order to reduce the burden on all who contribute to the Universal Service Fund. This document also contains corrections to the paragraph numbering of final rule regulations in part 54.
Pursuant to the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, the FCC revises its regulations to require closed captioning of IP-delivered video programming that is published or exhibited on television with captions after the effective date of the new regulations. The FCC also imposes closed captioning requirements on certain apparatus that receive or play back video programming, and on certain recording devices. This action will better enable individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to view IP-delivered video programming, as Congress intended.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of September 26, 2011. The document announces the effective date of rules containing information collection requirements approved by the Office of Management and Budget that were adopted by the FCC to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in the Video Relay Service (VRS) industry.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) amends its rules governing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to codify the obligation to process alert messages formatted in the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and to streamline and clarify these rules generally to enhance their effectiveness.
The Federal Communications Commission removes two modifications to its competitive bidding rules pursuant to a mandate by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission clarifies certain rules. This document also modifies certain initial filing deadlines required to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements, and finds good cause to delete certain rules that are now obsolete.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission comprehensively reforms and begins to modernize the Universal Service Fund's Lifeline program. The reforms adopted in this document substantially strengthen protections against waste, fraud, and abuse; improve program administration and accountability; improve enrollment and consumer disclosures; initiate modernization of the program for broadband; and constrain the growth of the program in order to reduce the burden on all who contribute to the Universal Service Fund.
In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's rules contained in the Second Report and Order, FCC 11-119, pertaining to carriage of video programming vendors by multichannel video programming distributors (program carriage rules). This notice is consistent with the Secord Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.
The Commission issues this final rule in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Lincoln Broadcasting, LLC (“LBL”), licensee of KFXL-TV, channel 51, Lincoln, Nebraska, requesting the substitution of channel 15 for channel 51 at Lincoln. While the Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of full power television rulemaking petitions requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, it subsequently announced that it would lift the freeze to accept such petitions for rulemaking seeking to relocate from channel 51 pursuant to a voluntary relocation agreement with Lower 700 MHz A Block licensees. Furthermore, according to LBL, this channel substitution is in the public interest as it will increase the station's service area by almost 700, 000 persons.
This document amends the Commission's rules to facilitate more efficient and effective use by the Amateur Radio Service of five channels in the 5330.5-5406.4 kHz band (the 60 meter band). Specifically, and consistent with our proposals in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in this proceeding, the Commission replaces one of the channels with a less encumbered one, increases the maximum authorized power amateur stations may transmit in this band, and authorizes amateur stations to transmit three additional emission designators. The Commission also adopts an additional operational rule that prohibits the use of automatically controlled digital stations and makes editorial revisions to the relevant portions of the Table of Frequency Allocations (Allocation Table) and our service rules.
This document makes a number of non-substantive, editorial revisions to the Commission's rules. These revisions are made to delete certain rule provisions that are without current legal effect and therefore are obsolete. These non-substantive revisions are part of the Commission's ongoing examination and improvement of FCC processes and procedures. The revisions clarify, simplify, and harmonize the rules, making them more readily accessible to the public and minimizing potential confusion for interested parties and Commission staff.
This document expands the Commission's Medical Device Radiocommunication (MedRadio) Service rules to permit the use of new wideband medical implant devices that employ neuromuscular microstimulation techniques to restore sensation, mobility, and other functions to paralyzed limbs and organs. These medical devices hold enormous promise to advance the state of medical care, lower health costs, and improve the quality of life for countless Americans. The rules will allow these new types of MedRadio devices to access 24 megahertz of spectrum in the 413-419 MHz, 426-432 MHz, 438-444 MHz, and 451-457 MHz bands on a secondary basis.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopts a rule that affects the process of tower construction by instituting a pre-application notification process so that members of the public will have a meaningful opportunity to comment on the environmental effects of proposed antenna structures that require registration with the Commission. As an interim measure pending completion of a programmatic environmental analysis and subsequent rulemaking proceeding, the Commission also requires that an EA be prepared for any proposed tower over 450 feet in height.
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding concerning rules that comprehensively reform and modernize the universal service and intercarrier compensation systems to ensure that robust, affordable voice and broadband service, both fixed and mobile, are available to Americans throughout the nation.
In this document, the Commission adopted procedures designed to promote the initiation of commercial FM radio service by and to Native American tribes, by providing a procedure for such tribes to establish threshold qualifications when applying for commercial FM allotments added to the Table of Allotments using the Commission's Tribal Priority.
