House Communications Subcommittee leaders diverged on approaches to net neutrality legislation, during the State of the Net conference Tuesday. Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., staked out a partisan agenda on that and other telecom policy issues. Ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, emphasized the need for continued bipartisanship on the House Commerce Committee as the GOP settles into its new role as the minority party. Their comments came ahead of House hearings on net neutrality and T-Mobile's proposed purchase of Sprint, which also got attention Tuesday (see 1901290040).
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's decision to move up a Feb. 21 monthly meeting to Feb. 14 was welcomed, given potential for another shutdown after Feb. 15 (see 1901290014). Pai announced Tuesday the tentative agenda would be the same five drafts originally planned for Wednesday's meeting, now item-less due to the recent shutdown (see 1901230058). Separately, the FCC delayed to Feb. 8 deadlines on many filings due Jan. 8-Feb. 7 (see 1901290043).
The full federal government got back to work Monday, after a prolonged partial shutdown that shuttered the FCC, FTC, NTIA and other agencies overseeing communications policy. Incoming FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks will be sworn in Wednesday by Chairman Ajit Pai in an eighth-floor conference room and will participate in the commissioners’ meeting that follows, said industry officials. President Donald Trump signed off Friday on a continuing resolution to reopen the FCC and other shuttered agencies through Feb. 15, after the House passed the measure as expected (see 1901240016).
Oklahoma sought bids for support services for state USF for schools and libraries. The Oklahoma USF administrator will consider proposals for a one-year contract that would start Feb. 14 and could be renewed up to five times, said a request for proposals Thursday. The administrator seeks “a partner to provide education, training, and support services to ensure that the OUSF Administrator, public schools and libraries in Oklahoma are receiving necessary support, and therefore E-rate funding, as a means assisting in the management of costs to the OUSF,” said the RFP. “It is critical to Oklahoma schools and libraries that the OUSF Administrator is versed in the Federal E-rate program and that the OUSF process does not run counter to the Category 1 process.” Proposals are due Feb. 4.
The shutdown is having immediate FCC consequences in the form of delayed filing deadlines and shuttered websites. It could also ripple out to delay expected rule changes for 2019, industry officials told us this week. Since staff isn’t available, expected early-2019 policy decisions on kidvid and rate regulation, court cases and progress of deals such as T-Mobile buying Sprint are considered likely to be delayed.
Lifeline subscribership has "shrunk" almost 30 percent under FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and is set to drop at least another 30 percent "on his watch," said Kelley Drye attorney John Heitmann on a New America Open Technology Institute panel Wednesday. Representing Lifeline providers, he said Pai commission actions and proposals undercut enrollment and providers.
The Utah Public Service Commission wants comment on increasing the state USF surcharge by 24 cents to 60 cents per connection, effective May 1, said a Monday notice in docket 18-999-15. Comments are due Feb. 6, replies Feb. 20. The PSC had expected distribution changes would necessitate an increase (see 1901030023).
There are ways to move forward on policymaking to improve broadband deployments as the new Congress begins, federal and communications sector officials said Tuesday during a Next Century Cities-led event. Officials highlighted the potential for compromise as a contrast to the rancor over the ongoing partial government shutdown. They also noted policy disagreements. Later, the conference heard about spectrum (see 1901150043).
Ending California surcharges on text-message revenue for state USF and other public purpose programs isn’t supported by the record and would be “an error of both fact and law,” said the Center for Accessible Technology, Greenlining Institute and The Utility Reform Network in comments posted Monday in docket R17-06-023 at the California Public Utilities Commission. Commissioners may vote Jan. 31 on ending surcharges after an FCC order persuaded state commissioners not to pull back an earlier proposal to affirm text messaging is subject to the surcharges (see 1812170029). The new proposal doesn’t analyze the FCC ruling “in detail, nor does it explain how the FCC’s actions directly impact the Commission’s decades-long practice of collecting this surcharge,” the consumer groups said. All the CPUC needs to do is address the impact of the FCC ruling, commented the California Cable and Telecommunications Association. “It is not necessary or reasonable ... to address or analyze state laws relating primarily to the Commission’s general authority and to public purpose program requirements.”
The halt in regular FCC operations isn't having a large impact on communications law firms and most clients yet, said attorneys who continue to draft pleadings, provide advice, handle litigation and do other work. But if the shuttering lasts an extended period, it will cause delays and backlogs that increasingly have negative fallout on matters large and small, rippling through industry, they said this week.