The FCC extended for up to six years its freeze on federal-state jurisdictional separations of telecom costs and revenue for rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers (see 2407020017). Separations rules "play a substantially diminished role in allocating costs between the interstate and intrastate jurisdictions," the agency said in an order Thursday in docket 80-286. The FCC referred to the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations the issue of whether to permanently freeze the rules and whether carriers still using separations should be allowed to unfreeze their category relationship every few years. The freeze expires Dec. 31, 2030, or after it receives a Joint Board recommendation.

The FCC Wireline and Wireless bureaus and the Office of International Affairs want comments by Dec. 9, replies by Dec. 24, on Frontier's proposed sale to Verizon, said a public notice Tuesday in docket 24-445 (see 2410250040). The companies announced the $20 billion deal in September (see 2409050010).

The FCC wants oppositions by Nov. 25 concerning multiple pending petitions for reconsideration of the commission's order implementing the Martha Wright-Reed Act, said a notice in Friday's Federal Register (see 2411070040). Replies to oppositions to the petitions are due by Dec. 5 in docket 23-62. Stephen Raher, Deaf Equality and TDIAccess, NCIC Communications and HomeWAV filed petitions.

The FCC Wireline Bureau extended several comment deadlines concerning pending proceedings on incarcerated people's communications services, said an order Friday in docket 23-62. Public interest groups sought the extension (see 2411040059). Reply comments on the commission's NPRM are now due by Dec. 17. Replies on the commission's annual reports public notice are now due by Dec. 9. Paperwork Reduction Act comments are due by Jan. 7.

Mercury Broadband surrendered dozens of additional census block groups it won in the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction (see 2410250006). In a letter posted Wednesday in docket 19-126, the ISP said that a dramatic increase in deployment costs and "competitive encroachment" rendered many of the census block groups "economically unviable and ultimately unachievable."

Securus backed a request from a coalition of public interest groups to extend until Dec. 17 the deadline for reply comments on its Further NPRM on incarcerated people's communications services (see 2410280015). Securus said the "confluence of comment deadlines" comes as IPCS providers are "working to implement the massive changes wrought by" the Martha Wright-Reed Act, per a filing posted Monday in docket 23-62.

With the submarine cable license for NorthStar License's Alaska-to-Oregon system seemingly expired, the company is asking the FCC for special temporary authority to continue operations pending the filing and processing of a renewal application. In its STA application last week, NorthStar said that while FCC records don't indicate the in-service date for the 25-year license, that date was likely Oct. 1, 1999. NorthStar said it anticipates filing its license renewal application ASAP.

Starfish Infrastructure is seeking FCC approval for a private, non-common carrier submarine cable connecting the U.S. to French Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia. The Honomoana cable system -- named for the Polynesian words for "link" -- hono -- and "ocean" -- moana -- would land in San Diego County, it said in an application posted Thursday. The new direct connection between Australia and the continental U.S. would come as capacity demand on that route is growing substantially year over year. Starfish said it hopes to install and test the Honomoana system in U.S. waters in Q1 2026 and start commercial operation of the U.S. landing point by 2026's end.

Broadband VI asked the FCC this week to extend its deadline to reach its next deployment obligation under the Connect USVI Fund. The company must reach a 40% deployment obligation by Dec. 31 (see 2304190063). In a petition posted Tuesday in docket 18-143, Broadband VI cited "continuous unforeseeable, uncontrollable, and unavoidable delays" in deploying fiber. The company said it's also yet to receive permits from the USVI Department of Public Works and has "faced difficulties in securing pole attachment authorizations to install fiber on Water and Power Authority."

Public interest groups asked the FCC for an extension until Dec. 17 of the deadline for reply comments on its Further NPRM regarding incarcerated people's communications services (see 2409200019). The motion -- from the Wright Petitioners, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Pennsylvania Prison Society, United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, Public Knowledge and Stephen Raher -- cited "multiple overlapping comment periods and deadlines." Deadlines in such "close proximity involving these complicated issues will likely pose certain challenges to some commenters," said the motion posted Monday. They added that an extension will "allow interested parties to fully evaluate and respond to issues raised in the comments while also responding to the other issues at play in this docket."