INCOMPAS NEWS -- December 11, 2017

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) are the most recent additions to The 2018 INCOMPAS Policy Summit agenda.

Taking place on Wednesday, February 7, at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., The


	Rep. Bob Latta

INCOMPAS Policy Summit will feature thought-provoking keynotes and panel discussions, giving attendees a unique opportunity to hear from communications and policy leaders on the current state of the communications industry, and what the future holds as innovation, technology and policy converge.

Commissioner Clyburn joins an impressive line up Congressional speakers, including Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), and Rep. Latta, who will participate in a joint keynote with Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT). Reps. Latta and Welch are co-chairs of the Rural Broadband Caucus and founders of the Internet of Things (IoT) Working Group.

Panel discussions addressing connected devices and IoT, fiber and wireless infrastructure deployment, OTT content and services, and business strategies for the technology of tomorrow will feature top executives from companies like Facebook, FatBeam, FirstLight and Microsoft.

Register today!

For more information, or to learn how you can sponsor this premier policy event, email Jenny Gilbert.

FCC to Address Net Neutrality and Rural Healthcare at Thursday's Open Meeting

At its Open Meeting on Thursday, December 14, 2017, the FCC will address net neutrality and rural healthcare, among other items:

Restoring Internet Freedom - The Commission will consider a Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order that will restore internet freedom by returning broadband internet access service to its prior classification as an information service, and reinstate the private mobile service classification of mobile broadband Internet access service. The item also will eliminate the FCC's vague and expansive Internet Conduct Standard, along with the bright-line rules. Additionally, it will modify the transparency rule to promote additional transparency, while eliminating burdensome and unnecessary requirements.\
Promoting Telehealth in Rural America - The Commission will consider an NPRM and Order to strengthen the Rural Health Care Program and improve access to telehealth in rural America.
Amendment of Part 11 of the Commission's Rules Regarding Emergency Alert System - The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would amend the FCC's Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules to add a dedicated event code to facilitate the delivery of Blue Alerts over the EAS and Wireless Emergency Alert system. Blue Alerts can deliver actionable information to the public when a law enforcement officer is killed, seriously injured, missing in connection with his or her official duties, or if there is an imminent and credible threat to a law enforcement officer.
Review of Collocations on Certain Towers Constructed Without Documentation of Section 106 Review - The Commission will consider a Public Notice seeking input on a draft program comment addressing the historic preservation review requirements for collocating wireless communications facilities on certain communications towers.
Amendment To Harmonize and Streamline Part 20 of the Commission's Rules Concerning Requirements for Licensees To Overcome a CMRS Presumption - The Commission will consider a Report and Order to harmonize the Commission's rules by eliminating the commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) presumption, to be consistent with our flexible use approach to licensing.
Electronic Delivery of Cable and Satellite Communications and Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative - The Commission will consider an NPRM seeking comment on ways to modernize certain notice provisions in Part 76 of the FCC's Rules governing multichannel video and cable television service.
Amendment of Section 73.3555(e) of the Commission's Rules, National Television Multiple Ownership Rule - The Commission will consider an NPRM seeking comment on whether to modify, retain or eliminate the 39 percent national audience reach cap and/or the UHF discount used by broadcast television station groups to calculate compliance with the cap.

T he meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and can be viewed online at www.fcc.gov/live.

INCOMPAS, Windstream, Sprint File Comments in BDS Tariff Investigation Order

INCOMPAS joined with member companies Sprint and Windstream in submitting comments on the FCC's business data services (BDS) tariff investigation order.

They urged the FCC to affirm the findings in the order in all respects and expand the remedies it adopted in the order, saying that "[d]oing so would help facilitate the transition to IP-based networks and promote competition. Reversing the order, on the other hand, would sabotage a critical prediction underpinning the Commission's entire policy framework for BDS, and would enable the incumbent local exchange carriers that currently dominate the market for low-bandwidth BDS to unlawfully maintain their monopoly status."