In this document, the Commission amends rules regarding the attributes of “voice telephony service” to be supported by the Federal universal service support mechanisms. This action is necessary to reflect the evolution of the marketplace and to limit supported services. The Commission also waives certain effective dates so that intercarrier compensation for non-access traffic exchanged between Local Exchange Carriers (LEC) and Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers pursuant to an interconnection agreement in effect as of December 23, 2011, will be subject to a default bill-and-keep methodology on July 1, 2012, rather than on December 29, 2011. This action is necessary to limit marketplace disruption by delaying bill-and-keep until carriers are eligible to receive recovery as part of the transitional revenue recovery mechanism for this type of traffic.
In this document, a Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding concerning rules that govern access to toll-free numbers by users of Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Services (iTRS).
The following are ALL rules, proposed rules, and notices (chronologically) published in the Federal Register relating to Title 47 after this date.
In this document, the Commission proposes rules to implement provisions of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (“CVAA”) that mandate regulations to ensure that emergency information is accessible to individuals who are blind and visually disabled and that television apparatus are able to make available video description and accessible emergency information. The Commission seeks comment on rules that would apply to the distributors, providers, and owners of television video programming, as well as the manufacturers of devices that display such programming.
In this document, the Commission is proposing to make changes to the criteria under which it considers applications and notifications from foreign carriers or affiliates of foreign carriers for entry into the U.S. market for international telecommunications services and facilities under section 214 of Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the “Act”) and section 2 of the Cable Landing License Act. By this document, the Commission seeks to eliminate outdated or unnecessary rules, simplify rules that it may retain, reduce regulatory costs and burdens imposed on applicants, and improve transparency with respect to filing requirements of the ECO Test. It also seeks to promote competition to achieve greater decisional flexibility in evaluating applications and notifications, and continue to protect important interests related to national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and trade policy.
In this document, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) seeks updated comment on the operation and effectiveness of the Commission's rules relating to hearing aid compatibility of wireless handsets. The Bureau seeks updated comment on whether, in light of technological and market developments, the Commission's deployment benchmarks continue to ensure that hearing aid-compatible handsets are available to all consumers. Additionally, the Bureau asks for current information on whether the rules have succeeded in making hearing aid-compatible phones available to consumers with a full range of different feature sets, and whether the rules appropriately account for the challenges facing smaller service providers.
In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, “Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions” ( NPRM ), released October 2, 2012, the Commission considers matters related to the implementation of Congress's mandate to conduct an incentive auction of broadcast television spectrum as set forth in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Spectrum Act).
In this document, a Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding by Michael Mulcay, Chairman of Wireless Strategies, Inc., on the behalf of Wireless Strategies.
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding by Dennis Farrell, International Sales Manager of Navtech Radar Ltd., on behalf of Navtech Radar Ltd. and Bruce A. Olcott, for Squire Sanders LLP, on behalf of Honeywell International, Inc.
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding filed by Dale Woodin, Executive Director of American Society for Healthcare Engineering of American Hospital Association, on behalf of American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association, and David R. Sidall, Esq., for DS Law PLLC, on behalf of Phillips Healthcare, Ari Q. Fitzgerald, Esq., for Hogan Lovells US LLP, on behalf of GE Healthcare, and William K. Keane, Esq., for Duane Morris LLP, on behalf of AFTRCC.
In this document, the Commission initiates a comprehensive review of its rules governing licensing and operation of space stations and earth stations. The proposed amendments are designed to reflect evolving technology, eliminate unnecessary technical and information filing requirements for applicants, and reorganize and simplify existing requirements. Collectively, the changes proposed in this document will streamline our regulations, facilitating more rapid deployment of services to the public, greater investment, and new innovations in satellite services.
In this document, the Commission seeks comment on the following revisions to its program access rules: the establishment of certain rebuttable presumptions in connection with program access complaints challenging exclusive contracts involving cable-affiliated programming; and amendments to its rules to ensure that buying groups utilized by small and medium-sized multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”) can avail themselves of the program access rules.
In this document, the Commission seeks comment on matters related to access technology and enhanced database operations for video relay service (VRS) raised in recent filings submitted by CSDVRS, LLC, a VRS provider. In order for the Commission to be in a position to set new rates as it moves forward with the next phase of VRS reform, it also seeks comment on a proposal by the Fund administrator, Rolka Loube Saltzer Associates (RLSA), to modify VRS compensation rates.
