Big Tech should be required to pay into USF, said FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr Monday in Newsweek. It would “secure a funding model that can support the long-term investments needed to close the digital divide,” Carr wrote. “Big Tech has been enjoying a free ride on our internet infrastructure while skipping out on the billions of dollars in costs needed to maintain and build that network.” He said it would take .009% of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Netflix's 2020 combined revenue to “eliminate entirely the unsustainable 30 percent tax that currently hits consumers on their monthly bills.” USF is “on the verge of collapse,” Carr added, saying he's discussing his proposal with other members of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. “We hope the FCC will take a common-sense approach and not punish innovative, high-quality streaming services that are fulfilling consumer demand,” said Internet Association CEO Dane Snowden in a statement.
Being vertically integrated with content helped AT&T's domestic connectivity business, but it became apparent its HBO Max platform needed to be global in scale to compete and wouldn't fit with the U.S. focus, hence the spinoff and Discovery deal (see 2105160003), CEO John Stankey said Monday during a JP Morgan conference. He said AT&T's smaller dividend after the DirecTV and WarnerMedia spinoffs will mean more capital the company can invest into wireless and fiber deployment for connectivity.
The Biden administration said Thursday it expects deliberations over how to respond to Senate Republicans’ infrastructure counteroffer to continue into Friday, amid conflicting evaluations about prospects for a deal (see 2105190069). House Commerce Committee Republicans bowed the American Broadband Act to counter President Joe Biden’s proposal to spend $100 billion on broadband. The counterproposal includes $65 billion. More than 40 groups and companies launched the Broadband Equity for All coalition to press lawmakers to create a permanent federal broadband benefit program to succeed the FCC-administered $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program.
Citing the impact of COVID-19 on incarcerated people and their families, FCC commissioners unanimously approved an order and Further NPRM Thursday to cut interstate rates for inmate calling services (see 2105120031). It’s “not the last action we will take because there is more that needs to be done,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during Thursday’s meeting.
Global Data Systems agreed to pay $180,000 for not meeting FCC filing requirements as a USF contributor, said an Enforcement Bureau consent decree Wednesday. The VoIP provider admitted to failing to timely file certain reporting worksheets, customer proprietary network information certifications and advanced telecom capability data 2011-20. It admitted it failed to respond to a letter of inquiry. Global Data didn't comment.
The National Tribal Telecommunications Association asked staff of FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks for relief from USF's budget control mechanism, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 10-90. “Negative cash flow brought about by the BCM would make it difficult to serve these tribal communities with viable and affordable communications services.” (Correction: A previous version of this item incorrectly reported the commissioner's first name.)
Texas legislators' attempt to stabilize state USF is nearing the finish. The Senate Rural Affairs Committee voted 8-0 Tuesday for HB-2667 to expand the TUSF contribution base to include VoIP providers, while redefining high-cost areas. RLECs had sued the Public Utility Commission for not acting to prevent insolvency (see 2103290060).
Oklahoma’s USF administrator will extend temporary emergency funding for increased bandwidth at schools, libraries and healthcare facilities through Sept. 30, Oklahoma Corporation Commission Public Utility Division Director Brandy Wreath wrote stakeholders Monday. The COVID-19 support was to end June 30, after earlier extensions (see 2007290055).
Nebraska's Public Service Commission voted 4-1 to expand the state USF’s connections-based method for residential services to now include business and government lines. At another Tuesday meeting, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission delayed shifting to a per-line monthly surcharge from a revenue-based mechanism.
The Texas House passed a state USF bill to expand the contribution base to include VoIP. The House voted 127-21 Tuesday for an amended HB-2667. The bill and a Senate version in that chamber’s Commerce Committee (SB-1246) are meant to stabilize a Texas USF that’s running out of cash (see 2103290060). The House voted 138-7 the same day for a bill (HB-1505) to update pole attachment rules for broadband deployment on poles owned by electric cooperatives. A similar measure (SB-1283) is in the Senate Transportation Committee. Monday, the House voted 125-21 for a constitutional amendment (HJR-2) creating two state funds, administered by the Texas Water Development Board, to support projects that enhance reliability and resiliency of utilities and broadband providers. The Senate has an identical bill (SJR-62) in the Commerce Committee.