March 2023 Open Commission Meeting

Mar
16
2023

March 2023 Open Commission Meeting

10:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT
Commission Meeting Room, FCC Headquarters, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554

 

 

The FCC held this Open Meeting on the subjects listed below:

 

 

Public Drafts of Meeting Items – The FCC is publicly releasing the draft text of each item expected to be considered at this Open Commission Meeting with the exception of items involving specific, enforcement-related matters including restricted proceedings and hearing designation orders. One-page cover sheets are included in the public drafts to help summarize each item. Links to these materials are provided below.

 

  • Single Network Future: Supplemental Coverage from Space 
    The Commission considered 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. (GN Docket No. 23-65, IB Docket 22-271)
  • Ensuring Just and Reasonable Rates for Incarcerated People 
    The Commission considered 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. (WC Docket Nos. 23-62, 12-375)
  • Enhancing Protections Against Illegal Robocalls 
    The Commission considered a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would close a critical 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. (WC Docket No. 17-97).
  • Protecting Consumers with Robotext Blocking 
    The Commission considered 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. (CG Docket Nos. 21-402, 02-278)
  • Updating Equipment Testing Standards* 
    The Commission considered 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 that would allow in addition to standards referenced in our existing rules. (ET Docket No. 21-363)
  • Audio Description DMA Expansion
    The Commission considered 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. (MB Docket No. 11-43)
  • Ayora Notice of Apparent Liability*
    The Commission considered a Notice of Apparent Liability proposing the maximum penalty allowable, $2,316,034, against César Ayora and Luis Angel Ayora for pirate radio broadcasting in Queens, New York.
  • Barnes Notice of Apparent Liability* 
    The Commission considered a Notice of Apparent Liability proposing an $80,000 forfeiture against Thomas Barnes for pirate radio broadcasting in La Grande, Oregon.

 

*NOTE: These items were adopted prior to the Open Meeting and thus deleted from the agenda of the meeting itself.

 

 

 

Meeting Documents

 

FCC Proposes Framework to Facilitate Supplemental Coverage From Space

 

FCC Acts on In-State Calling Rates for Incarcerated People

 

FCC Closes Gap In Caller ID Authentication Regime

 

FCC Adopts Its First Rules Focused on Scam Texting

 

FCC Proposes Expanding Audio Description for All TV Markets

 

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