More Local Officials Seek Pai's Ear as BDAC Meeting Approaches
With Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) initial recommendations imminent, more than 230 local elected officials signed a letter urging FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to “more fully” consider local perspectives on broadband infrastructure deployment issues (see 1710200030). The National Association of…
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Counties, National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors on Friday re-sent the Oct. 17 letter with additional local signatures. They asked for Pai’s attention in wireline and wireless infrastructure rulemakings and at the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. NARUC raised state concerns about BDAC and the FCC infrastructure rulemakings in separate meetings last week with FCC General Counsel Thomas Johnson and aides to four commissioners, said an ex-parte notice posted Monday in several dockets including 17-79. The committee lacks balance and the FCC "lacks statutory authority to take most of the proposed actions in these proceedings," NARUC said. In a separate letter to Pai posted Friday in docket 17-83, BDAC Chair Elizabeth Bowles said the BDAC “made tremendous progress in fulfilling its charter,” but recommended the FCC schedule a two-day meeting in January. Thursday’s meeting “should put the BDAC much closer to finalizing its recommendations in key areas, including on the model codes,” and each working group will “come ready to present a detailed, substantive work product for the BDAC to consider,” said Bowles, Aristotle president and legislative committee chair of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association. After the meeting, the BDAC likely will have “some initial recommendations for the FCC as well as a plan to tackle the next phase of work,” Bowles said. The committee may “identify areas that would benefit from harmonization as each working group seeks to complete its recommendations for the full BDAC,” she said.