Cable companies urged the Maine Public Utilities Commission to quickly align the state’s Chapter 880 pole attachment rules with the FCC’s December pole attachment order. The FCC order aimed at resolving disputes quicker. It takes effect Feb. 12 (see 2401110017). The Maine PUC received comments Friday on implementing a 2023 state law requiring a commission study on pole attachment requirements’ effect on broadband expansion. "Because pole replacement costs impose a significant barrier to broadband deployment, especially in rural areas, the [Maine PUC] should make similar amendments or clarifications to the Chapter 880 Rules,” Comcast and Charter Communications wrote. "While the pole replacement cost allocation approach in Section 5(C) of the Chapter 880 rules already limits, in some ways, pole replacement costs charged to attachers, the current rule is unclear and leaves room for uneconomic, inequitable, and inappropriate cost-shifting by pole owners to attachers." For pole applications and make ready, the PUC shouldn't treat municipal entities differently than private companies, the two cable companies added. The Maine PUC proceeding should seek to make the application process more efficient, ensure one-touch make-ready and self-help remedies are readily available, enforce deadlines for pole owner work and update make-ready payment obligations, commented Crown Castle and GoNetSpeed. Don't make attachers pay for system improvements that mostly benefit pole owners, they said.
Nevada, New Jersey and New York diverted about $205.4 million, or 5.3% of all 911 fee revenue, for unrelated purposes in 2022, an FCC report to Congress posted Tuesday found. The commission’s previous annual report found the same three states diverting about $198.5 million in 2021. The states used some of the revenue for public safety programs unrelated to 911; New York and New Jersey also used a portion for purposes unrelated to 911, the FCC said. Under the NET 911 Act, states must use 911 fee revenue for 911-related activities. The agency said 49 states, the District of Columbia and four territories responded to last year’s data request. Together they collected more than $3.5 billion in 2022 for 911. Idaho and the Northern Mariana Islands didn't report. New Jersey diverted 78.1% of $127.1 million collected, while fellow repeat offender New York diverted 41.7% of $254.4 million collected, said the report: It's unknown how much Nevada diverted from a $2.9 million pot. Nevada disclosed that at least two local jurisdictions diverted funding in 2022 for police body and vehicular cameras, the report said. “New Jersey and New York did not self-identify ... as diverting funds, but, consistent with previous reports, the Bureau has determined based on review of the information provided that these states diverted funds for non-911 related purposes within the meaning of the NET 911 Act.” In addition, the FCC said 44 states, D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico reported $512 million in total next-generation 911 spending in 2022. It said 37 states and jurisdictions reported having operating emergency services IP networks (ESInets). D.C., Puerto Rico and 47 states reported having text-to-911 by the end of 2022. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands expected to provide that capability in 2023, the report said. National Emergency Number Association CEO Brian Fontes said it's unfortunate and unacceptable that some states still see 911 revenue as a way to fund other programs. "Funds that the public pays specifically for 9-1-1 purposes should be used to ensure that 9-1-1 callers receive an effective emergency response." NENA urges states that divert funds to end the practice. Instead, they should use the money for maintaining 911 service levels and upgrading to NG-911, he said.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials urged the FCC to adopt a plan for the 4.9 GHz band based on a “decentralized structure,” with the four public safety coordinators serving as band manager. AASHTO representatives relayed this view in a conversation with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Nathan Simington. Opposition to a proposal by the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance to give FirstNet control “is driven partly by a reaction to [the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance] and FirstNet, but also by nervousness about a centralized, powerful band manager,” AASHTO said in a filing last week in docket 07-100. That’s a similar reaction to concerns about an earlier approach where “individual states were deemed to have too much power over the band,” AASHTO said. The FCC overrode that proposal. AASHTO is concerned that an appointed band manager “will have its own business interests and agenda, and these interests would not necessarily align with the multitude of public safety interests,” the group said.
The FCC accepted long-form applications for filing from three bidders in the 2022 2.5 GHz auction, according to a Tuesday notice by the Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics. The three are Northern Valley Communications, Paladin Wireless and SkyPacket Networks. The agency asked for petitions to deny not later than Jan. 26, oppositions Feb. 2 and replies to oppositions Feb. 9. Under the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act, enacted in December, the FCC can issue licenses despite the expiration in March of its spectrum auction authority (see 2312200061).
An FCC order requiring providers of incarcerated people's communications products to offer access to all telecom relay services in certain jurisdictions went into effect Tuesday, according to a notice in that day's Federal Register (see 2212080063). Previously, an incorrect date was announced.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker (R) and more than 170 other U.S. cities' leaders urged House and Senate leaders Tuesday to “renew and extend” funding for the FCC’s affordable connectivity program, which is expected to exhaust its current $14.2 billion allocation in April. Last week, the FCC began initial steps to wind down ACP, with the Wireline Bureau declaring it would freeze new enrollments Feb. 8 (see 2401110072). Also, last week, a group of lawmakers filed the ACP Extension Act (HR-6929/S-3565) in a bid to infuse $7 billion for FY 2024 into the program (see 2401100056). ACP “has been a key tool in our efforts to eliminate the digital divide in America” since Congress first authorized it via the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and it “has wide support,” the U.S. Conference of Mayors said in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and their respective minority leaders. “From Democrats to Republicans, to rural and urban areas, to the telecommunications industry and all levels of government,” ACP “is recognized by all as successful.” Extending the program “will help close the digital divide, allow Americans to access the resources they need, and strengthen the U.S. economy to compete in the 21st Century,” the mayors said in the letter.
More than 200 artists, including authors Neil Gaiman and Cory Doctorow and singer/songwriters Tom Morello and Kimya Dawson, signed an open letter backing the FCC's pending net neutrality proceeding. "Net neutrality protections ensure that we get to decide what we do online, without interference from companies we pay to get online, like Verizon and Comcast," they said in the letter, which organizers Fight for the Future and Demand Progress released Tuesday. "That means they can’t block, throttle, favor or try to extract payments from online services."
The broadband equity, access and deployment program risks leaving multi-dwelling units across the U.S. unserved or underserved, broadband access advocates tell us. States are taking a variety of approaches to address MDU connectivity in their BEAD plans submitted to NTIA. These range from requiring connectivity for individual units to, in some cases, not addressing MDUs at all, our reading of BEAD volume 2 plans found.
Former NTIA acting Administrator Diane Rinaldo and other witnesses set to testify during a Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing say in written testimony that smart, expedited use of funding from NTIA’s Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (Wireless Innovation Fund), among other actions, will help supercharge innovation in U.S. open radio access networks. Several witnesses also urge accelerated development of ORAN standards, ensuring equipment interoperability. The hearing is set to begin at 2 p.m. in 2123 Rayburn, the House Commerce Committee said Tuesday.
Most early comments supported a proposal in a November FCC NPRM letting schools and libraries apply for funding from the E-rate program for Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet access services that can be used off-premises. The agency approved the NPRM 3-2, with Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington dissenting (see 2311090028). Comments were due Monday in docket 21-31.