The Oklahoma Corporation Commission Public Utility Department is seeking comment on how to resolve problems with special universal services funding from the state USF, the department said in a notice of inquiry earlier this month. The commission is looking for recommendations on payments from the fund that affect telemedicine and Internet access to public schools and public libraries, the NOI said. Some questions ask commenters to address how the school funding should be based, what the target bandwidth for libraries in the state should be, and whether the state should adopt FCC telemedicine values. The commission also is reviewing how to define "public interest," as it can reject a request if there is a lack of it. A hearing is set for Dec. 1.

AT&T launched its U-verse gigabit Internet service Monday in three more area -- in parts of San Antonio and New Braunfels, Texas, and Orlando, Florida -- said news releases from AT&T (see here, here and here). U-verse with GigaPower can offer speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

The UN estimates 66 percent of the world’s population will be living in urban environments by 2050, Verizon said on its policy blog. That growth will spur challenges including congestion, aging infrastructure, public safety and energy management, said the company. As challenges increase, leaders will look to the IoT, Verizon said. Some of the technologies that cities can use are smart buildings; energy, water and waste management; smart parking and electric vehicle charging; adaptive traffic signal control; fleet management; smart streetlights; and remote security monitoring, it said Friday. Cities such as Charlotte, North Carolina, and Lansing, Michigan, are starting to work with Verizon on using some of the technologies, it said.

The Digital New England summit Monday will feature a keynote speech from Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, the agenda said. The broadband leaders summit, in Portland, Maine, is being put on by NTIA through the BroadbandUSA program, and Next Century Cities. Others speaking at the summit include David Edelman, special assistant to the president for economic and technology policy; Rep. Norman Higgins (R), Maine House of Representatives; Connecticut Consumer Counsel Elin Katz; Maine Public Advocate Tim Schneider; NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling; and Keith Adams, Rural Utilities Service assistant administrator of telecom.

The New York State Broadband Program Office seeks input from entities that might apply for funding from, or contribute to, the state's new program, said the office's request for information released Thursday. Written RFI responses are due Oct. 30. The goal of the RFI is to collect recommendations on how New York can reduce broadband deployment costs, find out what challenges may exist for the state's $500 million program to be completed and how the state can speed deployment of infrastructure to meet the existing broadband program timeline, the RFI said. The broadband program aims to get every New York resident access to high-speed Internet and aims to be implemented by the end of 2018.

The FCC shouldn't use forbearance to "hollow out" the eligible telecom carrier obligations of price-cap carriers in areas where there is at least one other Lifeline provider, replied the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates in docket No. 14-192. Price-cap carriers should promote universal service through the offering of both ubiquitously available voice service and service made more affordable for eligible customers, NASUCA said. It said the FCC also should deny requests for forbearance that would allow ILECs to provide voice service only where they choose.

Filing nearly a month late, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) submitted a motion for acceptance of late-filed comments as well as comments on the FCC second Further NPRM regarding the federal Lifeline program, posted Friday in docket No. 11-42. Among its main concerns, the CPUC believes the FCC should address the role of states' authority to administer broadband Internet access service as a component of universal service in their own Lifeline programs. States should also be allowed to regulate consumer protection for all Lifeline services, the CPUC said. The state commission opposes reducing the number of qualifying public assistance programs for Lifeline as well as eliminating the income-based eligibility method, and standardizing Lifeline eligibility forms, it said. The FCC shouldn't reduce federal eligible telecom carrier obligations, the CPUC said. States should also be allowed to develop their own enrollment forms and processes so they can incorporate the unique characteristics of their states, CPUC said.

The Connect America Fund (CAF) cost model "lacks sufficient focus to properly treat extremely high-cost," (XHC) sparsely populated areas of Wyoming, the Public Service Commission replied in FCC docket No. 09-197. It responded to CenturyLink and USTelecom initial comments. The PSC is concerned that the FCC hasn't realigned "frozen support" for price-cap eligible telecom carriers (ETCs) to offer voice service in XHC areas, especially since CenturyLink refused CAF Phase II in Wyoming. In states where the incumbent price-cap carrier rejected CAF II support -- as in Wyoming -- the PSC recommends that all Census blocks receive a portion of frozen support for the immediate future. After the competitive bidding process, Census blocks not awarded to a carrier should continue to get frozen support, the PSC said. The state commission encouraged its federal counterpart to require the continuation of ETC voice obligations.

The South Carolina Telephone Coalition filed a petition in docket No. 2015-290-C to have the Public Service Commission make a determination that carriers offering retail wireless services are providing telecom services in the state, and that they are providing radio-based local exchange services that compete with local telecom service. A hearing was scheduled for Nov. 3 before the commission, a notice in the docket said. The hearing may continue on subsequent dates, if necessary. Applicant’s direct testimony is due Tuesday, other parties of record direct testimony is due Oct. 13, applicant’s rebuttal testimony is due Oct. 20, and other parties of record surrebuttal testimony is due Oct. 27.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development received requests for almost three times as much money as state broadband grant funding is available, the department said in a news release. The agency’s Office of Broadband Development received requests for $29.06 million from 44 entities, while $10.58 million in funding is available to build out broadband infrastructure in Greater Minnesota, it said. During the previous application period, the state received 40 applications, it said. Under the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program, entities can use the funding to pay up to 50 percent of the cost of expanding broadband service in unserved or underserved regions. The maximum grant available for any single entity is $5 million, the release said. The agency expects to announce in November the entities approved for funding, it said.