This document requests comments on a petition for rulemaking filed by Appalachian Broadcasting Company, Inc., proposing the allotment of Channel 265A at Maysville, Georgia, as the community's second local FM transmission service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 265A can be allotted to Maysville consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 13.4 kilometers (8.3 miles) northwest of the community. The reference coordinates are 34-20-16 NL and 83-39-52 WL.
In this document, the Commission proposes to amend the amateur radio service rules to grant examination credit for expired and beyond-the-grace-period-for renewal amateur radio operator licenses; to shorten the grace period during which an expired amateur license may be renewed to 180 days; to revise the time a call sign is not available to the vanity call sign system correspondingly; and to reduce to two the number of volunteer examiners needed to administer an amateur license examination. This document also asks for comment on amending the rules to permit remote test administration, and proposes to amend the amateur radio service rules to allow amateur stations to transmit certain additional emission types.
This document requests comments on a petition for rulemaking filed by Alatron Corporation, Inc., proposing the allotment of Channel 228A at Pike Road, Alabama, as the community's second local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 228A can be allotted to Pike Road consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 4.8 kilometers (3.0 miles) south of the community. The reference coordinates are 32-14-29 NL and 86-06-40 WL.
In this document, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology invite interested parties to update and refresh the record pertaining to two specific issues raised in the Commission's 2010 Wireless Microphones further notice of proposed rulemaking.
The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau on its own motion extends by one month the comment and reply deadlines to the Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of dockets WP Docket No. 07-100, PS Docket No. 06-229, WT Docket No. 06-150. The Bureau takes this action to allow the First Responder Network Authority, a newly formed independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, sufficient time to file comments.
This document sets forth a proposal to amend the FM Table of Allotments. The Commission requests comment on a petition filed by Navajo Technical College, proposing to amend the Table of Allotments by allotting Channel 297A at Crownpoint, New Mexico, as a Tribal Allotment. Channel 297A would constitute a first local service at Crownpoint. Channel 297A can be allotted at Crownpoint, New Mexico, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 0.9 km (0.58 miles) northeast of Crownpoint, at 35-41-07 North Latitude and 108-08-43 West Longitude. See Supplementary Information infra.
In this document, the Commission seeks comment on whether to retain or modify the current case-by-case analysis used to evaluate mobile spectrum holdings in the context of transactions and auctions, as well as whether to adopt bright-line limits advocated by some providers and public interest groups. In addition, the Commission seeks comment on updating the spectrum bands that should be included in any evaluation of mobile spectrum holdings and whether to make distinctions between different bands. Further, the Commission seeks comment on the appropriate product and geographic markets and other implementation issues such as attribution rules, remedies, and possible transition issues.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission proposes to update technical and operational rules related to cable television systems and other multichannel video programming distributors that operate coaxial cable systems. The Commission seeks comments on rules that would update its minimum signal quality standards and signal leakage detection and monitoring for digital transmission. Additionally, the Commission proposes numerous corrections and updates to its to its cable television technical rules.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission), via the Office of Managing Director, seeks comment on a report released by the Government Accountability Office Report on September 12, 2012, entitled, Federal Communications Commission, Regulatory Fee Process Needs To Be Updated. In addition, this document extends the reply comment date in response to the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on proposals to reform the Commission's policies and procedures for assessing and collecting regulatory fees.
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by Kourtney Keough, President/CEO of Marketlink, Inc., on behalf of Marketlink, Inc., Michele A. Shuster, Esq. and Nicholas Whisler, Esq. for Mac Murray, Petersen & Shuster LLP, on behalf of Professional Association for Customer Engagement, and Anthony S. Mendoza, Esq. on behalf of SatCom Marketing, LLC.
This document sets forth a proposal to amend the FM Table of Allotments, Section 73.202(b) of the Commission's rules. The Commission requests comment on a petition filed by Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting Company, LLC, proposing to amend the Table of Allotments by substituting Channel 287A for vacant Channel 244A, at Tignall, Georgia. The proposal is part of a contingently filed “hybrid” application and rule making petition. Channel 287A can be allotted at Tignall, Georgia, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction 12.6 km (7.8 miles) south of Tignall, at reference coordinates 33-45-22 North Latitude and 82-42-56 West Longitude. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION infra.
