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."

Firefly Broadband asked the FCC to intervene in FiberLight's surrender of certain Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction bids (see 2410250006). The company said in a letter Monday in docket 10-126 that discussions for it to assume Firefly's 463 locations at issue have stalled. FiberLight "has recently been unresponsive and has shown no inclination to move forward" despite its own letter to the FCC, said Firefly. "If FiberLight is unwilling to assign its RDOF obligations," Firefly urged the FCC to "take note of this fact when it considers the appropriate forfeiture penalties to impose."

AT&T inked a multiyear purchase agreement exceeding $1 billion with Corning for fiber and cable for the carrier's fiber network expansion, the two said Monday. The agreement could accelerate AT&T's network expansion, they said. The Corning-supplied material would meet broadband, equity, access and deployment program buy-American provisions.

The FCC Wireline Bureau adopted the E-rate program's final eligible services list for FY 2025 in an order Friday in docket 13-184. The bureau revised its definition of "wireless" service under category one to include mobile service on school buses and Wi-Fi hotspots. The bureau also declined to include advanced or next generation firewall services as a category two service. The bureau rejected calls to also include domain name system and dynamic host configuration protocol services under either category (see 2410070046).

AT&T will pay a nearly $2.3 million fine under a settlement with the FCC for violations in the emergency broadband benefit program and affordable connectivity program. A Friday order said an Enforcement Bureau investigation found that AT&T sought and received funding for improperly enrolled non-subscriber benefit qualifying persons between "at least" May 2021 and December 2023. AT&T violated rules that require in-store sales personnel to obtain a representative accountability database identification number. The bureau also found that the ISP collected funds for subscribers who had not used their service for at least 45 days. Providers can receive reimbursement for "offering the ACP benefit when the subscriber has used the service at least once every 30 days or has cured their non-usage during a subsequent 15-day cure period."

ClearCaptions raised concerns at the FCC about proposed consumer choice mandates in captioning delivery for IP captioned telephone service providers. In a meeting with Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau staff, it asked that the commission instead issue a notice of inquiry to determine whether the feature is "in the best interest of IP CTS customers" and the Telecom Relay Service (TRS) Fund. The provider cited "significant challenges" in implementing the service and potential increased costs "without evidence that the proposed mandate would improve the accuracy of captions." ClearCaptions also sought guidance in an ex parte filing posted Wednesday in docket 03-123 about potential formatting variances when there's a validation failure with the telecom relay service user registration database.

The Osage Nation urged the FCC to act on its amended petition to receive an eligible telecom carrier (ETC) designation. The tribe told an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel its petition has been pending for more than a year and the ETC designation is necessary to ensure it can obtain services through Lifeline. The designation would also "ensure rapid deployment" to residents through a $40.7 million grant from NTIA (see 2208180056), the tribe said in an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 09-197.

The FCC proposal that mandates "consumer choice in captioning delivery method" for IP captioned telephone service (IP CTS) providers could "hinder competition and innovation," ClearCaptions said in separate meetings with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. Instead, ClearCaptions suggested launching a notice of inquiry that will "collect information to determine if such a feature is in the best interest of IP CTS customers," according to an ex parte filing Friday in docket 03-123. The company also expressed concern with the validation process for the telecom relay service user registration database (TRS-URD), saying the system "would not consider formatting variances as validation features."

The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition urged that the FCC grant Sonic Telecom's petition for reconsideration of portions of the FCC's 2020 order on unbundled network elements (UNEs) rules (see 2210170079). Competitive ISPs "should be able to access existing dark fiber transport on an unbundled basis so that they can control the services they offer consumers" and bid on E-rate services, SHLB said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 19-308. The group said the FCC should "act with haste" to reinstate the provision for such access that was "dramatically curtailed" in the 2020 order.