INCOMPAS News -- January 29, 2024

Vol. 20, No. 5

January 29, 2024

Don't Disconnect US Day Puts Focus on Renewing ACP Funding

Internet access is essential to participating in today's world, and for millions of Americans, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has helped them to get online. Despite the undisputed success of the ACP, the program will run out of funding in about 90 days - unless Congress acts.

On January 25, one in six households in the U.S. were notified that the ACP is ending. The Affordable Broadband Campaign took action with Don’t Disconnect US Day, encouraging everyone who cares about affordable internet to contact their representatives and tell them to fund the program before it’s too late. Kerem Durdag, CEO of INCOMPAS member company GWI, was part of a virtual event to support the ACP in Maine.

Learn how you can tell Congress to fund the ACP before it's too late.

Keith Matthews Joins INCOMPAS as Digital Media Manager

Join INCOMPAS in welcoming Keith Matthews as our new Digital Media Manager. Keith previously worked as a Digital Media specialist for the Mortgage Bankers Association, Auto Care Association and Iconstituent.

“We are thrilled to have Keith join our team and take our digital communications to the next level,” said INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering. “With more than 12 years of experience managing and developing content, Keith has developed keen insights to stay on the cutting edge of new technologies and communications mediums. He is going to be a pivotal member of our team and play a key role in highlighting our members priorities and pushing our advocacy forward.”

Lindsay Stern Promoted to Attorney, Policy Manager

Congratulations to Lindsay Stern on her promotion to Attorney & Policy Manager.

Lindsay joined the association in spring 2020 and has been instrumental in the association’s policy work on broadband competition, universal service, the ACP, digital discrimination, broadband labels and net neutrality. She has served on the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee and is an active member of the FCBA-The Tech Bar.

"Lindsay is a top-notch attorney and policy advisor, and she has taken on more responsibility and is managing numerous policy projects for the association," said INCOMPAS President Angie Kronenberg. "She has delivered positive results time and again. Her contributions have been recognized by our members, and many others we work with, and I am pleased to announce her promotion to attorney and policy manager."

INCOMPAS Joins Associations Asking Congress to Ensure Broadband Deployment Funding is Not Taxable Income

INCOMPAS and eight other telecom associations sent a letter on January 25 asking congressional leaders to include the bipartisan and bicameral Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act as part of any broader legislative tax package Congress may consider.

The associations said the legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Code to ensure funding for broadband deployment from the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act, including programs such as the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, the middle mile program and the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Fund, and other similar federally funded broadband programs will not be considered taxable income. They noted that without this change in the tax code, a significant portion of funding intended for deploying broadband to unserved and underserved communities will revert to the government in the form of taxes.

FCC Announces February 15 Open Meeting Agenda Items

The FCC announced the items it will consider at its February 15 Open Meeting:

Increasing the Accessibility of the Emergency Alert System – An NRPM intended to simplify the process for alert originators to send multilingual emergency alerts over television and radio.
Empowering Consumers to Block Robocalls and Robotexts – A Report and Order and FNRPM to strengthen consumers’ ability to revoke consent so that it is simple and easy, codify previously adopted protections that make it simpler for consumers to revoke consent, and require that callers and texters implement requests in a timely manner. The item also proposes and seeks comment on clarifying that the TCPA applies to robocalls and robotexts from wireless providers to their own subscribers and for the first time proposes to give consumers the ability to revoke consent and thereby stop these communications.
Expanding Opportunities for Wireless Microphone Use – A Report and Order to revise the Part 15 and 74 technical rules to permit recently developed, and more efficient, wireless microphone technology.
Facilitating Capabilities for In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing – An NRPM that would propose a framework for licensing space stations engaged in in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) operations, which would facilitate the development of these novel space activities that support sustained economic activity in space and would advance opportunities for innovation in the new space age.

GAO Issues Report on Spectrum Use

In a report released last week, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the FCC new rule titled "Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band; and Expanding Flexible Use in Mid-Band Spectrum Between 3.7 and 24 GHz." GAO found that the final rule builds on the 6 GHz band unlicensed rules by permitting very low power (VLP) devices in the U-NII-5 (5.925-6.425 MHz) and U-NII-7 (6.525-6.875 MHz) portions of the 6 GHz band. The report also included assessment of FCC's compliance with the procedural steps required by section 801(a)(1)(B)(i) through (iv) of title 5 with respect to the rule.

Call Authentication, Robocall Rules Effective February 26

The Office of Management and Budget approved an information collection associated with the FCC's March 2023 sixth report and order and May 2023 seventh report and order, in which the commission, among other actions, expanded its non-internet protocol call authentication and robocall mitigation database rules. The amendments to sections 64.6303(c) (Caller ID authentication in non-IP networks), 64.6305(d), (e), (f) and (g) (Robocall mitigation and certification), and 64.6305(d)(2)(ii) and (iii), (e)(2)(ii) and (f)(2)(iii) are effective February 26. The compliance date for Section 64.6305(g) is May 24.

Dates Set for Robocall Mitigation Database Filing Requirements

The Wireline Competition Bureau announced effective dates and compliance deadlines for revised Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) filing requirements and related rules adopted in the sixth report and order.

Providers newly required to file in the RMD must submit their initial filings containing all required information and certifications by February 26, 2024.

Existing filers must update their RMD submissions to provide all newly required information and certifications by the same date. Additionally, the bureau said voice service providers and intermediate providers must refuse to carry traffic from any provider not listed in the RMD as of May 28, 2024.

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