The FCC Wireless and Public Safety bureaus extended some regulatory deadlines for licensees in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Idalia, said a public notice Wednesday. Wireless Radio Service application and construction deadlines that fell between Aug. 28 and Sept. 28 are now extended to Sept. 29, the PN said. Filing requirements for grants of special temporary authority are also waived in the region, and licensees can request them by phone, the PN said. An FCC disaster information reporting system release Thursday shows 57,715 subscribers without service in counties in South Carolina and Florida affected by Hurricane Idalia. The report shows 2.2% of cellsites in Florida are down and .9% in South Carolina. Three Florida public safety answering points were rerouted, and two FM stations and one AM were reported as out of service.

The FCC directed nonexempt fixed and mobile broadcast auxiliary services (BAS) and cable television relay services (CARS) licensees in the 12.7 GHz band to certify by Nov. 29 the accuracy of the information reflected on their licenses. The FCC is seeking the information as part of a Further NPRM on the band, approved by commissioners 4-0 in May (see 2305180052). The Wireless and Media bureaus also provide instructions on how to file the data in the Thursday notice. BAS licensees will use the commission’s universal licensing system, CARS will use the cable operations and licensing system.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau activated the disaster information reporting system for 44 counties in Florida affected by Hurricane Idalia, said a public notice Tuesday. Reports are due starting Wednesday, the PN said. The agency also contacted broadcasters in the path of the storm to remind them of FCC public service announcements on communication tips for emergencies, an agency spokesperson told us. “As always, our Operations Center is running 24/7. As the path of Idalia becomes clearer, we will plan our operational activities accordingly,” the spokesperson said.

Saying it's "preserv[ing] consumer access to clear, easy-to-understand, and accurate information" about broadband costs, the FCC partially rejected and partially granted petitions on aspects of its 2022 broadband labeling order (see 2211180077). In its reconsideration order Tuesday, the FCC said it's affirming its decision that providers itemize monthly discretionary fees on the label and say how much data is provided in the plan being offered. An industry coalition asked that providers be allowed to say on labels that additional fees may apply and the fees may vary depending on location (see 2303230068). The commission said it's clarifying that E-rate and Rural Health Care service providers don't need to include a broadband label for enterprise and special access services provided through those programs. It granted a CTIA request to clarify that wireless providers can state “taxes included” or use similar language when the provider has chosen to include taxes as part of its base price. And the agency, granting a request by a coalition led by ACA Connects, said it's revising its requirement to document all instances when a provider directs a consumer to a label at an alternative sales channel and to retain such documentation for two years. It said any burdens on ISPs to itemize fees above the monthly price on the label "are far outweighed" by the consumer benefit and ISPs could roll those discretionary fees into the base monthly price, ending any need for itemization on the label. It said CTIA's request that wireless providers be able to use multiple lines of data allowance descriptions on the label would lead to visual clutter undermining the label's intended simplicity.

FY 2023 regulatory fees are due Sept. 20 and must be paid through the FCC’s commission registration system (CORES), said FCC public notices on CORES and reg fee payment procedures in Monday’s Daily Digest. “While FY 2023 regulatory fees will not become effective until the rulemaking is published in the Federal Register, regulatees, at their own discretion, may submit payments at any time before the FY 2023 regulatory fees due date,” said the PNs. The agency will also release a series of fact sheets outlining the fee responsibilities of each bureau. The Media Bureau fact sheet "What You Owe -- Media Service Licensees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023" was also in Monday’s Daily Digest.

The full FCC is temporarily waiving some Lifeline program eligibility rules to make consumers receiving federal disaster assistance eligible to enroll in the program, said an order Friday. “Because of the exigent circumstances arising from the Hawai’i Wildfires, we find that there is good cause for further action to ensure that consumers in the affected areas receive critical assistance for their communications needs,” the order said. The waiver will permit households to enter the Lifeline program if they're receiving individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individuals and Households Program due to the Hawai’i wildfires, regardless of whether they matched most of the usual requirements for Lifeline. Only households in Maui County would be eligible, but if FEMA expands its assistance the FCC waiver would also cover the additional households, the order said. The order waives the rules for six months but delegates authority to the Wireline Bureau to expand the time frame if needed. A disaster information reporting service release Friday showed 14,147 cable and wireline subscribers without service in the areas affected by the fires, but all 21 cellsites in the region were listed as up and running.

Intelsat, SES, Hispasat, Eutelsat and Ovzon repeated their call for a delay in the reply comments deadline for lower and upper 12 GHz band proceedings (see 2308070054). In docket 20-443 posted Thursday, they said a 30-day delay, with a new deadline of Oct. 10, would give them time to prepare a technical study responding to technical arguments raised in initial comments.

The FCC expects to recharter its Technological Advisory Council soon, and is asking for nominations for membership by Sept. 22. TAC, considered among the most important FCC Federal Advisory Committee Act committees, had its final meeting last week (see 2308170057). “It is anticipated that Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will ask the TAC to evaluate several issues, including: continued efforts at looking beyond 5G advanced as 6G begins to develop so as to facilitate U.S. leadership; studying advanced spectrum sharing techniques, including the implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the utilization and administration of spectrum; and other emerging technologies,” said a Thursday notice. The last TAC focused on the move to 6G.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada approved Qualcomm as that nation’s first 6 GHz automated frequency coordination system operator, taking that step ahead of the U.S. The FCC last year provisionally approved 13 companies to be AFC operators, but all are still awaiting final approval (see 2211030066). Qualcomm applied to be an AFC operator in Canada in December and was approved Monday. Applications by Comsearch, Federated Wireless and Wi-Fi Alliance Services are under review by the Canadian regulator. Qualcomm was one of the companies provisionally approved by the FCC. The FCC didn't comment Wednesday.

NTIA on Tuesday proposed a limited and targeted waiver of its Build America, Buy America requirement for the broadband, equity, access and deployment program (see 2303140055). The proposed waiver would "ensure that close to 90% of BEAD funding spent on equipment will be spent on equipment manufactured in the United States." It would apply to equipment including "optical fiber, fiber optic cable, key electronics, and enclosures." The agency also proposed a "limited nonavailability waiver" for certain equipment. "After final publication, NTIA will continue to monitor implementation to ensure that we’re creating jobs here at home and delivering affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service to all Americans," it said. The agency wants comments within 30 days to BABA@ntia.gov.