The FCC released the agenda for its next Open Meeting, scheduled for March 17, 2021. The March meeting will notably include a Report and Order that would reallocate 100 megahertz of prized mid-band spectrum in the 3.45 GHz band through Auction 110, and propose a band plan for the new 3.45 GHz flexible use wireless service aimed at supporting 5G technologies. The FCC will also consider a Public Notice for Auction 110 that would seek comment on appropriate auction application and bidding procedures. While the FCC is required to start the auction by the end of 2021, the agency expects Auction 110 to begin in October 2021. The 3.45 GHz band items are the product of long-term FCC, NTIA, and DOJ collaboration to open frequencies currently used by federal agencies for shared use by commercial wireless providers. The FCC also teed up a Report and Order that would increase public safety officials’ access to network reliability information by providing direct access to Network Outage Reporting System (“NORS”) and Disaster Information Reporting System (“DIRS”) data. In addition, the FCC will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose reforms to the agency’s Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (“WEA”) System to facilitate comprehensive and timely emergency alerts for mobile devices. Lastly, the agency will consider a Notice of Inquiry on the status of open radio access networks (“Open RAN”) that virtualize certain network infrastructure, potentially increasing communications security.
You will find more details about the most significant items on the March meeting agenda after the break.
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