This document proposes to amend the FM Table of Allotments. The Commission requests comment on a petition filed by Jesus B. Salazar, proposing to amend the Table of Allotments by substituting Channel 227A for vacant Channel 249A at Roaring Springs, Texas, and by substituting Channel 249C3 for vacant Channel 276C3, at Roaring Springs, Texas. The proposal is part of a contingently filed “hybrid” application and rule making petition. Channel 227A can be allotted at Roaring Springs, Texas, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 10.5 km (6.5 miles) north of Roaring Springs, at 33-59-36 North Latitude and 100-52-10 West Longitude. Channel 249C3 can be allotted at Roaring Springs, Texas, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 9.4 km (5.8 miles) northeast of Roaring Springs, at 33-57-55 North Latitude and 100-47-36 West Longitude. See Supplementary Information infra.
This document proposes to amend the FM Table of Allotments. The Commission requests comment on a petition filed by Big Cat Broadcasting, LLC, proposing to amend the Table of Allotments by substituting Channel 277A for vacant Channel 291A, at Knox City, Texas. The proposal is part of a contingently filed “hybrid” application and rule making petition. Channel 277A can be allotted at Knox City, Texas, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements at a site with reference coordinates of 33-33-08 North Latitude and 99-49-38 West Longitude. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION infra.
The Federal Communications Commission published a summary in the Federal Register of August 31, 2012, regarding a Petition for Reconsideration filed in a rulemaking proceeding. The summary included the incorrect deadline for filing replies to an opposition to the Petition. This document revises the deadline for replies to an opposition to the Petition.
In this document, the Commission seeks more detailed comments on specific proposals made by parties to allow use of smaller antennas and wider channels in other part 101 microwave bands. We also seek comment on a proposal to revise our rules to change our treatment of smaller antennas in the 10.7-11.7 GHz band (11 GHz band). We also seek comment on additional ways to increase the flexibility, capacity, and cost-effectiveness of the microwave bands, while protecting incumbent licensees in these bands. In the Second Notice of Inquiry, we seek comment on making additional changes to our antenna standards to reflect advances in technology, accommodate non-parabolic antennas, and harmonize our standards with international standards. By enabling more flexible and cost-effective microwave services, the Commission can help foster deployment of broadband infrastructure across America.
In this document, a Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by Ryan M.F. Baron on behalf of the Orange County, California Sheriff's Department.
This document seeks comment on post-reconfiguration 800 MHz band channel plans along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau), by this action, affords interested parties an opportunity to submit comments and reply comments on proposals for establishing and implementing reconfigured 800 MHz channel plans along the U.S.-Mexico border.
In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a proposed survey of urban rates for fixed voice and fixed broadband residential services. The Bureau also seeks comment concerning how, using data from the urban rates survey, to determine the local voice rate floor and the reasonable comparability benchmarks for fixed voice and fixed broadband services.
This document requests comments on a petition for rulemaking filed by Word Power, Inc., proposing to allot Channel 230A at Greenup, Illinois, and reserve it for noncommercial educational use. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel *230A can be allotted to Greenup consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules, with a site restriction 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles) southwest of the community. The reference coordinates are 39-12-38 NL and 88-11-15 WL.
In this document, a Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (“NCTA”).
The Commission seeks comment on proposals to reform the Commission's policies and procedures for assessing and collecting regulatory fees. Extensive changes have occurred in the communications marketplace, and in the Commission's regulatory efforts, since the Schedule of Regulatory Fees was enacted by Congress in 1994. In the period directly following enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, industry development and Commission regulation centered primarily on wireline local and long distance communications. Subsequently, however, the mobile wireless industry has grown exponentially, shifting Commission resources to, among other things, the wireless industry, while the costs of implementing the 1996 Telecommunications Act decreased. These changes have produced corresponding shifts in the Commission's regulatory activity. These shifts in the cost of the Commission's activities are not always reflected in our current regulatory fees. Although the Commission has made a number of discrete changes to the regulatory fee program since 1994, we have not revised the data on which our fees are based since 1998, nor have we undertaken a comprehensive analysis of all the substantive and procedural aspects of our regulatory fee program in light of the current state of the communications industry. This proceeding will serve as the means by which we will seek comment on the issues related to how the Commission should allocate its regulatory costs among different segments of the communications industry.
