The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with new FCC Chairman Brendan Carr at the helm, will be holding the agency’s first Open Meeting on Thursday, February 27 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET amidst uncertainties related to independent agencies and presidential power as reflected in a recent Executive Order. The FCC has released an agenda for the meeting, which is available here, along with public drafts of the five new items that will be up for consideration by the FCC:
- Enhancing National Security Through the Auctioning of Spectrum Licenses: The FCC will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would update 10-year-old AWS-3 service-specific competitive bidding rules to bring those rules in line with current practice as the first step in fulfilling the FCC’s statutory obligation to initiate an auction of licenses for the AWS-3 spectrum in the FCC’s inventory by June 23, 2026, under the Spectrum and Secure Technology and Innovation Act. (GN Docket Nos. 25-70, 25-71, 13-185)
- Exploring New Uses for Mid-Band Spectrum in the Upper C-band: The FCC will consider a Notice of Inquiry exploring whether, and if so how, we could free up additional mid-band spectrum for new services in the Upper C-band to meet projected spectrum demand, spur economic growth and advance American security interests. (GN Docket No. 25-59)
- Making Wireless Emergency Alerts More Responsive to Public Safety and Consumer Needs: The FCC will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking intended to give emergency managers and consumers greater customization of the Wireless Emergency Alerts they send and receive, which would increase public safety and reduce consumers opting out of this life-saving service. (PS Docket Nos. 15-91, 15-94)
- Strengthening Call Blocking Rules: The FCC will consider a Report and Order that strengthens the FCC’s call blocking rules by expanding the requirement to block calls based on a reasonable do-not-originate list to include all providers in the call path and by designating an exclusive code to notify callers when certain calls are blocked. (CG Docket No. 17-59)
- Combatting Loud Commercial Advertisements: The FCC will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would undertake a review of the FCC’s commercial loudness rules, in effect since 2012, and seek comment on the need for updates or changes. (MB Docket No. 25-72)
The meeting will be streamed live via webcast and can be accessed online by the public at www.fcc.gov/live.