The FCC's outage reporting order approved 4-0 at its July open meeting (see 2307200041) expands on why the agency isn't requiring originating services providers to notify covered 988 service providers about outages, saying doing so wouldn't help improve the 988 Lifeline's reliability, according to our side-by-side comparison with the draft order. The finalized rule was released Friday. If an outage is in an originating service provider's network, it's unclear what the value is of covered 988 service providers starting to troubleshoot their own networks, the FCC said in the order. The finalized order also adds a paragraph expanding on its legal authority. And it adopts USTelecom-suggested language to harmonize the compliance timeline for the 988 outage reporting rules with the compliance timeline for 911 outage reporting rules adopted last year (see 2307140017).

NTIA awarded nearly $4 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support Thursday, funding deployment and adoption projects for eight tribes. “These investments will improve Internet access across six states and give Tribes the connectivity they need to work, learn, and access health care," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The agency will issue a second notice of funding opportunity for an additional round of funding in the coming weeks, per a news release.

The FCC reminded recipients of funds through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program that they must submit their next spending report by Aug. 10. Recipients must use the programs online portal, the Wednesday notice said.

The DOJ, FTC and FCC touted the results of a joint initiative cracking down on a telemarketing operation responsible for billions of illegal robocalls Tuesday. The initiative, Operation Stop Scam Calls, included enforcement actions targeting "lead generators who deceptively collect consumers’ telephone numbers and then provide those telephone numbers to robocallers and others" to facilitate illegal robocalls, said a news release. “The FCC is committed to using every tool at its disposal to crack down on illegal robocalls and protect the US communications network,” said Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal. DOJ noted that the partnerships have led to pursuing about 90 cases against illegal telemarketing operations. “The department and its partners are committed to pursuing those who make and facilitate these calls," said Arun Rao, deputy assistant attorney general-DOJ Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch. "Our collective efforts ... help us to expand our playbook, allowing us to outwit and defeat these perpetrators in their own arena," said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R). Collaboration is "a key component in investigating and prosecuting illegal robocallers," said Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R). Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) noted that the "blatant disregard for consumer protection laws will not be tolerated and violators of these laws will be held accountable.” The announcement is "another important step in protecting consumers from illegal and unwanted robocalls," said USTelecom Vice President-Policy and Advocacy Josh Bercu, who's also Industry Traceback Group executive director: "The partnership among federal and state government agencies is producing real results."

The FTC will join with 101 federal and state law enforcement agencies, including DOJ and the FCC, for the Tuesday announcement of a nationwide robocall and telemarketing “enforcement sweep,” said the FTC Monday. Also participating in the 10:30 a.m. CDT news conference from the FTC’s Chicago office will be Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) and Illinois AG Kwame Raoul (D), said the agency.

The FCC should make originating service providers notify covered 988 service providers (CSP) of a 988 Lifeline outage, CX360 representatives told aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, per docket 23-5 filings Monday. The voice and SMS-based information services firm also urged that CSPs should have to notify one another of an outage. CX360 said that with that information, it could understand better what's happening upstream and troubleshoot issues without having to contact a provider earlier in the call path. The company also argued against requiring all CSPs report outages affecting 988 to the FCC's network outage reporting system, as having entities not currently subject to NORS reporting obligations now have to do so "is both burdensome and inefficient." CX360 instead urged use of email and phone calls for CSPs to communicate 988 outages.

The FCC should harmonize its 911 outage reporting compliance timeline with its proposed 988 outage reporting timeline to ensure the 988 rules on the agency's July agenda don't take effect before the 911 rules do, USTelecom representatives told aides to the four commissioners, per a docket 23-5 filing posted Friday.

The General Services Administration’s inspector general recommended tightening procedures used by the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) to ensure contractors don’t provide unsecure telecom gear as part of federal multiple award schedule (MAS) contracts. Addressing this is “especially important with the increase in national security and intellectual property threats to the federal government’s supply chain,” the report said. The report said “FAS has not taken adequate actions against contractors that repeatedly violate the … restrictions on providing or using prohibited telecom items.” The service “does not have a process in place to notify customer agencies about their purchases of prohibited telecom items” and didn’t “initially comply” with federal acquisition regulation requirements “to include subsidiaries and affiliates of named entities in its efforts to identify prohibited telecom items on MAS contracts." The IG recommended FAS beef up rules to ensure contract modifications are “issued promptly when FAS identifies prohibited telecom items on MAS contacts” and that contractors “promptly remove prohibited telecom items from MAS contract price lists.” The IG wants “more stringent consequences for contractors that repeatedly attempt to offer prohibited telecom items” and a process instructing contractors that violate the restrictions to “notify and remit refunds to any customer agencies that purchased prohibited telecom items.” The FAS commissioner agrees with the findings, the IG said.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated a proposal among commissioners to create a pilot program that would invest in cybersecurity services for eligible K-12 schools and libraries, said a news release Wednesday (see 2307050041). “With the growing number of sophisticated cyberattacks on schools and especially the rise in malicious ransomware attacks that harm our students, now is the time to take action," Rosenworcel said. If adopted, the pilot would invest up to $200 million over three years to "harden the cyber defenses and determine the most effective methods to protect our schools and libraries." The pilot would be established within the USF and be separate from the E-rate program to "ensure gains in enhanced cybersecurity don’t come at a cost of undermining E-rate’s success in promoting digital equity."

Comments are due Aug. 9, replies Sept. 8, on an NPRM on expediting the transition to next-generation 911, said a notice for Monday’s Federal Register. The FCC approved the NPRM 4-0 in June (see 2306080043).