[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 5, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26653-26655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08822]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[WC Docket No. 18-89; DA 20-406; FRS 16678]


National Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain 
Through FCC Programs

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) of 
the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on how 
the recently enacted Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 
2019 (Secure Networks Act), signed into law on March 12, 2020, applies 
to proposals under consideration in the Commission's Protecting Against 
National Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain rulemaking 
and related proceedings.

DATES: Comments are due on or before May 20, 2020 and reply comments 
are due on or before June 4, 2020. If you anticipate that you will be 
submitting comments but find it difficult to do so within the period of 
time allowed by this document, you should advise the contact listed as 
soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to file comments and reply 
comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this 
document. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic 
Comment Filing System (ECFS).
    [ssquf] Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/.
    [ssquf] Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file 
an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by 
commercial courier or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be 
addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, 
Federal Communications Commission. Filings will not be accepted via 
hand or messenger delivery.
    [ssquf] Commercial deliveries (not including those sent using the 
U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis 
Junction, MD 20701.
    [ssquf] U.S. Postal Service First-Class, Express, and Priority mail 
must be addressed to 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554.
    People with Disabilities. To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an email to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer & Government Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice, 202-418-
0432 (tty).
    Ex Parte Rules. This proceeding shall be treated as a ``permit-but-
disclose'' proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte 
rules. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any 
written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation 
within two business days after the presentation (unless a different 
deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making 
oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the 
presentation must: (1) List all persons attending or otherwise 
participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was 
made; and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during 
the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of 
the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the 
presenters written comments, memoranda, or other filings in the 
proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or 
arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings 
(specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data 
or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the 
memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex 
parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must 
be filed consistent with section

[[Page 26654]]

1.1206(b) of the Commission's rules. In proceedings governed by section 
1.49(f) of the rules or for which the Commission has made available a 
method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and 
memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments 
thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system 
available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format 
(e.g., .doc, .xml., .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this 
proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte 
rules.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Cruikshank, Wireline Competition 
Bureau, [email protected], 202-418-7400 or TTY: 202-418-0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Public 
Notice in WC Docket No. 18-89, DA 20-406, released April 13, 2020. Due 
to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission's headquarters will be closed 
to the general public until further notice. The full text of this 
document is available at the following internet address: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-406A1.pdf.

Synopsis

I. Introduction

    1. On November 26, 2019, the Commission adopted the Protecting 
National Security Through FCC Programs Report and Order, Further Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order (R&O, FNPRM, or Information 
Collection Order), FCC 19-121, which, in part, prohibits the use of 
Universal Service Fund (USF) support to purchase equipment or services 
from any company identified as posing a national security risk to 
communications networks or the communications supply chain.
    2. In the R&O, the Commission also initially designated Huawei 
Technologies Company (Huawei) and ZTE Corporation (ZTE), and their 
subsidiaries, parents, or affiliates, as companies that may pose such a 
risk to the communications networks and supply chain, and established a 
process for future designations of other companies posing such a risk.
    3. In the FNPRM, the Commission sought comment on a reimbursement 
program proposal that would reimburse eligible telecommunications 
carriers (ETCs) receiving USF support for the cost to remove and 
replace communications equipment and services from finally designated 
companies in their networks.
    4. Finally, in the Information Collection Order, the Commission 
required ETCs, and their subsidiaries or affiliates, to report whether 
they had Huawei or ZTE equipment or services in their networks and to 
estimate the cost to replace such equipment.

