The California Public Utilities Commission shouldn’t investigate T-Mobile’s MetroPCS while related litigation is pending at U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the company said in a motion posted Wednesday in docket I.22-04-005. Metro faces up to $230 million in possible fines for failing to remit California USF payments for prepaid phone service, the CPUC said last month (see 2204250049). The court case “is expected to go to trial by early 2023,” Metro said.
Citing the need to modernize the FCC's high cost USF programs and align them with recent federal broadband investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commissioners on Thursday unanimously adopted an NPRM seeking comment on an Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM) Broadband Coalition proposal extending the program. The proposal would increase deployment obligations in exchange for additional funding, and seeks comment on whether to extend participation to carriers that haven't already been participating in the program.
LTD Broadband’s claim that California wants to take Rural Digital Opportunity Fund money for itself is “100 percent ridiculous and false,” a California Public Utilities Commission spokesperson emailed. Company CEO Corey Hauer alleged that Tuesday after the CPUC rejected reconsideration on denying eligible telecom carrier designation (see 2205170058). “The FCC rules for RDOF mandate that all federal funds allocated to RDOF Phase I, and not awarded in Phase I … will be held by FCC in the RDOF component of its USF funds and allocated only for RDOF Phase II,” the CPUC representative said. “No state or local government may appropriate unawarded RDOF funds for its own use. Any statement suggesting a state may do so demonstrates a fully incorrect understanding of FCC funding practice.”
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska seeks comments on state USF by June 13. The RCA wants feedback in docket R-21-001 on sweeping update proposals by staff and Alaska Remote Carrier Coalition, plus broader policy questions raised by staff at an RCA meeting last month (see 2204130061), the commission ordered Friday. Reply comments will be due July 5.
NTIA released notices of funding opportunity Friday for applicants interested in its broadband, equity, access and deployment, middle-mile grant, and state digital equity planning grant programs funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The agency cited “end-to-end fiber-optic architecture” as priority broadband projects and encouraged states to give the greatest consideration to subgrantees committed to providing 1 Gbps services at an affordable rate as part of the BEAD program.
The Senate confirmed FTC nominee Alvaro Bedoya 51-50 Wednesday, restoring Chair Lina Khan’s Democratic majority at the commission. The Senate Commerce Committee voted unanimously during a hearing in support of a proposal that would end the agency’s practice of so-called “zombie voting,” a tactic Democratic Commissioner Rohit Chopra used after he left the agency (see 2112030042).
A draft FCC NPRM extending the alternative connect America cost model (A-CAM) program would make needed updates to the program and deliver higher speeds to a wider range of consumers if it's adopted during the agency’s May 19 meeting, industry experts told us. The item is based on a proposal from the A-CAM Broadband Coalition and would give participating providers more financial support to deliver speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps (see 2010300055).
The Biden administration’s Monday announcement (see 2205060046) that 20 ISPs committed to offer low-income households broadband plans with download speeds of at least 100 Mbps at no more than $30 per month got a mixed reception among communications policy stakeholders. All of the participating ISPs -- which include Altice, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Frontier, Mediacom and Verizon -- were already part of the FCC’s affordable connectivity program that subsidizes qualifying households’ broadband up to $30 per month. The White House said the participating ISPs cover more than 80% of the U.S. population.
The Communications Workers of America asked aides to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to "open a proceeding to determine the full scope its authority" for expanding the USF's contribution base, said an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 21-476 (see 2202180046). The group said it should include "enterprise-oriented data services that rely on broadband infrastructure." The FCC should also "explore how edge companies can participate in fair cost recovery," the group said.
FCC commissioners and industry groups stressed the need for USF changes during Free State Foundation’s annual policy conference Friday. Panelists also urged close coordination among agencies throughout the implementation of broadband programs funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.