The Commission allocated the 4940-4990 MHz (4.9 GHz) band in 2002 for fixed and mobile use and dedicated the band for public safety broadband communications. In the ten years since, the band has gone underutilized. The purpose of these proposed rules is to invigorate and maximize use of the 4.9 GHz band and attract more users while improving spectrum efficiency. The Commission seeks comment on formal coordination requirements, expanded eligibility, how the band can complement the 700 MHz public safety broadband network, technical rule changes, aeronautical mobile operations, interoperability standards, and deployment reporting.
In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau (the Bureau) seeks to develop a more robust record in the pending Rural Health Care reform rulemaking proceeding, which will allow the Commission to craft an efficient permanent program that will help health care providers exploit the potential of broadband to make health care better, more widely available, and less expensive for patients in rural areas.
This document requests comment on a number of issues related to the designation of Medical Body Area Network (“MBAN”) coordinator(s) for the 2360-2390 MHz band. Although the Commission adopted a coordination requirement in the First Report and Order that was concurrently adopted in this proceeding, it also determined that additional notice and comment was required on key aspects related to the process and criteria for designating an MBAN coordinator.
This document requests comments on petition for rule making filed by Sound Enterprises, proposing the substitution of Channel 275A for vacant Channel 271A at Randsburg, California. The proposed channel substitution at Randsburg accommodates Petitioner's hybrid application, requesting to upgrade the facilities for Station KSSI(FM) from Channel 274A to Channel 271B1 at China Lake, California. See File No. BPH-20120314ACB. Channel 275A can be allotted to Randsburg consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 0.04 kilometers (0.03 miles) southeast of the community. The reference coordinates are 35-22-06 NL and 117-39-25 WL.
In this document, the Commission extends the deadline for filing reply comments on the Commission's Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ( FNPRM ) proposing additional rules to help consumers prevent and detect the placement of unauthorized charges on their telephone bills, an unlawful and fraudulent practice commonly referred to as cramming. The extension will facilitate the development of a full record given the importance of the issues in this proceeding.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) proposes to adopt regulations governing the Technical Panel and dispute resolution boards established by Congress to facilitate the relocation of, and spectrum sharing with, U.S. Government stations in spectrum bands reallocated from Federal use to non-Federal use or to shared use. This action is necessary to ensure the timely relocation of Federal entities' spectrum-related operations and, where applicable, the timely implementation of arrangements for the sharing of radio frequencies. Specifically, this action would implement certain additions and modifications to the NTIA Organization Act through the recent enactment of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petition) have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by AARL, The National Association for Amateur Radio requesting that the Commission reconsider and modify the Second Report and Order governing unlicensed Broadband over Power Line (BPL) rules.
The Audio Division dismisses the petition for rulemaking filed by Alatron Corporation, Inc., proposing the allotment of Channel 228A at Pike Road, Alabama, as the community's second local service, and the associated new FM application, File No. 20110504ACT. No comments or counterproposals were received by any parties. Petitioner did not file comments expressing a continuing interest in the proposed Pike Road allotment. It is the Commission's policy to refrain from making an allotment to a community absent an expression of interest. We will not allot Channel 228A at Pike Road, Alabama.
In this document, the Commission proposes to allow noncommercial educational (NCE) broadcast stations to conduct on-air fundraising activities that interrupt regular programming for the benefit of third-party non-profit organizations. This proposed rule change would reduce or eliminate the need for NCE stations to seek a waiver of the Commission's rules to interrupt regular programming to conduct third-party fundraising and would afford NCE stations more flexibility in choosing which non-profit entities to support through on-air fundraising.
In this document, the Commission initiates a proceeding to create a Do-Not-Call registry for public safety answering points (PSAPs) as required by the “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012” (Tax Relief Act). Specifically, section 6507 of the Tax Relief Act requires the Commission, among other things, to establish a registry that allows PSAPs to register telephone numbers on a Do-Not-Call list and prohibit the use of automatic dialing equipment to contact those numbers. Therefore, the Commission seeks comment on a variety of issues relating to the establishment and ongoing management of the PSAP registry. The proposed rules are designed to address concerns about the use automatic dialing equipment, which can generate large numbers of phone calls in a short period of time, tie up public safety lines, divert critical responder resources away from emergency services, and impede access by the public to emergency lines.
This document seeks comment on the privacy and data security practices of mobile wireless services providers with respect to customer information stored on their users' mobile communications devices. In addition, the document seeks comment on the application of existing privacy and security requirements to such information.
In this document, the Federal Communication Commission's (Commission) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) gives notice that the American Cable Association (ACA) has filed a petition for partial reconsideration of the Commission's Emergency Alert System (EAS) Fifth Report and Order, and announces a schedule for the pleading cycle.
