Wireless Roundup (July 2022)

Key Wireless Deadlines

FCC Seeks Comment on Unlicensed White Space Device Operations in the Television Bands: In a 2nd Order on Reconsideration and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) seeks comment on the database re-check interval that should apply to narrowband fixed and Mode II personal/portable white space devices and to mobile white space devices, which were first authorized by the Commission in 2020. In particular, the Commission seeks comment on whether these types of devices, which operate in the TV bands, should be subject to the hourly re-check interval the Commission requires for fixed and Mode II personal portable devices in the TV bands, the daily re-check interval to which these devices are currently subject, or some other re-check interval. Comments are due July 1, and reply comments are due August 1.

NIST Requests Comment on Zero Trust Architecture Draft Publication: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks comment on its Preliminary Draft SP 1800-35A, Implementing a Zero Trust Architecture Executive Summary. This draft publication was released as part of the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence’s (NCCoE) “Implementing a Zero Trust Architecture” project in which NCCoE and industry participants are seeking to demonstrate several approaches to a zero trust architecture (ZTA) applied to a conventional, general purpose enterprise IT infrastructure on premises and in the cloud. The draft “summarizes how [NCCoE] and its collaborators are using commercially available technology to build interoperable, open standards-based ZTA implementations that align to the concepts and principles in [NIST SP 800-207, Zero Trust Architecture].” Comments are due July 5.

White House Seeks Comment on Advancing Privacy-Enhancing Technologies: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a Request for Information on Advancing Privacy-Enhancing Technologies in the Federal Register on June 9. OSTP requests public comment to help inform development of a national strategy on privacy-preserving data sharing and analytics, along with associated policy initiatives. The national strategy will put forth a vision for responsibly harnessing privacy-preserving data sharing and analytics. It will also propose actions from research investments to training and education initiatives, to the development of standards, policy, and regulations needed to achieve that vision. Comments are due July 8.

FCC Seeks Comment on National Lifeline Association Petition for Reconsideration in Response to Affordable Connectivity and Emergency Broadband Benefit Program: The Commission seeks comment on a Petition for Reconsideration and Clarification filed by the National Lifeline Association (NaLA). NaLA seeks clarification of the Bureau and Enforcement Bureau Chiefs’ authority to suspend a participating provider’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollments and hold a participating provider’s funding based on the “adequate evidence” standard, or in the alternative, reconsideration of the removal rule (47 CFR 54.1801(e)(2)). NaLA also seeks reconsideration or clarification of the requirement that an ACP participating provider offering connected devices provide price information for at least one of the analogous devices from a major retailer. Comments are due July 18, and reply comments are due August 1.

FCC Requests Comment on Digital Low Power Television and Television Translator Stations: In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the Commission seeks comment on the operation of analog FM radio services by channel 6 digital low power television stations. The Commission also seeks comment on a proposal by National Public Radio to license additional noncommercial educational FM radio stations on 82-88 MHz in areas where channel 6 low power television and full-power stations are currently not operating. Finally, the Commission seeks comment on whether to eliminate or revise the television channel 6 distance separation rules for FM radio stations operating on reserved band FM channels 201-220. Comments are due July 18, and reply comments are due August 1.

FCC Requests Comment on Affordable Connectivity Program: In an NPRM, the FCC seeks comment on the annual collection of data relating to price and subscription rates of internet service offerings received by households enrolled in the ACP, the mechanism for collecting such data, and the format for the data’s publication, as required by Section 60502(c) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Comments are due July 25, and reply comments are due August 8.

FTC Calls for Research Presentations for PrivacyCon: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has called for research presentations on a wide range of privacy and data security topics such as commercial surveillance and automated decision-making for its annual PrivacyCon event, which will take place virtually on November 1, 2022. The FTC is seeking empirical research and demonstrations, including economic analyses, on such topics as: algorithmic bias and ensuring fairness in the use of algorithms; commercial surveillance including workplace monitoring, surveillance advertising, and biometric surveillance; potential new remedies and approaches to improve privacy and security practices such as the deletion of algorithms or other products developed using data illegally collected from consumers; and children’s and teens’ privacy risks, harms, and vulnerabilities, particularly those presented by emerging technologies. Research presentations are due July 29.

NIST Seeks Comment on Consumer IoT Products: NIST is requesting comment on two new Internet of Things (IoT) security publications: (1) Draft NISTIR 8425, Profile of the IoT Core Baseline for Consumer IoT Products; and (2) a Discussion Essay, Ideas for the Future of IoT Cybersecurity at NIST: IoT Risk Identification. With Draft NISTIR 8425, NIST took the consumer IoT cybersecurity criteria from its February 2022 publication on Recommended Criteria for Cybersecurity Labeling for Consumer Internet of Things (IoT) Products and incorporated it into the family of NIST’s IoT cybersecurity guidance. In the Discussion Essay, NIST discusses risk identification complexities with respect to IoT products and asks commenters to consider: what resources manufacturers can leverage when identifying risks of their IoT devices; how IoT device manufacturers can approach risk identification and addressing risks for multi-use/multi-consumer IoT devices; and how an IoT ecosystem can best manage identification of and addressing risks related to emergent use cases. Comments are due July 31.

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