Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to modify it’s 16-year-old data breach notification rules to ensure that providers of telecommunications, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and telecommunications relay services (TRS) adequately safeguard sensitive customer information.  The action would hold phone companies accountable for protecting sensitive customer information, while enabling customers to protect themselves in the event that their data is compromised.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed that 100 percent of wireless handsets—namely mobile phones and smartphones—offered for sale in the United States be fully compatible with hearing aids. The FCC is committed to ensuring that all Americans, including those with hearing loss, are able to access communications services on an equal basis.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to further reform its pole attachment rules and policies to promote faster and more cost effective broadband deployment. These new rules will allow for faster resolution of pole attachment disputes and provide pole attachers with more detailed information about the poles they plan to use as part of their broadband buildouts. Utility poles are key to the FCC’s efforts to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure as those poles support the wires and equipment that carry broadband to American homes and businesses.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules making multiple improvements to the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program, which helps rural health care providers afford the broadband connectivity needed for telehealth and telemedicine services. This action will improve program administration and increase participation by allowing health care providers that expect to become eligible in the near future to request funding sooner, aligning program deadlines, simplifying rules for calculating urban rates, streamlining administrative processes, and freeing up unused funding for other purposes.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to eliminate video service junk fees from cable operators and direct broadcast satellite providers and to study the impact of these practices on consumer choices. Early termination fees require subscribers to pay a fee for terminating a video service contract prior to its expiration date, making it costly for consumers to switch services. Because these fees may have the effect of limiting consumer choice, they may reduce competition for video service.

The Federal Communications Commission reaffirmed its Wireline Bureau’s prior decision to reject the long-form application of Starlink to receive public support through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program, based on the applicant’s failure to meet the program requirements. Starlink had sought a review of a decision and asked the FCC to find that Starlink is reasonably capable of meeting its performance obligations in its winning bid areas. Starlink argued that (1) the Bureau disregarded FCC policy and the long-form application review process by applying heightened scrutiny to St

The Federal Communications Commission renewed the charter of the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States (the Task Force) for a period expiring on January 1, 2025. The purpose of the Task Force is to: