FCC Seeks Comments by Mid-January on SHLB Rural Healthcare Rulemaking Petition
The FCC solicited comments on a petition for rulemaking from the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) and others seeking to revise the agency's rural healthcare USF program. Initial comments are due Jan. 14, replies Jan. 29, a Wireline…
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Bureau public notice in docket 02-06 said Tuesday. The program needs to be modernized to "address disparities in health[care] availability and health outcomes between rural and non-rural areas," said a recent joint filing by SHLB and several regional telehealth organizations (see 1512080051). The groups proposed an increase in the discount percentage in the Healthcare Connect Fund for rural healthcare providers, the establishment of mechanisms for short-term relief if program demand exceeds the set cap, and an expanded definition of the word "rural."