Congressional Democrats refiled a pair of multibillion-dollar broadband funding proposals Thursday -- the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (HR-1783) and Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act amid a rising push for infrastructure spending legislation, as expected (see 2103030063). The proposals' return came ahead of President Joe Biden’s Thursday night speech marking the one-year anniversary of widespread pandemic-related shutdowns, which some expect will include an unveiling of his plans for an infrastructure spending package. Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act package (HR-1319) earlier in the day, with emergency broadband money (see 2103110037).
The FCC Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council approved a report Wednesday with recommendations on measuring risks and remediation costs in 911 and next-generation 911 networks. During its virtual meeting, CSRIC also OK'd reports on making standalone 5G networks more reliable and addressing session initiation protocol (SIP) security challenges. The meeting was the last under the group’s current charter and the first under President Joe Biden's administration.
The National Emergency Number Association’s 3D Geoinformation Systems Working Group is making “significant progress toward requirements for using 3D location data” and will submit a report to the FCC Public Safety Bureau in the next few weeks, CEO Brian Fontes and others told an aide to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The time for providers “to deliver vertical location information is now,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 07-114: “The sooner … providers can convey vertical location information, the sooner 9-1-1 can set about to extracting the greatest possible value from this information.”
An NPRM on curbing 911 fee diversion (see 2101270060) is likely to receive unanimous support during Wednesday's meeting, FCC officials told us. Congress in December passed the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act, which required the commission to issue rules defining what constitutes a 911 fee or diversion.
The National Emergency Number Association and Center for Internet Security adopted a memorandum of understanding on working together on best cybersecurity practice and will host a summit. “As we continue to lead the transition from legacy 9-1-1 to NG9-1-1 technologies, it is imperative that we elevate 9-1-1 professionals’ knowledge of cybersecurity,” said NENA President Gary Bell.
Prioritize 911 workers for COVID-19 vaccinations, the National Emergency Number Association said Friday. “Sadly, while the federal government and statehouses across the country have designated 9-1-1 professionals as essential workers throughout the pandemic, many states are not recognizing these public servants as essential when it comes to the distribution of coronavirus vaccines,” NENA CEO Brian Fontes wrote governors.
Industry and the National Emergency Number Association agreed the FCC needs to do more work before reporting to Congress on feasibility and cost of making Wi-Fi access points and other communications technologies available for access to 911 during times of emergency. Replies on a Public Safety Bureau notice were due Friday in docket 20-285. The FCC must file a report as a requirement of Ray Baum’s Act. “In light of the significant technical and security issues raised in this proceeding about relying on Wi-Fi access points as a backup for wireless 9-1-1, the FCC should seek the guidance of relevant technical expert bodies on these issues prior to submitting its study to Congress,” CTIA said. Access points supported by fixed wireline are “just as challenged as mobile wireless services to remain operational during severe emergencies,” it said: “Other Commission proceedings demonstrate the increasing resilience of mobile wireless networks even where fixed wireline backhaul and commercial power is unavailable for extended periods of time.” Connecting through access points “appears to be technically feasible, but work must be done to ensure quality assurance to 9-1-1 and to its callers,” NENA commented. Such connections “must meet, at the very least, the public’s expectations for reliability and service; meeting these expectations may be challenging absent regulatory authority,” the group said. ACA Connects said it’s not “technically feasible” today to use Wi-Fi “to provide a backup path to 911 when mobile networks are down.”
The National Emergency Number Association hailed House passage of the Don't Break Up the T-Band Act (HR-451) and other telecom measures this week (see 2009230032). HR-451 and other measures “ensure a resilient communications network amid the coronavirus pandemic,” said Director-Government Affairs Dan Henry in a Thursday statement. He also cited House approval of the Emergency Reporting Act (HR-5918). House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., earlier praised passage of HR-451, HR-5918, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (S-2661) and Measuring the Economics Driving Investments and Access for Diversity Act (HR-5567).
Opponents of states using 911 fees for unrelated purposes support an FCC notice of inquiry proposed for vote at Wednesday’s meeting. Some want earlier action and wonder what the future holds, since the item’s main FCC champion, Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, is likely leaving. The agency would ask how to dissuade states from diverting 911 fees and the impact of the practice (see 2009090048).
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announces changes in his office (see also this section, Aug. 7 issue): Sean Spivey joins from Wireless Bureau as wireless and international adviser, replacing Aaron Goldberger, returning to the bureau; Allison Baker named economic adviser, comes from Wireline Bureau; chairman’s Rural Broadband Adviser Preston Wise expands role to wireline adviser, replacing Nirali Patel, going back to Wireline Bureau; and Melissa Kirkel, who has been on detail as special counsel-wireline, returns to the bureau ... Arnold & Porter hires Jessica Monahan from National Association of Counties as policy adviser; she has worked on transportation and technology ... Scanlon Rabinowitz adds Roy Shulman, ex-Prudential Financial, as special counsel focusing on technology, contract and intellectual property law.