FCC Partially Grants FairPoint CAF I Waiver, Sets Pleading Cycle on Competitive Challenges
The FCC partially granted a FairPoint Communications USF waiver request and opened a pleading cycle for competitive challenges to previously unidentified areas where the ILEC is seeking belated initial Connect America Fund broadband-oriented support. FairPoint, now owned by Consolidated Communications,…
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sought waiver of a rule requiring carriers accepting CAF Phase I, Round 2 incremental support to identify areas by wire center and census block where they will deploy broadband to meet deployment duties. Partial waiver "will preserve FairPoint’s efforts to advance broadband availability in unserved areas and promote the efficient and effective use" of CAF I support," said a Wireline Bureau order in docket 10-90 and in Monday's Daily Digest. It established "a limited challenge process for determining whether any unsubsidized competitors serve any of the 185 census blocks FairPoint did not identify during the earlier challenge process as of April 27." Challenges are due May 29 and a FairPoint response is due June 29, said a bureau public notice: challengers must show "they currently offer Internet service at speeds of 3 Mbps downstream and 768 kbps upstream or higher in the identified census blocks." FairPoint/Consolidated didn't comment.