The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by ION Media Greenville License, Inc. (“ION”), the licensee of station WEPX-TV, channel 51, Greenville, North Carolina, requesting the substitution of channel 26 for channel 51 at Greenville. After the Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of rulemaking petitions by full power television stations requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, it later announced that it would lift the freeze to accept petitions for rulemaking filed by full power television stations seeking to relocate from channel 51 pursuant to a voluntary relocation agreement with Lower 700 MHz A Block licensees. ION has entered into a voluntary relocation agreement and further states that the proposed channel 26 facility will increase the net total population served by the station by over 100,000 persons, which will serve the public interest.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks public comment on approaches to reform and modernize how Universal Service Fund (USF or Fund) contributions are assessed and recovered. The Commission seeks comment on ways to reform the USF contribution system in an effort to promote efficiency, fairness, and sustainability. The Commission seeks comment on proposals in four key areas regarding the contributions system: Who should contribute to the Fund; how contributions should be assessed; how the administration of the contribution system can be improved; and recovery of universal service contributions from consumers.
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding against the adoption of a national cap of 50 applications and a market-based cap of one application per applicant per market for pending Auction No. 83 translator applications.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) proposes additional rules to help consumers prevent and detect the placement of unauthorized charges on their telephone bills, an unlawful and fraudulent practice commonly referred to as “cramming.” Several commenters in this proceeding support additional measures to prevent cramming, including requiring wireline carriers to obtain a consumer's affirmative consent before placing third-party charges on telephone bills ( i.e. “opt-in”). There also is support for adopting anti-cramming rules for Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. The Commission seeks further comment on whether it should take additional steps to prevent wireline cramming, including “opt-in”, possible solutions to CMRS cramming, and any developments of VoIP cramming.
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by the Consumer Electronics Association, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., et al., and TVGuardian, LLC.
The Commission will revise its Schedule of Regulatory Fees in order to recover an amount of $339,844,000 that Congress has required the Commission to collect for fiscal year 2012. Section 9 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, provides for the annual assessment and collection of regulatory fees under sections 9(b)(2) and 9(b)(3), respectively, for annual “Mandatory Adjustments” and “Permitted Amendments” to the Schedule of Regulatory Fees.
This document proposes to expand the scope of this proceeding to propose a set of technical rules for the operation of unlicensed level probing radars (LPR) in several frequency bands. LPR devices are low-power radars that measure the level (relative height) of various substances in man-made or natural containments. In open-air environments, LPR devices may be used to measure levels of materials such as coal piles or water basin levels. An LPR device also may be installed inside an enclosure, e.g., a tank made of materials such as steel or fiberglass and commonly referred to as a tank level probing radar (TLPR) that could be filled with liquids or granulates. During the pendency of the rulemaking proceeding, but outside this proceeding, the Commission received waiver requests and other inquiries regarding outdoor use on additional frequencies under existing rules for unlicensed devices. To address the apparent need for a comprehensive and consistent approach to LPR devices, the Commission is proposing in this FNPRM rules that would apply to the operation of LPR devices installed in both open-air environments and inside storage tanks in the following frequency bands: 5.925-7.250 GHz, 24.05-29.00 GHz, and 75-85 GHz.
This document requests comments on a petition for rulemaking filed by Katherine Pyeatt, proposing the allotment of Channel 267A at Midway, Texas, as its first local service; and the substitution of Channel 232A for vacant Channel 267A at Centerville, Texas to accommodate the proposed Midway allotment. Channel 267A can be allotted to Midway consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles) northwest of the community. The reference coordinates for Channel 267A at Midway are 31-03-42 NL and 95-49-06 WL. Additionally, Channel 232A can be allotted to Centerville consistent with the minimum distance separation requirement of the Rules with a site restriction 10.6 kilometers (6.6 miles) northwest of Centerville. The reference coordinates for Channel 232A at Centerville are 31-19-03 NL and 96-03-54 WL.
In this document, the International Bureau, on behalf of the Commission, seeks further comment on an approach to policies and procedures that apply to foreign ownership of common carrier radio station licensees pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (“the Act”). It seeks comment because this approach was not discussed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking initiating this docket or in the comments filed to date in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
In this document, the Commission seeks comment on whether to retain, sunset, or relax one of the several protections afforded to multichannel video programming distributors by the program access rules—the prohibition on exclusive contracts involving satellite-delivered, cable-affiliated programming. The current exclusive contract prohibition is scheduled to expire on October 5, 2012. The Commission also seeks comment on potential revisions to its program access rules to better address alleged violations, including potentially discriminatory volume discounts and uniform price increases.
