The FCC Wireline Bureau has denied TuCel Puerto Rico’s appeal of a Universal Service Administrative Co. decision to recover Emergency Broadband Benefit funds from the provider, said an order Friday. TuCel initially appealed the matter to USAC but requested a bureau review once that appeal was denied. “We find that USAC properly determined that TuCel improperly enrolled subscribers through an unapproved verification process without confirming their eligibility,” the order said. “We deny TuCel’s appeal and will continue the recovery action against TuCel.”

The Wireline Bureau granted Shentel’s request for a waiver to allow the company's affiliate, Chillicothe Telephone in Ohio, to transition its business data services from rate-of-return to incentive regulation, said an order Friday. “We find that permitting CTC to move from inefficient rate-of-return regulation to more efficient incentive regulation serves the public interest,” the bureau said.

The FCC Wireline Bureau on Friday rejected a request from Big Bend Telephone Co. seeking review of a decision of the Universal Service Administrative Co., saying USAC "properly sought recovery" of USF high-cost support “based on the company’s failure to comply with the Commission’s rules.” The Texas wireline provider appealed the USAC decision during the 2012-14 audit review period. “We direct USAC to proceed with the recovery of more than $5.5 million in improperly paid support,” the bureau said. A USAC review identified 13 findings of noncompliance in the period, the order noted.

The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector signed off on part of a deal from last year in which T-Mobile will invest $4.9 billion in a joint venture with investment firm KKR to buy fiber-based provider Metronet (see 2407240020). The committee, more widely known as Team Telecom, approved, with conditions, the transfer of international Section 214 authority from Metronet Holdings to MetroNet Systems, said a filing Thursday in docket 24-244.

WorldNet Telecommunications representatives spoke with FCC Wireline Bureau staff about “the significant issues and barriers it and other broadband providers now face in obtaining access to electrical utility pole attachments in Puerto Rico.” They discussed how pole attachment issues slowed the ability to offer broadband there, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-84.

Comments are due June 16, replies June 23, on the transfer of Arkwest Communications from Spectracom to Fiber Acquisitions, said the FCC Wireline Bureau in a public notice Monday. Arkwest provides phone and broadband service in three Arkansas counties.

Representatives of the State E-Rate Coordinators’ Alliance (SECA) spoke with Wireline Bureau staff on potential changes to rules for the E-rate Category 2 program. “Regarding the confusion between manufacturer right to use licenses and support licenses, and the different requirements of applying for E-Rate funding for each type of license -- some manufacturers bundle support and right to use features in a single license,” said a filing Monday in docket 13-184. “Applying for funding and reimbursement is exceptionally confusing in these situations.”

Microsoft representatives spoke with an aide to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on submarine cable rules, according to a filing posted Monday (docket 24-523). The company explained "the importance of avoiding a reduction in the term of submarine cable landing licenses, noted that third-party [submarine line terminal equipment] does not constitute cable ownership or control and ought not be licensed as such, and described the challenges of imposing license and reporting requirements on third party vendors like datacenter owners and those holding [indefeasible rights of use] and other submarine cable capacity leases.”

Metronet VoIP customers in 20 states will be moved to T-Mobile VoIP service on or after July 1, T-Mobile told the FCC on Friday (docket 00-257). T-Mobile and KKR announced in 2024 their $4.9 billion purchase of fiber operator Metronet (see 2407240020). The states are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Submitting submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE) and indefeasible rights of use agreements through the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector process could mean big project delays, according to the International Connectivity Coalition. In a filing posted Friday (docket 24-523), ICC said the FCC's proceeding on rewriting its submarine cable rules should define submarine cable systems to align with how those systems are designed and deployed: from open cable interface to OCI, and not SLTE to SLTE. The filing recapped a meeting between ICC representatives and FCC Office of International Affairs acting Chief Tom Sullivan at which the industry group also said there's a lack of uniform definition for SLTEs. Commissioners adopted the subsea cable NPRM unanimously in November (see 2411210006).