Today’s Regulatory Mix: FCC Reviews Accomplishments of Consumer and Governmental Affairs, Enforcement, and Public Safety And Homeland Security Bureaus,  FCC Reviews Accomplishments of Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force 

 

FCC entrance shutterstock-2FCC Reviews Accomplishments of Consumer and Governmental Affairs, Enforcement, and Public Safety And Homeland Security Bureaus 

The Federal Communications Commission heard reports from leaders of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Enforcement Bureau, and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau on their exceptional work over the last four years. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai dedicated the entirety of the final meeting of his chairmanship to thanking Commission staff for their work and joining his colleagues in hearing presentations from Bureau, Office, and Task Force leaders. 

Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau 

CGB has been aggressively fighting the scourge of illegal and unwanted robocalls, leading multiple Commission actions on call blocking and placing limits on calls from government contractors and on non-telemarketing calls to homes. CGB has also led actions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of telecommunications relay services—which ensure access to telephone communication for people with hearing or speech disabilities—while saving the relay services fund approximately $1.5 billion over four years. 

Enforcement Bureau 

The Bureau’s presentation to the Commissioners highlighted the Enforcement Bureau’s continued focus on strong enforcement of the law and the FCC’s regulations. In the last four years, the Commission issued hundreds of millions of dollars in fines against unlawful spoofed robocall operations. The Bureau brought almost 1,300 enforcement actions, including historic penalties against pirate radio operators. And the Bureau took steps to increase the Bureau’s efficiency and transparency, most notably creating a new Fraud Division as part of its ongoing mission to get rid of waste, fraud, and abuse in the Universal Service Fund. 

Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau 

Over the past four years, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau took a series of significant actions to strengthen 911 systems, which will help first responders locate emergency callers more quickly. The Bureau also improved the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts, making them even more powerful tools for public safety officials to keep their communities safe. 

 

FCC front view-1FCC Reviews Accomplishments of Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today heard reports from leaders of the Wireline Competition Bureau and Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force on their work over the last four years. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai dedicated the final meeting of his chairmanship to thanking Commission staff for their exceptional work and joining his colleagues in hearing presentations from Bureau, Office, and Task Force leaders. 

Wireline Competition Bureau 

The Bureau’s presentation to the Commissioners summarized the Bureau’s substantial progress in core areas, including expanding broadband to millions of previously unserved homes and businesses in rural America, removing regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment, and transitioning to next-generation networks. 

Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force 

The Task Force’s presentation to the Commissioners reviewed its work with over 100 staff from across the agency on reverse auctions that award Universal Service Fund support to highcost areas. These programs implemented the Commission’s top priority of bridging the digital divide and advanced the universal service principle that everyone should have access to advanced telecommunications at reasonable cost. 

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team tracks each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.

 

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