Sprint Seeks Halt in E-Rate Voice Cuts; CenturyLink Opposes Dark Fiber, IRU Change
Sprint said the FCC should suspend its phasedown of E-rate voice support at the current 40 percent reduced level, as called for by Funds for Learning (see 1607050066) and backed by AdTec (see 1607200033). "Applicants still need voice service to…
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meet the educational needs of students and library patrons. Unfortunately, it appears that the reduction in E-rate support for voice services has forced many schools and libraries to reduce their use of this critical, basic service, or to divert their resources from other endeavors to pay for basic voice services," Sprint said in reply comments posted Thursday in docket 13-184 on the agency's proposed E-rate eligible service list (ESL) for funding year 2017 starting next July 1. Sprint said the Wireline Bureau is evaluating the phasedown's impact and is to report to the FCC by Oct. 1, 2017, but it urged the agency not to wait until FY 2018 to suspend it. Opposing an Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology proposal, CenturyLink filed a reply that disagreed "that leased dark fiber or indefeasible rights of use ('IRU') should be re-classified as 'special construction' if the applicant or the provider chooses to substitute them in the midst of a project." CenturyLink continues to believe the FCC was wrong to fund dark fiber or self-construction when the statute authorizes "discounts" on "carrier" telecom services, and it urged particular caution on self-provisioning: "There can be no back door exceptions to program rules that require competitive procurement and responsible estimation of project costs. Giving parties the advance option -- mid-project -- of substituting leased dark fiber or IRUs for special construction could undermine the program by enabling parties to bypass or give short shrift to Commission rules requiring cost-effectiveness showing fair and competitive procurement for these self-provisioned services." In its reply, the Wisconsin Department of Public Education supported a petition of Microsoft and others seeking E-rate support of off-campus home Internet access for students using TV white spaces spectrum. The department acknowledged the petition wasn't filed specifically on the draft ESL, but it said the needs were so great that TV white spaces technology should be E-rate eligible. "Lack of home Internet access represents a serious inequity issue, especially for students in rural areas where as many as 50% of student households do not have reliable access to the Internet," it said.