The FCC has received various views on whether it should modify its network reliability rules, including outage notifications to public safety answering points (PSAPs), with some parties favoring certain revisions and others opposing them, including modifying what entities are covered by the regulations.

Comments were filed in PS 13-75 in response to a public notice released last month by the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (TR Daily, June 13). Among other things, the public notice sought comment on whether the FCC should weaken the current regulations.

“Under current Commission rules, ‘covered 911 service providers’ are required to: 1) take ‘reasonable measures’ to ensure 911 circuit diversity, availability of central office backup power, and diverse network monitoring; 2) certify annually to their performance of these measures, or to alternative measures demonstrated to be reasonably sufficient to mitigate the risk of failure; and 3) notify PSAPs of outages that potentially affect them,” the bureau noted in the public notice. “When the Commission adopted these rules [TR Daily, Dec. 12, 2013], it committed to review them in five years to determine whether they remain technologically appropriate, and both adequate and necessary to ensure the reliability and resiliency of 911 networks. The Bureau invites interested parties to provide comments and other information regarding how effective these provisions have been in practice, and whether these provisions should be modified to adapt to advancements in technology or other changes. The Bureau will use the record from this Public Notice to recommend next steps, if any, for the Commission’s consideration.”

“As a threshold matter, the Bureau seeks comment on the effectiveness of the existing 911 reliability rules. Have the Commission’s 911 reliability requirements for covered 911 service providers been effective in safeguarding the nation’s legacy, transitional, and Next Generation 911 (NG911) networks from preventable outages?” the bureau asked. “Are there examples of specific circuit diversity, central office backup power, and network monitoring measures that have been taken because of the Commission’s 911 reliability rules? Do the Commission’s current 911 reliability requirements adequately encompass transitional and NG911 networks? What are the most effective measures that covered 911 service providers have implemented to prevent and mitigate outages in networks that include transitional or NG911 elements? Commenters are also invited to submit any information or materials that demonstrate improvements in 911 network reliability since the 911 reliability rules’ effective date, including any contribution by the rules to those improvements. If the rules have not resulted in measurable improvements to 911 reliability, how should the Commission change these requirements?” Continue reading →

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Illegal robocalls are becoming more of an issue, which is why states such as Mississippi are stepping up their investigations and enforcement actions, and are starting to see some success in addressing the issue.

A robocall investigator from the Mississippi Public Service Commission shared with other state commissioners his state’s process to go after illegal robocallers during a morning discussion at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners 2018 Summer Policy Summit.

There are an estimated 30 billion robocalls being made each year, and unwanted calls are the number one consumer complaint to the FCC and to state commissions.  Commissioner Chris Nelson, a member of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, said recent reports show that the number of robocalls is up 40 percent this year compared to last year.

“Robocalls are the bane of telecommunications,” Commissioner Nelson said. “I have an itch and a passion to help fix this particular problem.  People have probably thrown away their landlines because of this issue more than any other issue. It’s a shame that people think that the only way to get rid of robocalls is to get rid of their telephones.” Continue reading →

The FCC announced today that it plans to hold a tribal workshop July 31 on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in Wisconsin. The event is scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and “will include an introduction about the mission and work of the Commission and a presentation on the process for challenging areas initially deemed ineligible for universal service funding in the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) reverse auction.

There will also be presentations on other Commission proceedings and programs of Tribal interest, including overviews of the Universal Service Fund, the Tribal Radio Priority, and the Tribal Engagement Obligation. In addition, there will be an opportunity for government-to-government consultations with Tribal leaders or their designees in a collaborative and constructive environment,” a public notice said.

The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, plans to hold a webinar on the Emergency Alert System and wireless emergency alerts on July 25 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT.