The Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) has published the tentative agenda for its December 2021 Open Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for December 14, at 10:30 a.m. EDT and will be livestreamed at www.fcc.gov/live and available on the FCC’s YouTube channel. The agenda includes the following items:
Improving Accessibility and Clarity of Emergency Alerts (PS Docket No. 15-94) – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and a Notice of Inquiry to improve clarity and accessibility of Emergency Alert System (EAS) visual messages to the public, including for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, and others who are unable to access the audio message.
Facilitating Satellite Broadband Competition (IB Docket No. 21-456; RM-11855) — The Commission will consider an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose revisions to the Commission’s rules for spectrum sharing among low-earth orbit satellite systems. The goal of the proposed revisions is to facilitate the deployment of the new generation of non-geostationary satellite orbit, fixed-satellite service (NGSO FSS) systems, including new competitors.
Promoting Fair and Open Competitive Bidding in the E-Rate Program (WC Docket 21-455) – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to implement a central document repository (i.e., bidding portal) through which service providers would be required to submit their bids to the E-Rate Program Administrator and seeks comment on other changes to the E-Rate competitive bidding rules.