Trick or Treat

This week, the FCC is reviving the tradition of hosting a Halloween party, and we've invited staff to bring their kids to work for a costume parade. I'm really looking forward to it, but as with most years, I'm still debating what I should wear. I've been leaning towards a Mickey Mouse costume, but I imagine the lawyers in OGC wouldn't love that. We will see. Might just go as the Covered List because I have never seen so many D.C. lobbyists get so scared by something before. Going as a Fake Poll is also a possibility, but I try to avoid controversy.

Anyways, on to the November Meeting Agenda! Next month, we have a (pun incoming) pillow case full of treats. We are moving ahead with more public safety and drone dominance wins, continuing to close robocall loopholes, and enhancing connectivity and accessibility.

First up, I'm back in Little Rock, Arkansas, today with Senator Cotton and Attorney General Griffin to announce that the FCC will vote next month on an order that will authorize state and local jails to jam contraband cellphones. This is an important win for public safety and one that is meaningful to me. I made a promise to corrections officers that I would give them more tools for combatting contraband cellphones, and this decision does exactly that.

The stats and stories speak for themselves. Contraband cellphones have been flooding into our nation's prisons and jails by the thousands every year. One study estimates that nearly 500,000 inmates have access to a contraband cellphone. Our existing tools and approaches are not enough. Inmates use these devices to carry on their criminal enterprises from behind bars-ordering kidnappings, running drug operations, organizing prison escapes, and directing murders. Recently, there has even been a surge in inmates using contraband cellphones to direct and watch the exploitation and abuse of children.

Authorizing jamming will not be a silver bullet and it will not be the right or appropriate solution in all cases. But we are going to remove the outdated and across-the-board ban on jamming while protecting lawful communications outside prisons and jails.

Second on the agenda, we will consider an omnibus order on advanced air mobility that would modernize rules for American drone dominance, airspace sovereignty, and improve in-flight connectivity. The decision will open up spectrum bands with a more flexible nationwide licensing system and allow detection systems to detect and track unauthorized or dangerous drones near sensitive areas and critical infrastructure. Additionally, we will vote to update our rules in the 800 MHz air-ground band so providers can improve inflight broadband connectivity.

Third, we will consider an order and further notice aimed at preventing bad actors from obtaining access to telephone numbers, which are necessary for them to launch illegal robocall campaigns. This will strengthen our first line of defense against illegal robocallers by enhancing the vetting process that applies when providers seek access to telephone numbers. This will make it substantially more difficult for bad actors to operate on our networks.

Next up we will consider an order that extends the support term for Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM I) carriers by two years. This limited extension will apply to only a handful of carriers and serves the public interest by preserving supported voice and broadband service in rural areas and facilitating an orderly transition. This action will align the expiration of A-CAM I with three other programs that are scheduled to conclude at the end of 2028.

Finally, we will consider a notice of proposed rulemaking to improve our TRS accessibility rules. Communication services and the devices and technologies consumers use to communicate continue to evolve rapidly. With this NPRM, the FCC is working to modernize the TRS program and the services it offers while also aiming to identify and curb existing waste, fraud, and abuse.