ATA Asks FCC to Reconsider Last-Mile Reporting Obligations Under Alaska Plan
The Alaska Telephone Association asked the FCC to reconsider "mapping reporting" duties imposed by the Wireline and Wireless bureaus on participants under a commission "Alaska Plan" USF order to boost broadband (see 1608310067). ATA said it respected the order's "limited…
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data collection and reporting requirements" on middle-mile connections to give the agency information on participant compliance with performance commitments and other requirements. But the bureau details "go beyond what is needed" and "are not appropriately tailored to the relatively simple task of ascertaining the nature of middle mile facilities" connecting communities to the internet backbone, said a petition posted Wednesday in docket 16-271, following the group's recent concerns to commissioners and staffers (see 1710040061). It said the collection includes "many last mile facilities ... no matter how small" that "are not relevant" to middle-mile connectivity. The duties would "be extremely expensive and burdensome," requiring all locations to "be measured and links described to within 7.6 meters of accuracy, which in most cases will require a site visit and survey." A March 1 deadline is also unrealistic, given Alaska's geography and winter conditions, it said.