II. Discussion

    5. Reimbursement Program. Section 4 of the Secure Networks Act is 
largely consistent with the Commission's proposals in the FNPRM, which 
proposed a reimbursement program for ETCs to replace potentially 
prohibited equipment and services. Section 4 directs the Commission to 
establish a reimbursement program for ``providers of advanced 
communications service'' to replace covered communications equipment or 
services. The legislation, inter alia, limits program eligibility to 
providers with two million or fewer customers and restricts funding to 
the permanent replacement of covered equipment and services obtained 
before August 14, 2018 so long as the equipment and services replaced 
are identified as ``covered'' on the initial list issued by the 
Commission pursuant to Section 2 of the Secure Networks Act. If 
equipment or services are subsequently added to the initial list, then 
providers may use the funds to replace equipment and services obtained 
no more than 60 days after the date the equipment or services were 
added to the list. The Commission seeks comment on whether the 
Commission should modify the reimbursement program proposed in the 
FNPRM to implement these new statutory requirements. Commenters should 
also specifically address how the Commission should interpret 
``providers of advanced communications service.''
    6. The Secure Networks Act directs the Commission on how to 
structure the reimbursement program's application filing and review 
process and describes a process that largely resembles the application 
process proposed in the FNPRM. Specifically, under the statute, the 
Commission must: (1) Require applicants to provide initial 
reimbursement cost estimates; (2) act on applications within 90 days of 
submission unless a 45 day extension is warranted; (3) provide 
applicants an opportunity to cure a deficiency; (4) require 
certifications as to the applicant's plan and timeline; and (5) ``make 
reasonable efforts to ensure that reimbursement funds are distributed 
equitably among all applicants.'' The Commission seeks comment on any 
modifications the Commission should apply to the process proposed in 
the FNPRM, if any, to implement these requirements.
    7. The statute also requires program recipients to complete the 
``removal, replacement, and disposal of any covered communications 
equipment or services'' within one year after the Commission 
distributes reimbursement funds to the recipient. The Commission can, 
however, grant a six month general extension of time to all recipients 
and individual extensions for up to six months ``if the Commission 
finds that, due to no fault of such recipient, such recipient is unable 
to complete the permanent removal, replacement, and disposal.'' What 
challenges, if any, will carriers face in replacing equipment and 
services in the timeframes required by the Secure Networks Act? Is the 
Commission able to grant both general and individual extensions under 
the statute or does the grant of a general extension prohibit us from 
granting additional individual extensions? Can the Commission grant 
multiple extensions to an individual recipient if the circumstances 
warrant such action? Separately, if the Commission proceeds with having 
a reimbursement process similar to the one used in the broadcast 
incentive auction proceeding, how would the deadline for completing the 
removal and replacement process be structured if the Commission uses 
initial disbursement allocations based on cost estimates before 
actually issuing support payments as expenses are incurred?
    8. The statute requires the Commission to include disposal 
requirements for covered equipment that ``prevent such equipment or 
services'' from being used in other providers' networks. The Secure 
Networks Act mandates that reimbursement recipients provide regular 
status updates to the Commission and that these status updates be 
posted on the Commission's website. The statute further requires that 
the Commission take ``all necessary steps'' to prevent waste, fraud, 
and abuse, including by conducting audits and random field 
investigations of recipients and by requiring recipients to provide 
regular reports on how they have spent reimbursement funds. The 
Commission seeks comment on these provisions and the extent of the 
changes needed, if any, to the proposals in the FNPRM to implement the 
legislation.
    9. The reimbursement program created by the Secure Networks Act 
appears to require an express appropriation from Congress. The Secure 
Networks Act, however, does not provide funding for the reimbursement 
program and states that the program

[[Page 26655]]

must be ``separate from any Federal universal service program 
established under section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended.'' The Commission seeks comment on our reading of these 
provisions.
    10. List of Suggested Replacements. Section 4(d)(1) of the Secure 
Networks Act directs the Commission to ``develop a list of suggested 
replacements of both physical and virtual communications equipment, 
applications and management software, and services or categories of 
replacements of both physical and virtual communications equipment, 
applications and management software, and services.'' The list must be 
``technology neutral and may not advantage the use of reimbursement 
funds for capital expenditures over operational expenditures, to the 
extent that the Commission determines that communications services can 
serve as an adequate substitute for the installation of communications 
equipment.''
    11. How should the Commission develop a list of suggested 
replacement communications equipment and services? What are possible 
sources of this information? How often should the Commission update the 
list? What is the most efficient method of seeking public input on 
appropriate equipment and services for the list? Can the list simply 
include all equipment and services from certain companies, or must it 
include the precise names of the equipment and services from those 
companies that are eligible for reimbursement? Should the list include 
suppliers of virtual network equipment and services?

Federal Communications Commission.
Daniel Kahn,
Associate Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2020-08822 Filed 5-4-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P