The FCC is seeking nominations for members for the soon-to-be rechartered Communications Equity and Diversity Council, said a public notice Tuesday. Nominations are due June 30, the PN said, The agency is particularly interested in applications from women and minorities, governmental entities, broadcasters and other media distributors, minority-serving institutions, and tech entrepreneurship support organizations, the PN said. “Members will be selected to balance the expertise and viewpoints that are necessary to effectively address the issues to be considered by the Committee,” the PN said. The CEDC will be rechartered starting June 22, for two years.

The FCC Friday granted FirstNet a renewal of its Band 14 license “for the remaining period of its authorization,” not to exceed 10 years, starting Nov. 15, 2022, “or for the remaining period of its authorization from Congress.” The Spectrum Act, which created FirstNet, provided licensing for an initial 10-year term. The law limits renewal to a term “not to exceed 10 years.” FirstNet’s license formally expired in November, but FCC officials said then the license remained active as long as the renewal application was pending in the agency’s universal licensing system (see 2211160071). Most industry observers expected the license to be renewed (see 2209230045). The FCC notes in the order that while the application was pending before the agency, the National Sheriff’s Association, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, six members of the Verizon First Responder Advisory Council and T-Mobile “filed comments opposing unconditional renewal of FirstNet’s license” but didn't propose that renewal be denied. The FCC imposes a number of conditions. The order notes that in its comments T-Mobile cites a 2020 GAO report (see 2009240056) that recommended that FirstNet strengthen oversight of AT&T “by adhering to GAO best practices, sharing oversight with stakeholders, and using end-user satisfaction to gauge performance.” The FCC notes the Public Safety Bureau asked FirstNet to provide additional information on how it's holding AT&T “accountable for meeting its contractual obligations, and also asked how FirstNet addressed the findings and recommendations” in the report. “We find that FirstNet’s response is sufficient to meet the renewal standard, but direct FirstNet to notify us when GAO has closed the remaining outstanding recommendation,” the order said: “We will also continue to monitor AT&T’s performance under the contract and FirstNet’s oversight of AT&T under FirstNet’s renewed license.” A 2021 Commerce Department Inspector General Report “questioned FirstNet’s governance over network security and its ability to hold AT&T accountable for failing or ineffective security requirements, leaving the network susceptible to security risks,” the order said: “The IG Report made six recommendations for remedial actions by FirstNet, and directed FirstNet to provide an action plan to the DOC Inspector General.” The FCC said the authority must complete “implementation of the recommendations in the IG Report, in the projected time frame, and we direct FirstNet to notify us of its satisfaction of these recommendations.” The Public Safety Bureau issued the order. The FirstNet Authority is “pleased to have its Band 14 spectrum license renewed, which will allow public safety to have uninterrupted access to advanced broadband services, capabilities, and features to better serve communities nationwide,” a spokesperson emailed. “We appreciate the FCC’s careful consideration of our license renewal application and recognition of the FirstNet program’s achievements,” the spokesperson said.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will recharter the Communications Equity and Diversity Council for another two-year term, the agency announced Thursday. “More effort is needed to ensure that a diverse set of voices have a seat at the table in the communications industry, including those who work behind the scenes to ensure that everyone, everywhere can access all that the digital age has to offer,” said Rosenworcel in the release. She said the current group had run with her charge to expand the diversity committee’s focus and she praised the council's numerous workshops and its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law diversity and equity report. Jamila Bess Johnson will remain the designated federal officer for the group, the release said. The new charter officially begins June 22.

Disaster information reporting system data shows 54.2% of the 363 cellsites in the affected portions of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are down due to Typhoon Mawar. Thursday’s DIRS report shows no public safety answering points affected, no broadcast stations down and no cable or wireline outage reports. The agency activated DIRS for Mawar Tuesday

