The FCC has announced the items on the agenda for its March Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 16, 2023. The meeting will be livestreamed at www.fcc.gov/live and available on the FCC’s YouTube channel. The agenda includes the following items:
Single Network Future: Supplemental Coverage from Space (GN Docket No. 23-65, IB Docket 22-271) – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose a new regulatory framework for supplemental coverage from space. Through this proposed framework, satellite operators collaborating with terrestrial providers would be able to operate space stations on currently licensed, flexible-use spectrum to expand coverage to the terrestrial provider’s subscribers.
Ensuring Just and Reasonable Rates for Incarcerated People (WC Docket Nos. 23-62, 12-375) – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order, which would begin the Commission’s implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on how the Commission should interpret that Act’s language to ensure just and reasonable rates and charges for incarcerated people’s audio and video communications services. The Order will delegate authority to the Wireline Competition Bureau and the Office of Economics and Analytics to update and restructure their most recent data collection as appropriate to fulfill the requirements of the new statute.
Enhancing Protections Against Illegal Robocalls (WC Docket No. 17-97) – The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would close a gap in the STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication regime, expand robocall mitigation requirements for all providers, adopt more robust enforcement tools, and seek comment on additional steps to further enhance the effectiveness of the STIR/SHAKEN framework.
Protecting Consumers with Robotext Blocking (CG Docket Nos. 21-402, 02-278) – The Commission will consider a Report and Order which would require that providers block texts purporting to be from numbers on a reasonable Do-Not-Originate list; and make available a single point of contact for text message blocking complaints. The Commission will also consider a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which would propose to require further blocking of illegal robotexts; expand Do-Not-Call protections to robotexts; and protect consumers from getting robotexts and robocalls from multiple, unexpected callers when they provide their consent on websites for comparison shopping.
Updating Equipment Testing Standards (ET Docket No. 21-363) – The Commission will consider a Report and Order which would incorporate standards that are to be used in the testing of equipment to ensure compliance with FCC rules. Two are updates to existing standards and two are new standards.
Audio Description DMA Expansion (MB Docket No. 11-43) – The Commission will consider a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which would propose to expand support for individuals who are blind or visually impaired by expanding audio description requirements to additional market areas. The proposal would help ensure that a greater number of individuals who are blind or visually impaired can be connected, informed, and entertained by television programming.
Enforcement Bureau Action – The Commission will consider two enforcement actions.
