Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist, 202-418-0509
will.wiquist@fcc.gov 

For Immediate Release

FCC ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR APRIL OPEN MEETING
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WASHINGTON, April 2, 2020—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the April Open Commission Meeting scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2020:

Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band – The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would promote innovation and the use of mid-band spectrum for broadband by allowing unlicensed operations in the 5.925-7.125 GHz band while protecting existing licensed operations.  (ET Docket No. 18-295; GN Docket No. 17-183)

Proposing the 5G Fund for Rural America – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order that would propose to establish the 5G Fund for Rural America, awarding up to $9 billion in support over 10 years for the deployment of 5G mobile broadband services in rural areas.  (GN Docket No. 20-32)

Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age – The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would comprehensively update the Commission’s orbital debris rules for all Commission-authorized satellites. (IB Docket No. 18-313)

ViaSat Market Access Request – The Commission will consider an Order and Declaratory Ruling that would grant ViaSat’s request for U.S. market access to offer broadband services using a proposed constellation of non-geostationary orbit satellites. (IBFS File Nos. SAT-PDR-20161115-00120 and SAT-APL-20180927-00076)

Improving Low Power FM Radio – The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would modernize the LPFM technical rules to provide more regulatory flexibility for licensees.  (MB Docket Nos. 19-193, 17-105)

Expanding Availability of Video Description – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose to expand video description requirements to 40 additional local television markets over the next four years to increase the accessibility of programming to blind and visually impaired Americans. (MB Docket No. 11-43)

Public Drafts of Meeting Items – The FCC publicly releases the draft text of each item expected to be considered at the next Open Commission Meeting.  One-page cover sheets are included in the public drafts to help summarize each item.  All these materials will be available on the FCC’s Open Meeting page: www.fcc.gov/openmeeting.  


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Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / TTY: (888) 835-5322 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov 

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).