The Audio Division dismisses the petition for rule making filed by KM Radio of Independence, LLC, proposing the allotment of Channel 238A at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and the substitution of reserved Channel *254A for reserved vacant Channel *238A at Asbury, Iowa, 73 FR 50,297, and terminates the proceeding.
This document sets forth a proposal to amend the FM Table of Allotments. The Commission requests comment on a petition filed by Bowen Broadcasting, proposing to amend the Table of Allotments by allotting FM Channel 228A at Summit, Mississippi, as that community's first local broadcast service. Channel 228A can be allotted at Summit, Mississippi, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 14.2 km (8.8 miles) east of Summit, at 31-17-07 North Latitude and 90-19-10 West Longitude. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION infra.
In this document, the Commission proposes and/or seeks comments on service, technical, assignment, and licensing rules for flexible terrestrial use of spectrum currently assigned to the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) in the 2 GHz band. These proposed rules are designed to increase the Nation's supply of spectrum for mobile broadband, provide for flexible use of this spectrum, encourage innovation and investment in mobile broadband, and provide a stable regulatory environment in which broadband deployment could develop. This proposal would carry out a recommendation in the National Broadband Plan that the Commission enable the provision of stand-alone terrestrial services in this spectrum. With this proceeding we intend to fulfill the Commission's previously stated plan to create a solid and lasting foundation for the provision of terrestrial services in the 2 GHz band. The Commission also seeks comment on an alternative band plan involving additional spectrum at 1695-1710 MHz that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has proposed to reallocate from Federal to commercial use.
In this document, the Commission seeks comment on how to amend its rules to implement certain provisions of the Local Community Radio Act of 2010 (“LCRA”) that are not already the subject of Commission action. It also proposes changes to its rules intended to promote the low power FM service's localism and diversity goals, reduce the potential for licensing abuses, and clarify certain rules.
In this document, the Commission seeks comment on whether the customers of Lower 700 MHz B and C Block licensees would experience harmful interference—and if so, to what degree—if the Lower 700 MHz band were interoperable. The Commission also explores the next steps should it find that interoperability would cause limited or no harmful interference to Lower 700 MHz B and C Block licensees, or that such interference can reasonably be mitigated through industry efforts and/or through modifications to the Commission's technical rules or other regulatory measures. The Commission initiates this proceeding to promote interoperability in the Lower 700 MHz band and to encourage the efficient use of spectrum.
This document proposes to modify the Commission's rules to allow Economic Area (EA)-based 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) licensees to exceed a channel spacing and bandwidth limitation, subject to two conditions. The Commission proposes to allow licensees to exceed the channel spacing and bandwidth limitation in the 813.5-824/858.5-869 MHz band in National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) regions where 800 MHz public safety licensee reconfiguration is complete. In areas where 800 MHz public safety reconfiguration is incomplete, EA-based 800 MHz licensees would only be allowed to exceed the channel spacing and bandwidth limitation in the 813.5-821/858.5-866 MHz band. Further, the Commission proposes to require any EA-based 800 MHz SMR licensee that intends to exceed the channel spacing and bandwidth limitation of its rules, which govern the above-listed MHz bands, to provide 30 days written notice to public safety licensees with base stations in the NPSPAC region and within 113 kilometers (70 miles) of the affected NPSPAC region. The Commission seeks comment on any additional steps that may need to be taken to protect 800 MHz public safety licensees against any possible increased interference. The proposed rule changes would allow geographic-based 800 MHz SMR licensees the flexibility to deploy new technologies and to better utilize their licensed spectrum, while also protecting 800 MHz public safety entities.
This document requests comments on a petition for rulemaking filed by Connoisseur Media of Erie, LLC, proposing the allotment of Channel 265A at Westfield, New York, as its first local service. The proposed allotment of Channel 265A at Westfield accommodates the hybrid application, proposing the substitution of Channel 285B1 for Channel 265B1 at North East, Pennsylvania, and modification of the license of Station WRKT(FM) to reflect this change. See File No. BPH-20110509AAL. Channel 265A can be allotted to Westfield consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) west of the community. The reference coordinates are 42-18-51 NL and 79-37-04 WL. The allotment of Channel 265A at Westfield is located 320 kilometers (199 miles) from the Canadian border. Therefore, Canadian concurrence has been requested and approved by the Canadian government.
