Federal Communications Commission "FCC/DA XX-XXX" DA 20-401 Released: April 10, 2020 OFFICE OF ECONOMICS AND ANALYTICS EXTENDS COMMENT AND REPLY COMMENT DEADLINES FOR 2020 COMMUNICATIONS MARKETPLACE REPORT GN Docket No. 20-60 Revised Comment Date: April 27, 2020 Revised Reply Comment Date: May 28, 2020 By this Public Notice, the Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) extends the comment and reply comment deadlines for its Public Notice, released on February 27, 2020, in which input was sought on the state of the communications marketplace to inform the Commission’s required assessment of the state of competition in the communications marketplace in its second Communications Marketplace Report to Congress. Office of Economics and Analytics Seeks Comment on the State of Competition in the Communications Marketplace, Public Notice, GN Docket No. 20-60 (rel. Feb. 27, 2020) (2020 CMR PN), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-199A1.pdf. With this extension, comments are now due April 27, 2020 and reply comments are due May 28, 2020. Title IV of RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018 directs the Commission to publish in the last quarter of every even-numbered year “a report on the state of the communications marketplace.” 47 U.S.C. § 163(a); see also Section 401 of the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018 (RAY BAUM’S Act), Pub. L. No. 115-141, 132 Stat. 1087 (codified at 47 U.S.C.§ 163). Each biennial report must assess the state of all forms of competition in the communications marketplace; the state of deployment of communications capabilities; and barriers to competitive entry, including market entry barriers for entrepreneurs and other small businesses. The Report must also describe the actions taken by the Commission in the previous two years to address challenges and opportunities in the communications marketplace, and the Commission’s agenda for continuing to address those challenges and opportunities over the next two years. To inform the report, OEA seeks “information, data, and statistics for 2018 and 2019, as well as information on any notable trends and developments that have occurred during early 2020” from industry stakeholders, the public and other interested stakeholders. 2020 CMR PN at 2. In OEA’s February 27th Public Notice, we had previously established a comment due date of April 13, 2020 and a reply comment due date of May 13, 2020.2020 CMR PN at 1. In light of the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic See Proclamation No. 9994, 85 FR 153337 (Mar. 13, 2020), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-declaring-national-emergency-concerning-novel-coronavirus-disease-covid-19-outbreak/. and community and business efforts to respond to this public safety crisis, See Joint Motion of the American Association of Independent Music and Future of Music Coalition for Extension of Time, GN Docket No. 20-60 (filed April 3, 2020), https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10403197134355/Joint%20A2IM%20FMC%20Motion%20to%20Extend%20Time%204_3_2020-3.pdf. (seeking a 30-day extension of the comment and reply comment filing dates so that their staff may continue to focus efforts on disaster relief and dissemination of aid information to their membership during the national emergency, and to ensure that their membership of musicians and independent record labels—a majority of which are either self-employed or small businesses—can contribute to the responses to the Public Notice). See, e.g., Protecting Against National Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain Through FCC Programs, Order, DA 20-370 (rel. Apr. 2, 2020); Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Extends Comment Deadlines for Alaska Plan Population Distribution Methodology, Public Notice, DA 20-341 (rel. Mar. 26, 2020). we conclude that a limited extension of the comment and reply comment deadlines is warranted in order to develop the record to the fullest extent possible in this proceeding. Interested parties can use this time to compile data and develop complete, fully supported comments and reply comments. Accordingly, pursuant to Section 4(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 154(i). and Section 1.46 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR § 1.46. we extend the deadline for filing comments and reply comments until April 27, 2020 and May 28, 2020, respectively. For further information, contact Kate Matraves, Economic Analysis Division, Office of Economics and Analytics, (202) 391-6272 or Catherine.Matraves@fcc.gov, or Judith Dempsey, Economic Analysis Division, Office of Economics and Analytics, (202) 418-1861 or Judith.Dempsey@fcc.gov. Action by the Chief, Office of Economics and Analytics. - FCC - 2