USF contributions are projected to spike in Q4, from 17.1 percent to 18.8 percent -- a new high -- of carriers' U.S. interstate and international telecom end-user revenue, said industry consultant Billy Jack Gregg in a Friday email. He said the contribution factor hike is due to Universal Service Administrative Co.'s projected drop in the USF revenue base to $13.02 billion -- down $85 million from Q3 and the lowest ever -- combined with a previous projection that USF quarterly demand will be $2.04 billion. The USF revenue base for all of 2017 is projected to be $53.7 billion, down 30 percent since its 2008 peak, and annual USF demand is projected to be $7.9 billion, $848 million lower than in 2016, Gregg wrote. The contribution factor has been trending higher over time.

Most consumers seem uninterested in wireless service from cable providers, bolstering the idea that a cable-wireless deal, such as cable/Verizon or cable/Sprint/T-Mobile, is likely someday, Macquarie analyst Amy Yong emailed investors Wednesday. Pointing to its survey of 100 consumers, Macquarie said 74 percent say the most they would pay for cable-branded wireless service is less than their current wireless bill, and 77 percent said they wouldn't switch from their current provider for either Xfinity's unlimited data or usage-based plan. Macquarie said 10 percent spend upward of $100 a month on wireless service, down sizably from its February survey, reflecting unlimited data plans becoming the norm. It said 64 percent said they value Wi-Fi more than mobile, down from 77 percent, raising the likelihood of wireless substitution.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will open a Sept. 11 workshop by the Public Safety Bureau on best practices for improving situational awareness during 911 outages, said a Thursday public notice. There are two panels of numerous industry and public safety officials: one on best practices for communicating 911 service outage information among 911 service providers, originating service providers and 911 call centers; the second on communicating 911 outage information to the public. The workshop starts at 9:15 a.m. in the FCC Commission Meeting Room.

FCC rules streamlining reporting duties of high-cost USF recipients take effect Sept. 22, said an order summary in the Federal Register Wednesday. The July 7 order eliminated some annual reporting requirements eligible telecom carriers face for network outages, unfulfilled service requests, complaints, pricing information, service quality certification and duplicative Form 481 filings (contingent on Universal Service Administrative Co. implementation of an online portal). Another summary in the FR sought comments by Oct. 23 under the Paperwork Reduction Act on a proposed FCC information collection in annual and quarterly reporting worksheets (Form 499-A, Form 499-Q) for telecom contributors to the universal service fund and telecom relay service fund. The information is also used to calculate FCC regulatory fees for interstate telecom service providers, it said.

The FCC Wireline Bureau established a pleading cycle on Crown Castle’s proposed buy of 30,000 route miles of fiber in many major markets. With an eye on small-cell deployment, Crown Castle in July agreed to buy Lightower from Berkshire Partners, Pamlico Capital and other investors for $7.1 billion cash (see 1707190020). The transfer is before the FCC. “Applicants state that the proposed transaction is in the public interest,” the bureau said in a Wednesday notice. Applicants maintain the deal would “expedite the expansion of wireless broadband infrastructure” and “bring Lightower’s experience with high-bandwidth fiber solutions to [Crown Castle’s] existing fiber subsidiaries,” the bureau said. Applicants also say it will “allow the combined entity to provide a wider range of services to customers,” the notice said. Comments are due Sept. 6 in docket 17-204, replies Oct. 13.

FCC staff and sometimes commissioners attend meetings of the Technological Advisory Council, but the agency said Friday it won’t require ex parte filings on presentations. The public notice covers “presentations to the TAC, including to its subcommittees and working groups, and at any roundtable discussions sponsored by the TAC, and presentations between TAC members (including members of any subcommittees or working groups) and FCC staff or Commissioners,” the notice said. “This treatment is appropriate since presentations to the Council, like comments on a Notice of Inquiry, will not directly result in the promulgation of new rules.”

The FCC opened a pleading cycle on its slamming and cramming proposals to bolster consumer protections against carriers making unauthorized changes to customers' preferred telecom providers or inserting unauthorized charges onto their phone bills. Comments are due Sept. 13, replies Oct. 13 on an NPRM, said a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau public notice Tuesday in docket 17-169. Commissioners unanimously adopted the item in July (see 1707130054).

The FTC announced slightly higher annual fees for FY 2018 for telemarketers to access lists of phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, in a Monday news release. Commissioners voted 2-0 to authorize publication of a Federal Register notice. As per a required re-evaluation, fees to telemarketers in FY 2018 will increase $1 to $62 to obtain registry phone numbers in a single area code, and up to a $17,021 maximum for all area codes nationwide. In FY 2017, the maximum charge for all area codes was $16,714. The fee for accessing an additional area code for a half year will rise to $31. All U.S. telemarketers are required to download phone numbers on the registry to make sure they don't call those who have registered their numbers. The commission said the first five area codes are free, and organizations like charities are exempt from the Do Not Call rules and can get the entire list for free.

Next-Generation 911 needs funding and a standard definition that accounts for how broadband will transform first-responder and 911-center operations, APCO said in a Monday report. Recommendations include launching a federal grant program to fund upgrades to broadband technology and ending some states’ practice of diverting 911 fees to unrelated purposes. NG-911 should be defined as “a secure, nationwide, interoperable, standards-based, all-IP emergency communications infrastructure enabling end-to-end transmission of all types of data, including voice and multimedia communications from the public to an Emergency Communications Center,” APCO said. Future integration between NG-911 and FirstNet’s national public safety network will enable seamless broadband communications between first responders and public safety answering points, while smartphones and other IP-enabled devices will allow the public to send multimedia directly to PSAPs, the report said. “PSAPs of the future will be a nerve center, managing data-rich communications via broadband technology with 9-1-1 callers and first responders.”

Nevada and California union workers ratified a four-year contract with AT&T, the company said in a Thursday news release. Communications Workers of America said 58 percent voted in favor. The sides agreed to the pact last month for 17,000 wireline and DirecTV employees after failing in June to ratify a previous agreement, with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service assisting in negotiations (see 1707140051). Talks between the company and union continue for a wireless workers contract, a spokesman for the carrier said. No more AT&T union contracts expire this year, he said.