The next sit-down for the five FCC commissioners is on the schedule for Thursday 5/20/10, and Chairman Julius Genachowski is keeping a transparency policy initiated by his predecessor Kevin Martin alive by providing a look at the schedule three weeks in advance. Broadcasters: You aren’t on it.
The agenda has five planks at this point, dealing with wireless, number portability and – inevitably – broadband issues.
From the FCC, here’s what will be on the commission’s topic menu:
* Mobile Wireless Competition Report: The 14th edition of the Mobile Wireless Competition Report, analyzing the state of competition in the mobile industry by expanding upon previous FCC inquiries and considering the broader mobile wireless ecosystem.
* WCS-SDARS Report and Order: A Report and Order that enables robust mobile broadband use of 25 MHz of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz Wireless Communications Service (WCS) band while protecting neighboring incumbent operations.
* E-Rate NPRM: A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking initiating reforms to the E-Rate program to make broadband more accessible in schools and libraries, and to cut red tape.
* Pole Attachments Order and FNPRM: An Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement the National Broadband Plan recommendations to foster competition and broadband deployment by ensuring nondiscriminatory, just, and reasonable access to utility poles.
* Local Number Portability Report and Order: A Report and Order standardizing the processes for transferring telephone numbers in one business day to ensure the benefits of competition for consumers.