On Tuesday, the FCC announced procedures for noncommercial educational (“NCE”) broadcast stations to informally request waivers allowing the stations to raise relief funds for victims of Monday’s Oklahoma tornado. Although under FCC rules NCE stations are generally prohibited from engaging in fundraising activities for entities other than the stations themselves, the Commission has historically granted waivers to stations engaging… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: FCC
SpectrumWatch: FCC Draws Criticism on Band Plan Proposals
Posted in Broadcasting & Cable, Spectrum & Mobile, TelecommunicationsA joint statement released today by AT&T, the National Association of Broadcasters, and Verizon criticized the FCC for seeking comments on new proposals for reorganizing the spectrum currently used by television broadcasters, which the statement said would go against the “growing consensus” of the broadcast and wireless industries.
FCC Confirms That Sellers Can Be Liable for Telemarketer TCPA Violations
Posted in Privacy & Data Security, TelecommunicationsA seller who authorizes a third-party telemarketer to market the seller’s goods or services may be held vicariously liable if the telemarketer violates the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Federal Communications Commission held in a May 9 declaratory ruling. The FCC’s ruling interprets two subsections of the TCPA. The first subsection — 47 U.S.C…. Continue Reading
SpectrumWatch: FCC Considers Alternative Band Plans for Post-Incentive Auction Spectrum
Posted in Broadcasting & Cable, Spectrum & Mobile, TelecommunicationsIn a Public Notice released yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission asked for comments on several possible plans for reorganizing the spectrum currently used by television broadcasters. Initial comments are due June 14, with reply comments due June 28. Under a statute passed last year, broadcast television stations will be allowed to voluntarily participate in an… Continue Reading
Leadership Changes at the Federal Communications Commission
Posted in Broadcasting & Cable, TelecommunicationsChange is in the air at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The agency’s chairman, Julius Genachowski, announced yesterday that he will be stepping down on Friday, May 17. (He had announced his plans to leave the FCC in March, but the date of his departure has been uncertain since then.) Until his successor is confirmed… Continue Reading
FCC Cracks Down For First Time on Mobile Jamming Device Use; Fines in the Six Figures
Posted in Spectrum & Mobile, TelecommunicationsLast week, the FCC for the first time proposed to fine companies for using mobile phone signal jamming devices. The FCC found that two entities, Taylor Oilfield Manufacturing, Inc. and The Supply Room, Inc., willfully and repeatedly imported and operated multiple illegal mobile phone signal jammers in the U.S. Although the FCC in the past… Continue Reading
FCC Adopts Rules Requiring Emergency Information Provided During Non-News Programming To Be Conveyed on Secondary Audio Stream
Posted in Broadcasting & CableNew rules adopted by the FCC require that when television stations in the U.S. display emergency information visually during non-news programming, they must provide the same information aurally on a secondary audio stream. The new rules do not change the requirement that emergency information provided visually during newscasts be conveyed aurally on primary audio. The… Continue Reading
FCC Online Public Inspection File Suffers Outage
Posted in Broadcasting & CableThe public-facing portion of the FCC’s online public inspection file system for broadcast TV stations apparently was unavailable for part of the day on Wednesday. Although the outage was fairly brief — we first saw the error below late in the morning, and we could access the system again by mid-afternoon — it is a reminder that… Continue Reading
Cell Phone Unlocking Push Moves to Congress
Posted in Intellectual Property, TelecommunicationsHouse and Senate Judiciary Committee leaders joined the cell phone unlocking debate last week by introducing a pair of new bills. If enacted, the bills would overturn an October 2012 regulation issued by the Library of Congress, which effectively prohibits consumers from unlocking cell phones purchased after January 26, 2013 so that they may be… Continue Reading
SpectrumWatch: FCC Approves T-Mobile/MetroPCS Merger, Citing Competitive Benefits
Posted in Spectrum & MobileOn Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) approved the proposed merger of cellular service providers T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS. In its written opinion and order, the FCC’s Wireless Bureau concluded that the proposed merger would benefit competition in the wireless market by, among other things, providing the combined company with greater spectrum resources for its… Continue Reading
White House Calls for Legalization of Some Cell Phone Unlocking
Posted in Intellectual Property, TelecommunicationsThe Obama administration issued a statement on Monday declaring that consumers not bound by service agreements should be able to unlock their cellular devices for use with other network providers. In the official response to a petition on the We The People website, a senior White House advisor on the Internet, innovation and privacy agreed… Continue Reading
Annual Employment Report Requirement For Broadcasters and MVPDs Back in Effect
Posted in Broadcasting & CableThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has published a notice in the Federal Register that the requirement to file an Annual Employment Report is effective immediately. This requirement — entailing the filing of an FCC Form 395-A for multichannel video programming distribution systems (MVPDs) and an FCC Form 396-B for broadcasters — was adopted years ago,… Continue Reading
Commenters Debate FCC Proposals on Ownership Reporting
