The new interactive map displays specific location-level information about broadband services available throughout the country. Consumers can enter their address to see detailed information about the fixed and mobile services that service providers report as being available at that location and can file challenges directly with the FCC if services are not available as reported.
Consumers and other interested parties can access the Commission’s new broadband maps at https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov.
In addition, the FCC has launched an updated version of the FCC’s Speed Test Application that enables users to compare the actual performance and coverage of their mobile networks with that reported by their service provider. The updated Speed Test App is available through both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Published in the Official Journal of the European Union, Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/167 revises Annexes I and II of the Directive, thereby verifying the use of 167 additional ETSI drafted harmonized standards in support of RED. The Commission’s Decision also includes a revised Annex III, which stipulates dates of withdrawal of more than 20 additional standards.
According to an article published on the Flight Global website, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspects that new 5G cellular installations may have been the source of approximately 80 separate instances of aircraft system interference this year. The FAA reportedly told Flight Global that “none of these (cases) resulted in safety-related effects, and none affected a direct aircraft control input such as autothrottle or speed breaks/spoilers”
But the FAA has also continued to call for changes to current regulations regarding the deployment and use of technologies operating in the 5G C-band environment, insisting that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should “codify certain additional operating limits” on 5G operations to avoid future compromises to aviation safety.
In an exhaustive Report and Order, Order, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission has adopted a number of revisions to its part 2 rules concerning equipment authorization processes under either equipment certification procedures through Telecommunications Certification Bodies (TCBs) or Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) procedures. The revisions include:
- All applicants must now attest in their applications that the equipment for which they seek certification is not “covered” equipment under the Commission’s Covered List;
- Entities that have been identified on the Covered List as producing “covered” equipment are now prohibited from obtaining equipment authorization through the Commission’s SDoC procedures;
- Applicants for equipment certification must now designate a U.S. agent for services of process, regardless of whether the applicant is domestic- or foreign-based;
- Provisions that allow the FCC to use streamlined procedures for revoking equipment authorizations if the application includes false statements or representations related to “covered” equipment; and
- Strict prohibition against the authorization of all telecommunications and video surveillance equipment produced by Huawei and ZTE, including their subsidiaries and affiliates.
The Commission is also seeking comment on further revisions to the equipment authorization program, including whether component parts should be considered in the Commission’s prohibition on the authorization of “covered” equipment, and whether all applicants seeking equipment certification have a U.S-based responsible party to help ensure compliance with the Commission’s equipment authorization program rules.
According to a Public Notice, the OET conditionally approved 13 entities to operate automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems, which can be used to manage access to the 6 GHz spectrum band for standard-power unlicensed devices. Such devices will use the AFC systems to adjust operating parameters to protect microwave links that operated in the 6 GHz band from harmful interference.
The 13 entities receiving conditional approval include Broadcom, Google, Sony, Nokia, Qualcomm, and the Wi-Fi Alliance. The OET’s action paves the way for these entities to work toward finalizing their AFC systems for full commercial operations, subject to final testing by the OET.
Under the scope of a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by the Commission, broadband service providers will now be required to display key information, such as speeds, data allowances, prices, and other fees, at the point of sale of both wireless and wired services. The Report and Order also includes a template of the required label, which is similar to the widely used nutrition labels for food products.
Broadband service providers will be required to display the label in close proximity to any advertisement for broadband services, as well as on their online account portal. Service providers will also be required to provide the label to an existing customer upon request.
The effective date of the FCC’s new labeling requirement for broadband services is pending.
Researchers at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria were investigating the use of mushroom skins in home insulation systems. What they found during the course of their research was that the mycelium-covering skins of reishi mushrooms were “robust, flexible, and heat resistant” when shielded from ultraviolet light, and were able to stay intact even when exposed to temperatures as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
That surprising finding led the researchers to consider whether mycelium-based materials could serve as the substrate material to which components in computers and other electronic components are attached. Substrates currently used in electronic technologies are generally made of non-recyclable plastics and are difficult to separate from the electronic components attached to them.
The guidance, titled “Referencing the Definition of ‘Device’ in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in Guidance, Regulatory Documents, Communications, and Other Public Documents,” is intended to clarify recent amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act prompted by the enactment of the 2021 Federal Safeguarding Therapeutics Act.
In brief, the Safeguarding Therapeutics Act defined a new term, “counterfeit device,” applicable to any device that uses proprietary names, markings, or manufacturing processes without prior authorization. Devices deemed counterfeit devices are subject to refusal of admission into the U.S., and the Act also empowers the FDA to destroy any such devices that have been unlawfully admitted.
To help avoid potential confusion about the difference between “device” and “counterfeit device,” the FDA amended the FD&C Act to include a new definition for counterfeit devices consistent with the Safeguarding Therapeutics Act. The amended FD&C Act also clarifies the FDA’s use of the terms “device” and “counterfeit device” in its regulatory documents and other FDA communications. The FDA’s guidance serves to explain these changes to facilitate compliance efforts by device manufacturers.
Guidance documents issued by the FDA represent only the current thinking of the agency and do not establish legally enforceable requirements or responsibilities.