The FCC seemingly has moved away from shortened license terms in its pending submarine cable rules rewrite, we're told. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs is reviewing the FCC's proposed rewrite, according to the OIRA website. All agency regulations now go through OIRA review as of this spring (see 2505090004). The commissioners unanimously adopted a subset cable NPRM in November (see 2411210006).

The FCC Wireline Bureau approved two companies' applications using the commission’s streamlined procedures for interconnected VoIP numbering authorization, said a Friday notice. The companies were Ahoi and Cornfield Voice.

The FCC Office of International Affairs has signed off on the requested transfer of the PPC-1 submarine cable landing license from one Australian company, TPG Telecom, to another, Vocus Group, as part of Vocus' purchase of TPG's subsea cable business (see 2411150001), said a public notice Thursday. PPC-1 connects Sydney to Piti, Guam.

While the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last month upholding the USF (see 2506270054) was a win for consumers, questions about the future of the fund won’t go away, Pillsbury lawyers wrote Thursday. Carriers that pay into the USF “get to decide whether to pass those costs through to their customers or absorb [them], and due to the high cost, most choose to pass some if not most of that fee on to customers in the form of a line-item USF charge on their phone bill,” the lawyers blogged. Now that the fund has survived judicial challenges, “advocates will look to Congress and the FCC to expand the contribution base to ensure sustainable funding in the face of eroding revenues from traditional telecommunications sources and the rapid growth of broadband and other connectivity services.”

Comments are due July 24 in docket 25-195 on Consolidated Communications’ application to discontinue legacy voice services in three exchanges in New Hampshire, said a public notice in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. The application will be granted automatically Aug. 9, unless the FCC notifies the company otherwise. The agency is also soliciting comments on Consolidated's discontinuance request for Vermont (see 2507080060).

OMB approved information collections that are part of a 2023 enhanced alternative Connect America cost model order and 2024 Connect America Fund order, said a notice for Wednesday’s Federal Register. The changes, effective Wednesday, were approved for three years.

Comments are due July 23 in docket 25-210 on Consolidated Communications’ application to discontinue legacy voice services in 18 exchanges in Vermont, said a public notice in Tuesday’s Daily Digest. The application will be granted automatically Aug. 8, unless the FCC notifies the company otherwise.

The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau established the total funding requirement and approved contribution factors for the interstate telecommunications relay services (TRS) fund for a one-year period ending June 30, 2026. The FCC previously took comments (see 2506090018). Contribution factors determine the amounts that carriers and other covered service providers must contribute to the fund.

NTCA representatives met with FCC Wireline Bureau staff to discuss the challenges carriers face as they maintain or build and upgrade broadband networks in rural areas. “These can include low densities, long distances from urban areas, mountainous and rocky terrain, workforce challenges, and weather-shortened construction seasons,” said a filing Wednesday in docket 17-84. “These challenges are exacerbated by time-consuming and expensive permitting processes at the local, state, and federal levels that inhibit their ability to serve their rural communities.”

Incompas and some of its members met with FCC Wireline Bureau staff on infrastructure issues, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 17-84. Among the companies represented were Crown Castle, C-Spire, Arcadian Infracom, PBI Fiber and Zayo. Incompas members “discussed the substantial investments in infrastructure and technologies they have made to deliver competitive communications services to customers in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the country,” the filing said. “Members also described current state and local permitting and franchising requirements, including the timelines and costs impacting broadband deployment. We also provided examples of variances in these requirements between jurisdictions.”