The FCC will take on next-gen 911, the 42 GHz band and robocalls and robotexts at its June 8 meeting, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced Wednesday. Rosenworcel notes many states and local governments are investing in NG911, which is expected to be more resilient than legacy networks. “Completing the NG911 transition will also require operating service providers to do their part to make sure emergency calls are formatted to be compatible with the new IP-based system,” she said: “To speed this transition, the Commission will vote on a proposal to ensure that service providers connect to new NG911 networks on a timely and compatible basis.” Comments were mixed last year on a National Association of State 911 Administrators' petition for a rulemaking or notice of inquiry to fully implement NG911 (see 2110190066 and 2201200043). The 42 GHz band has gotten limited attention in the past, including in a 2018 notice (see 1809110040). Rosenworcel proposes tests. “With ever-increasing demand for wireless services and a finite supply of airwaves, it’s more important than ever that we make sure spectrum is being used as efficiently as possible,” she said. The FCC will consider a proposal to test “several innovative, non-exclusive spectrum access models” in 500 MHz of greenfield spectrum in the band, “which is ideal for experimentation due to the lack of incumbent licensees,” she said. “In addition to developing a record on how best to support efficient, intensive use of these airwaves, this proposal specifically seeks solutions on ways to increase access to spectrum for smaller and emerging wireless operators,” Rosenworcel said. The third item is on unwanted robocalls and robotexts. “The Commission will consider a proposal to strengthen the ability of consumers to decide which … they wish to receive,” Rosenworcel said: “Specifically, it would make sure guidance on consumers’ rights to control consent to be contacted is more apparent and easily accessible. It would also propose to close loopholes that allow certain callers to make robocalls and robotexts without consent and without the ability for the consumer to opt out.” Commissioners will also consider a Media Bureau adjudicatory item.

NOAA needs to do more to ensure emergency alerts about tsunamis are reaching at-risk populations in Tribal, rural and remote areas, the GAO said Tuesday. NOAA relies primarily on its Weather Radio system to deliver warnings to listeners and the emergency alert system, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (FEMA IPAWS) and its website and social media channels to issue warnings, but the agency should assess the extent of NOAA Weather Radio coverage and ascertain whether those at-risk communities have access, GAO said. It said NOAA should work more with the FCC and FEMA to determine how to use IPAWS to deliver tsunami alert to EAS.

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Tuesday a recent conversation she had with White House officials leads her to believe President Joe Biden may announce a new nominee for the long-vacant fifth FCC seat as soon as “this week.” Other observers’ recently believed a pick might not happen until at least the end of May (see 2305120050). Administration officials didn’t reveal the names of any potential candidates for the role, just “that we would be seeing a name soon,” Cantwell told us. “I just assume soon means momentarily, like this week, not two weeks from now or a month from now.” Former NTIA acting Administrator Anna Gomez remains the prohibitive favorite to get the FCC nod (see 2305020001), lobbyists told us. Some believe questions about how a Gomez nomination would affect U.S. preparations for the upcoming Nov. 20-Dec. 15 World Radiocommunication Conference contributed to the Biden administration’s delay in finalizing her selection for an FCC seat. Cantwell said she would oppose any White House proposal to delay confirming a nominee until November or December to accommodate a candidate completing an existing role, since the FCC has already been tied 2-2 for more than two years due to the Senate’s repeated stall of ex-pick Gigi Sohn’s confirmation. “People are dying for more certainty out of the FCC,” she said: “I don’t think we should wait” even longer.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., voted for passage of the Strengthening Transparency and Obligation to Protect Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment (Stop CSAM) Act (S-1199) at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s markup Thursday (see 2305110048). Her no vote by proxy announced by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., during the official vote was the result of confusion between members, according to a Blackburn aide. The official vote was 21-0.

Three companies agreed to settle after an investigation by the New York Office of the Attorney General found millions of fake comments to the FCC on repeal of net neutrality rules (see 2105060058). LCX, Lead ID and Ifficient agreed to pay a combined $615,000, said a news release Wednesday. LCX will pay $400,000 to New York and $100,000 to the San Diego District Attorney’s Office. Lead ID will pay $30,000 to New York. Ifficient will pay $63,750 to New York, and $21,250 to Colorado. “Public comment opportunities are a chance for Americans to give their input on important government policies, and these companies abused that for their own selfish purposes,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James (D): "Through this agreement, we are holding three more companies accountable for impersonating Americans without their knowledge or consent." The investigation found LCX and Lead ID "each independently fabricated responses for 1.5 million consumers," while Ifficient "supplied its client with more than 840,000 fake responses it had received from the lead generators it had hired." The settlement noted that "firms working on behalf of the broadband industry" hired Ifficient to provide public comments to the FCC, but the company "misrepresent[ed] that the consumers had expressly consented to the submission of a public comment in their name and on their behalf."

Consumers' Research petitioned the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for an en banc review of an opinion denying its challenge of the FCC's USF 2021 Q4 contribution factor, saying the opinion "turned the nondelegation doctrine on its head" and "conflicts with binding precedent." The court denied the group's challenge last week (see 2305040087). "Under the opinion, there is nothing stopping agencies from handing over vast powers to private companies run by industry interest groups," the group said in its petition, filed Wednesday in case 21-3886.