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“This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement”

The Commission has released a tentative agenda for the Open Commission Meeting scheduled for 10:30 am on Thursday, November 16, 2017, which includes the following two items that address technology changes.  Each of these items contain sections that address disability-related matters: 

Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment - The Commission will consider a Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order that includes, among other things, a reminder that as carriers discontinue legacy services in favor of advanced services, they must ensure their service is accessible, compatible, and useable for persons with disabilities. This includes the obligation to ensure that any new service is compatible with peripheral devices such as TTYs and captioned telephones.

Next Generation’ Broadcast Television Standard - The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking authorizing television broadcasters to use the Next Generation television transmission standard (ATSC 3.0) on a voluntary, market-driven basis. Among other requirements, broadcasters that choose to deploy ATSC 3.0 must continue to adhere to all of the relevant accessibility obligations that apply to current broadcast television including passing through closed captions, ensuring emergency information is accessible, and providing the specified number of hours of video description. 

News Release:
URL:     https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-announces-tentative-agenda-november-open-meeting-4
Word:    https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-347447A1.docx
PDF:      https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-347447A1.pdf
Text:      https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-347447A1.txt

DRAFT Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment R&O, DR, and FNPRM: 
PDF:      https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-347451A1.pdf
Text:      https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-347451A1.txt

DRAFT Next Generation’ Broadcast Television Standard R&O, FNPRM: 
PDF:      https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-347455A1.pdf
Text:      https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-347455A1.txt

The meeting will be held in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305), 445 12th Street S.W., Washington, DC., is open to the public, and will be streamed live on the Internet with open captioning at https://www.fcc.gov/general/live.  Visit this webpage for more information:  https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/11/november-2017-open-commission-meeting.  

Reasonable Accommodations:  Open captioning and on-site sign language interpreting services will be provided for this event.  Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request, such as tactile interpreting services.  Requests for such accommodations should be submitted via e‐mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or by calling the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-810-0444 (videophone), 202-418-0432 (TTY).  Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed.  In addition, please include a way the FCC can contact you if it needs more information.  Please allow as much advance notice as possible; last‐minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill.

Updated:
Friday, October 18, 2019