Bread and Butter

The FCC's June 2020 meeting agenda includes the following:

1. Auction procedures for Phase I of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund: Adopting these auction procedures now will allow service providers that hope to bid in the auction to start planning for the upcoming October 29, 2020 start date. The FCC is moving forward quickly in order to make sure that areas we know don’t have broadband service—where as many as 11.7 million Americans live and work—get it as quickly as possible. 
2. Innovative new uses of the 71–76 GHz, 81–86 GHz, 92–94 GHz, and 94.1–95 GHz bands (collectively known as the 70/80/90 GHz bands): The FCC seeks comment on potential rule changes for commercial users to facilitate the provision of wireless backhaul for 5G, as well as the deployment of broadband services to aircraft and ships, in these bands. Because this is co-primary spectrum for federal and non-federal users, the FCC will coordinate any proposed rule changes with affected agencies through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
3. Interpretation of section 6409(a) of the Spectrum Act provides in part that “a State or local government may not deny, and shall approve, any eligible facilities request for a modification of an existing wireless tower or base station that does not substantially change the physical dimensions of such tower or base station.”  In plain English, we want to resolve uncertainty about section 6409(a) in order to expedite the process for state and local governments to review applications to deploy wireless infrastructure. 
4. ATSC 3.0, the next-generation standard for broadcast TV: The standard promises to finally realize the potential for broadcast spectrum capacity to support “Broadcast Internet” services— digital services beyond traditional over-the-air video, integrated into the broadband ecosystem. The FCC will vote on a Declaratory Ruling that would clarify how long-standing television station ownership rules apply to the lease of spectrum to provide Broadcast Internet services. This decision would remove regulatory uncertainty that could hinder the development of new innovation using available broadcast airwaves. The FCC will also be seeking comment on the extent to which the FCC should clarify or modify its existing rules in order to further promote the deployment of Broadcast Internet services as part of the transition to ATSC 3.0. 
5. An enforcement item.