Clock Counts Down on Unfunded FCC Broadband Maps

House Commerce Committee GOP leaders and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai are double-teaming other lawmakers to get money for improved broadband maps. They asked House appropriators to find funding to implement the Broadband DATA Act that was signed into law in March as future appropriations bills are considered.

“Once this law is implemented and funded, FCC and other agencies will be able to rely on accurate broadband maps when they distribute federal funds for broadband deployment, which will lead to a more efficient use of federal dollars,” wrote the Republican committee members, led by House Energy and Commerce Ranking Chairman Greg Walden of Oregon and Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Ranking Member Bob Latta of Ohio.

According to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, the bill would require appropriating $25 million in 2021, and $9 million annually from 2022 through 2028. The money would go toward issuing rules, establishing reporting requirements, and hiring contractors to establish a comprehensive broadband database and maps. Continued Reading

CC Proposes Opening Up 70/80/90 GHz Bands

The FCC voted Tuesday to begin a proceeding to provide more spectrum for 5G wireless backhaul and to make it easier to deploy broadband on planes and ships. The agency hopes to make more efficient use of additional millimeter-band spectrum in the 71–76 GHz, 81–86 GHz, 92–94 GHz, and 94.1–95 GHz bands.

The item approved in a non-controversial 5-0 vote proposes allowing smaller antennas to be used in the bands. The Commission hopes to lower costs, facilitate network densification, and help support wireless 5G backhaul. 

The changes could open up competition for broadband in aircraft, according to FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. During the vote, she said: “It is fair to say many of us hope to return to the skies soon and when we do, one feature Americans want to see is the ability to reliably [get internet service] at 35,000 feet.” Continue Reading

FCC Approves 5G Upgrade Ruling in Heated Session

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief By a quarrelsome 3-to-2 vote, the FCC yesterday approved an order to modernize wireless infrastructure. Specifically, the Declaratory Ruling specifies when a 60-day shot clock for local approval begins and clarifies Section 6409 of the Spectrum Act to enable upgrades on existing macro towers.

The ruling also clarifies how certain aspects of proposed modifications – height increases, equipment cabinet additions, and impact on concealment elements and aesthetic conditions – affect eligibility for streamlined review under Section 6409(a).  In addition, the action clarifies that, under the Commission’s rules on environmental and historic preservation review, FCC applicants do not need to submit environmental assessments based only on potential impacts to historic properties when parties have entered into a memorandum of agreement to mitigate effects on those properties.

The so-called “5G Upgrade Order” also says which new equipment qualifies for streamlined approval. It ensures localities can’t misuse concealment and aesthetic conditions to limit the ability to quickly upgrade concealed infrastructure, according to the agency. Continue Reading

5G Rollout Gets Streamlined With FCC Upgrade Order

In a contentious vote today, the FCC approved the so-called “5G Upgrade Order,” the agency’s latest initiative, headed by Commissioner Brendan Carr, to accelerate wireless infrastructure builds.

The order:

• Sets a clear demarcation as to when the 60-day shot clock for local approval begins
• Clarifies which new equipment qualifies for streamlined approval
• Ensures local governments cannot misuse concealment and aesthetic conditions to limit the ability to quickly upgrade concealed infrastructure
• Asks for public comment on what activity related to a modification can occur outside of a wireless site
• Accelerates wireless network builds by clarifying rules for upgrading equipment on existing infrastructure

Co-location is “the process of putting new equipment on old towers. It’s less intensive and requires less regulatory review than new tower construction,” explained Carr during the vote. Clarifying the Section 6409 rules benefits communities “by reducing the potential for redundant towers, creating less costly and disruptive infrastructure,” he said. Continue Reading

480 Miles of Overland Fiber Now Runs From North Pole to Anchorage

Alaska is now connected to the “lower 48” states as the first overland fiber-optic cable was completed by a Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA) subsidiary. The 480-mile project, which began in April 2019, was a collaboration between MTA, Canadian telecom Northwestel, and contractor Alaska Directional, reported the Anchorage Daily News.

The overland cable begins at the town of North Pole near Fairbanks and ends at Haines Junction, Yukon. There, it connects to cables installed by Northwestel, which enables connection to the rest of North America. The Daily News reported with the new cable, the state “is no longer solely dependent upon a series of subsea cables for high-speed internet and telephone” connectivity. Continue Reading

Pai: FCC “Vindicated” as Big Satcos Agree to Quick C-Band Move

UPDATE FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Monday said the repurposing of C-band spectrum for 5G services will move forward on an accelerated timeline. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau secured commitments from all eligible satellite operators to meet a faster clearing timeline that will make way for faster 5G deployment in the 3.7 GHz band.

Inside Towers reported Intelsat, SES and Telesat told the agency by the May 29 deadline they would clear the lower portion of the C-band quickly and move to the higher portion of the band. Eutelsat and Star One also chose accelerated relocation. They wanted to qualify for a share of as much as $9.7 billion in incentive payments, in addition to a share of another $3.3 billion to $5.2 billion the feds would reimburse them for moving costs. Continue Reading

Subcontractor Dies After Fall Into 35-Foot Caisson

 
Tragedy struck on Thursday morning when a subcontractor working on a Verizon tower project fell to his death after his machinery malfunctioned, reported South Tahoe Now. The man, who has not yet been identified, fell headfirst into a 35-foot by six-foot hole.

Several fire and rescue services, including a helicopter, were dispatched to the site in the forest near the South Tahoe Public Utility District.

According to South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Jay Manning, rescuers were lowered into the hole to retrieve the unconscious victim. Manning added that the man was transported to Barton Memorial Hospital via ambulance, where he later died.

Manning’s team conducted an investigation, which they will turn over to The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which did not travel to the site due to COVID-19 restrictions. The job site was turned back to the contractor that morning.