This document sets forth a proposal to amend the FM Table of Allotments, Section 73.202(b) of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR Section 73.202(b). The Commission requests comment on a petition filed by Delta Radio Network, LLC, proposing to amend the Table of Allotments by substituting Channel 224A for vacant Channel 289A, at Dermott, Arkansas, and by substituting Channel 226C2 for Channel 225C2 at Cleveland, Mississippi. The proposal is part of a contingently filed “hybrid” application and rule making petition. Channel 224A can be allotted at Dermott, Arkansas, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 3.5 km (2.2 miles) southeast of Dermott, at 33-30-23 North Latitude and 91-24-19 West Longitude. Channel 226C2 can be allotted at Cleveland, Mississippi, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 25.4 km (15.8 miles) northwest of Cleveland, at 33-55-25 North Latitude and 90-53-40 West Longitude. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION infra.
Jurisdictional separations is the process by which incumbent local exchange carriers (incumbent LECs) apportion regulated costs between the intrastate and interstate jurisdictions. In this document, the Commission seeks comment on extending the current freeze of part 36 category relationships and jurisdictional cost allocation factors used in jurisdictional separations. Extending the freeze would allow the Commission to provide stability for, and avoid imposing undue burdens on, carriers that must comply with the Commission's separations rules while the Commission considers issues relating to comprehensive reform of the jurisdictional separations process.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to amend the rules governing the 800 MHz Cellular Radiotelephone Service (Cellular Service). In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ( NPRM ), the Commission proposes to transition the Cellular Service from a site-based licensing model to a geographic-based model by offering an “overlay” license for every Cellular Market Area (CMA) and corresponding channel block (Block A or Block B), in two stages, via auction. The Overlay Licensees would be obligated to protect existing licensees' Cellular operations from harmful interference. The NPRM also includes proposals to update various other Cellular Service rules. The Commission seeks comment on all its proposals as well as on alternative proposals. The companion Order imposes certain interim procedures, including a freeze on the filing of certain Cellular applications in certain markets and other interim procedures regarding currently pending applications to help ensure an orderly and efficient rulemaking proceeding while the Commission considers changes to the Cellular Service rules.
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks further focused comment on a number of issues related to the Lifeline program, including establishing an eligibility database, advancing broadband availability through digital literacy training, limiting section 251 resale of Lifeline-supported services, establishing a permanent support amount for voice service support, reforming Lifeline and Link Up support on Tribal lands, adding Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to the list of qualifying programs for Lifeline, establishing eligibility for homeless veterans, determining whether ETCs should be required to apply the Lifeline discount on all of their voice and data packages, examining whether the Commission should further clarify the own facilities requirement, determining whether ILECs should have the ability to opt out of the Lifeline program as well as whether the record retention requirement should be lengthened from three years to ten years.
In this document, the Commission, via the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment to refresh the record regarding misuse of Internet Protocol relay service. Further comments are requested to bring the record up to date on proposed additional rules that would have the intended effect of reducing or eliminating misuse of Internet Protocol Relay.
This Fourth FNPRM seeks comment on whether it would be in the public interest to extend the viewability rule and the HD carriage exemption, both of which are currently scheduled to sunset on June 12, 2012. First, we seek comment on whether to extend, in its current form, the “viewability” rule, which implements the statutory requirement that all cable subscribers, including those with analog equipment, be able to view must carry television signals. Second, given the apparent widespread reliance of small cable operators on the HD exemption, we propose to extend it for an additional three years, but ask whether this should be the final extension. We note that both rule and exemption would have expired on February 17, 2012 if the DTV transition had not been delayed by Congress. The Commission is therefore concurrently issuing a Declaratory Order clarifying that both the viewability rule and the HD Carriage Exemption will sunset on June 12, 2012, absent Commission action to extend them.
In this document, the Commission continues the process of reexamining the fundamentals of the Commission's Video Relay Service (VRS) rules to ensure the VRS program fulfills the goals set for the Commission in section 225 of the Communications Act (the Act). Specifically, the Commission sets forth a series of options and proposals to improve the structure and efficiency of the program, to ensure that it is available to all eligible users and offers functional equivalence—particularly given advances in commercially available technology—and is as immune as possible from the waste, fraud, and abuse that threaten the long-term viability of the program as it currently operates.
