Communications and Technology Alert: Annual CPNI Certifications Due; February Commission Open Meeting; CSRIC Re-Charter; NTIA BEAD Listening Sessions [Vol. XXIII, Issue 7]
Enforcement Bureau Announces Date for Annual CPNI Certifications
On February 11, the Commission’s Enforcement Bureau released an Enforcement Advisory reminding telecommunications carriers and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) service providers to submit their annual certification documenting compliance with the Commission’s Customer Proprietary Network Information (“CPNI”) rules. The annual certification consists of compliance certificates and statements demonstrating the covered entity has established policies and procedures to safeguard CPNI from unauthorized disclosure. Certifications are to be filed to EB Docket No. 06-26 via the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (“ECFS”) no later than March 2, 2026. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239) or Tim Doughty (doughty@khlaw.com; 202.434.4271).
Commission Announces February Open Commission Meeting
On February 11, the Commission announced that the February Open Meeting would be held on Wednesday, February 18th at 10:30 AM ET. The Open Meeting’s agenda includes consideration of rulemaking proceedings including a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) seeking comment on reforms to the Lifeline Program, a Report and Order (“R&O”) facilitating broadband deployment on all 10 MHz of the 900 MHz band, and a NPRM on proposed reforms to legacy intercarrier rules for an “all-IP future.” Additionally, the Commission will consider a public notice proposing application limits per entity for new noncommercial educational reserved band FM translator stations. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239) or Tim Doughty (doughty@khlaw.com; 202.434.4271).
Commission Announces Intent to Re-Charter CSRIC
On February 9, the Commission announced via a Public Notice that they intend to re-charter the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (“CSRIC”). As the tenth charter for the Council, CSRIC X will be responsible for providing recommendations on improving national security in the fiber market, ensuring submarine cable security and resiliency, expanding NG911 multimedia availability and other needs of the Commission. The Public Notice stated that Commission Chairman Carr will lead the efforts to include “a broad array of stakeholders” in the Council’s membership for the upcoming two-year term. The first meeting of CSRIC X is expected in June 2026. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239) or Tim Doughty (doughty@khlaw.com; 202.434.4271).
NTIA Hosts BEAD Listening Sessions
Last week, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) convened public and private listening sessions on how to use nearly $21 billion in remaining Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (“BEAD”) Program funds. The public session attracted over 1,300 attendees. The separate private listening session was with representatives from the broadband offices of 56 states and territories. While there was a wide range of opinions during both sessions on how best to allocate the funds there was little support for returning the so-called “non-deployment funds” to the Treasury. The majority of participants from the state broadband office supported allocating nondeployment funds for enhancing public safety operations and upgrading legacy 911 call centers to NG911 operability. Additionally, these participants urged NTIA to allocate BEAD nondeployment funds towards natural disaster resiliency and cybersecurity objectives, as well as enhancing mobile broadband service infrastructure in underserved areas. The listening sessions followed comments from Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on February 10th, who told the Senate Committee on Appropriations that NTIA would not withhold nondeployment funding from states and territories. For more information, please contact Casey Lide (lide@khlaw.com; 202.434.4186) or Sean Stokes (stokes@khlaw.com; 202.434.4193).
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