Posted in Broadcasting & CableInterested parties have filed comments at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding proposed changes to the requirements for ownership reports. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released in January, the FCC asked for comment on several issues related to the ownership reports filed by broadcast licensees and by others with attributable interests in licensees. Among… Continue Reading
FCC Proposes New Rules to Address Call Completion Complaints
Posted in TelecommunicationsLast week, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) proposing to require facilities-based originating long-distance voice service providers to collect, retain and report on phone call answer rate data to rural and non-rural areas. The NPRM also proposes to prohibit both originating and intermediate voice service providers from causing so-called… Continue Reading
SpectrumWatch: FCC Considers Relocating Spectrum for Wireless Medical Devices in Repacking of Broadcaster Spectrum
Posted in Spectrum & MobileThe Federal Communications Commission sought comment, in connection with the incentive auction and repacking process reported in previous posts, on whether to relocate wireless medical telemetry service (“WMTS”) users from the 608-614 MHz spectrum band, known as Channel 37, or allow unlicensed devices to coexist with WMTS on Channel 37. The proposal elicited comments by… Continue Reading
SpectrumWatch: 3 Key Areas of Industry Agreement Regarding the FCC’s Spectrum Auction and Repacking Proposals
Posted in Broadcasting & Cable, Spectrum & Mobile, TelecommunicationsThe Federal Communications Commission received over 300 comments from the public regarding its proposals to allow broadcast television stations to voluntarily participate in an auction of their spectrum to mobile broadband providers and to involuntarily repack remaining television stations into a smaller television spectrum band. Broadcast television station groups, individual stations, mobile broadband providers, wireless… Continue Reading
Recordkeeping Reminder for Service Providers and Equipment Manufacturers Offering Advanced Communications Services and Telecommunications Services
Posted in TelecommunicationsThe Federal Communications Commission published a reminder to service providers and equipment manufacturers that provide advanced communications services — such as e-mail, instant messaging, Voice over Internet Protocol, and interoperable video conferencing services — or telecommunications services that are subject to Section 255 of the Communications Act to begin maintaining records by January 30, 2013… Continue Reading
CPNI Certifications Due on March 1
Posted in TelecommunicationsAs a reminder, telecommunications carriers must submit their annual certifications regarding customer proprietary network information (CPNI) by March 1. CPNI is private customer information concerning telecommunications. Telecommunications carriers and providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) must certify annually to the FCC that they comply with their obligations to protect and limit disclosure of… Continue Reading
FCC Proposes to Fine Telecommunications Licensee for Unauthorized Transfers of Control
Posted in TelecommunicationsLast week, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) to StanaCard, LLC, a licensed provider of, among other things, prepaid international telecommunications services. StanaCard today markets its services under the brand name “Keku.” The NAL proposed to fine StanaCard $21,000 for (1) failing to notify the FCC of a pro forma change in… Continue Reading
FCC Reminds Wireless Service Providers of Jan. 15, 2013, Hearing Aid Compatibility Report Deadline
Posted in Spectrum & MobileThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently issued an enforcement advisory reminding wireless service providers and resellers that they must report on their compliance with the hearing aid compatibility rules by January 15, 2013. Under FCC rules, most wireless service providers must offer consumers a minimum number of hearing-aid compatible phones or other handsets. The purpose… Continue Reading
FCC Begins Implementing mHealth Task Force Recommendations
Posted in Spectrum & MobileIn response to recommendations by the mHealth Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission has launched a new website to serve as a central repository for the FCC’s health care-related work and is searching for a new position to coordinate the agency’s health care technology-related initiatives. Chairman Genachowski convened the FCC’s first mHealth Summit earlier this… Continue Reading
FCC Provides Consumer Tips On Mobile Privacy And Security
Posted in Privacy & Data Security, Spectrum & Mobile, UncategorizedThe Federal Communications Commission yesterday released a Smartphone Security Checker, a tool designed to help consumers secure their smartphones against mobile security threats. The tool provides consumers with tips that are customized for four different mobile operating systems. Many of tips focus on security-related topics. For instance, the tool recommends that consumers set a password… Continue Reading
FCC Proposes Requiring Emergency Information On Secondary Audio Stream
Posted in Broadcasting & CableThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently proposed requiring that when broadcast television stations or cable/satellite companies display emergency information visually during non-news programming, they must provide the same information aurally on a “secondary” audio stream. When viewers tune to a channel, they ordinarily hear the primary audio stream; the secondary audio stream can be used to provide… Continue Reading
Federal Appeals Court Gives a Jolt to FCC Authority By Upholding Data Roaming Rules
Posted in Spectrum & MobileYesterday a federal appeals court upheld the Federal Communications Commissions rule, adopted in April 2011, requiring wireless carriers who provide mobile data services to offer roaming agreements to other wireless providers on commercially reasonable terms. (For example, if a Cricket Wireless subscriber leaves that provider’s coverage area, he or she may still use data services… Continue Reading