Several U.S. Congress members introduced an act that would direct the FCC to auction off the 3.45 – 3.55 spectrum by the end of December 2021.

In previewing the agenda for the FCC’s October meeting, Chairman Ajit Pai said he believes the commission has adequately addressed three issues, including the impact on public safety, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Court asked it to consider regarding its 2017 net neutrality decision.

The Project 25 (P25) Compliance Assessment Program (CAP) recognized a Department of Interior (DOI) lab in Denver, Colorado, to perform independent third-party P25 Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) and Inter RF Subsystem Interface (ISSI) conformance testing.

Senators focused on rural coverage and what the government can do to help get tower sites built on federal land during a Senate Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet hearing on the progress of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Sept. 24.

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau announced settlements with seven telecommunications providers that did not file timely 9-1-1 service reliability certifications last year. Each provider agreed to pay a civil penalty and abide by a compliance plan to ensure it meets its filing responsibilities going forward.

FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly said he will not seek another term on the commission regardless of the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.

The FCC adopted improvements to the transparency and timeliness of the cross-agency review process for applications from companies with foreign ownership seeking to participate in the U.S. telecommunications market.

The FCC launched a proceeding to examine ways to combat 9-1-1 fee diversion, where some states and other jurisdictions use the 9-1-1 fees that consumers pay on their phone bills for non-9-1-1 purposes.

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) asked the FCC to remove an application freeze on business enterprises and private carriers in the T-band spectrum.

The FCC proposed making 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the 3.45 – 3.55 GHz band available for 5G deployment across the contiguous United States. The commission also adopted rules for, and proposed additional changes to, the broader 3.3 – 3.55 GHz band.