Consumer advocates and industry officials disagreed Wednesday about the need for addressing junk fees in the broadband and communications marketplace. After noting that increased competition results in consumers getting faster speeds and better service, ACA Connects Chief Regulatory Counsel Brian Hurley said, "In this competitive marketplace, our members and providers have every incentive to avoid bill shock and other negative experiences that could compel their customers to take their business elsewhere." Addressing a Broadband Breakfast webinar, Hurley added there's "no finding that junk fees are prevalent" in the marketplace.
NTIA released the first of six data dashboard tools Monday that will help publicly "monitor the progress of construction and implementation related to projects" the agency's broadband programs fund. The just-released tool will provide "increased transparency" of reporting requirements. The agency also released additional guidance about compliance with its build America, buy America waiver.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling Wednesday against the FCC's Universal Service Fund contribution factor for the first quarter of 2022 will likely have little to no immediate impact on the commission's USF-funded programs and providers contributing to the fund, trade groups and legal experts told us (see 2407240043). It's uncertain how the U.S. Supreme Court would interpret conflicting rulings of the 5th, 6th and 11th circuits. Consumers' Research asked SCOTUS in a supplemental brief filed Thursday (docket 23-456) to grant rehearing as a result of the circuit split.
Nearly $1 billion in Digital Equity Act funding is now available, NTIA announced Wednesday. The agency's notice of funding opportunity kicked off the competitive grant program (see 2403290039). Meanwhile, in a Tuesday letter, numerous state and national broadband industry associations alerted Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo that low-cost requirements in the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program could discourage participation in it.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 9-7 decision sided with Consumers' Research following an en banc rehearing of the group's challenge of the FCC's Universal Service Fund contribution methodology. Calling the contribution factor a "misbegotten tax," the court in a Wednesday ruling in docket 22-60008 held that as a "practical matter," the Universal Service Administrative Co. "sets the USF tax" that's "subject only to FCC's rubber stamp" (see 2406180055). In a statement, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the agency will "pursue all available avenues for review."
The FCC should proceed with caution or reconsider entirely a proposal that imposes on the nine largest ISPs specific reporting requirements on their border gateway protocol (BGP) security practices, ISPs and industry groups said in comments posted through Thursday in docket 24-146 (see 2406060028). The Biden administration "supports properly implemented and narrowly constructed" BGP reporting requirements, NTIA said. "The FCC's action should be appropriately tailored to preserve the highly successful multistakeholder model of internet governance."
FCC commissioners adopted a series of items implementing the Martha Wright-Reed Act of 2022 during their open meeting Thursday (see 2407140001). A report and order reduces the permanent per minute rate caps for audio calls and for the first time establishes interim rate caps for video calls for incarcerated people. The law also clarified the FCC’s authority to also set rate caps for intrastate and international calls.
ISPs should ensure customers have up-to-date equipment and can receive faster speeds as they upgrade their networks, Ookla Vice President-Government Affairs Bryan Darr said during a Fiber Broadband Association webinar Wednesday. Darr also emphasized the need to invest in the final yards of last-mile infrastructure, noting that it's "going to impact if [a consumer] bought a good level of service" regardless of a provider’s advertised speeds.
Providers of incarcerated people's communications services criticized a draft FCC order proposing a reduction in the cap on rates providers may charge for audio or video communications. Most urged the commission to reconsider barring providers from recovering safety and security costs incurred for providing IPCS. Advocates welcomed the move and urged that the FCC continue examining other ways to increase access to communications services for incarcerated people. Commissioners will consider the item during their open meeting Thursday (see 2406270068). Comments were posted through Monday.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) explicitly requires that the FCC "regulate to achieve equal access to broadband" and "authorizes [the] FCC's disparate-impact rules," a consumer advocacy groups said in a joint filing Friday at the 8th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court (see 2401300089). In addition, the groups argued that the major questions doctrine didn't apply in this case.