The FCC has announced the tentative agenda for its next Open Meeting, scheduled for November 16, 2017. Continuing Chairman Pai’s pilot program, the Commission is publicly releasing the draft text of all items expected to be considered at the November Open Meeting, along with one-page cover sheets summarizing each item. The tentative Open Meeting agenda contains the following items:
- Blocking Unlawful Robocalls
The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would expressly authorize voice service providers to block certain types of robocalls that falsely appear to be from telephone numbers that do not or cannot make outgoing calls. It also would prohibit voice service providers from blocking 911 calls under these rules, encourage voice service providers to provide a mechanism to allow subscribers whose legitimate calls are blocked in error to stop such blocking, and clarify that providers may exclude calls blocked under these rules from their call completion reports. - Spectrum Bands Above 24 GHz
The Commission will consider a Second Report and Order, Order on Reconsideration, and Memorandum Opinion and Order that would make available 1,700 MHz of additional high-frequency spectrum for flexible terrestrial wireless use; provide 4 gigahertz for core satellite use; and adopt, refine, or affirm a number of service rules to promote deployment in these bands, and a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on certain related earth station, buildout, and licensing issues. - Replacement Utility Poles Report & Order
The Commission will consider a Report and Order to eliminate the requirement for historic preservation review where utility poles are replaced with substantially identical poles that can support antennas or other wireless communications equipment, and to consolidate the Commission’s historic preservation review rules into a single rule. - Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment
The Commission will consider a Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order that will revise and seek comment on further changes to the Commission’s pole attachment rules, network change disclosure processes, and section 214(a) discontinuance processes to remove barriers to infrastructure investment and promote broadband deployment, and will seek comment on taking targeted actions to facilitate rebuilding and repairing broadband infrastructure after natural disasters. - Bridging the Digital Divide for Low-Income Consumers
The Commission will consider a Fourth Report and Order, Order on Reconsideration, Memorandum Opinion and Order, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Notice of Inquiry to adopt and propose measures to bridge the digital divide for Lifeline subscribers and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the Lifeline program. - Reconsideration of Broadcast Ownership Rules
The Commission will consider an Order on Reconsideration and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that updates the Commission’s broadcast ownership and attribution rules, denies various requests for reconsideration, finds that the Commission will adopt an Incubator Program to promote ownership diversity, and seeks comment on how to structure and administer such a program. - Modernizing Cable Data Collection
The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on whether to eliminate Form 325, Annual Report of Cable Television Systems, or, in the alternative, on ways to modernize and streamline the form. - ‘Next Generation’ Broadcast Television Standard
The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking authorizing television broadcasters to use the Next Generation television transmission standard (ATSC 3.0) on a voluntary, market-driven basis.
