A possible switch from an elected to governor-appointed New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is dividing current and possibly future members. New Mexicans will vote Nov. 3 on that issue and on who will fill two commissioner seats at least until 2023, when the change would take effect. Nine other states also have utility regulator elections this year, with several candidates talking broadband.
Computer matching programs to verify the eligibility of applicants to and subscribers of the USF Lifeline program that the FCC and Universal Service Administrative Co. will conduct with Florida and Minnesota will start Nov. 4 and conclude May 5, 2022, says Monday's Federal Register. The verification is to see that applicants or subscribers in Florida and Minnesota are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program and/or Medicaid programs, it said. Comments are due Nov. 4.
Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC will take up an order at the Oct. 27 commissioners’ meeting addressing the points raised by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on the agency’s order largely overturning the 2015 rules.
The FCC Wireless Bureau gave Pine Cellular an additional year to meet the tribal lands bidding credit construction requirements for a 600 MHz license in Texarkana, Texas, to serve Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma communities. The carrier had problems because it’s using Huawei equipment at the site, the bureau said. “Because Pine Cellular is prohibited from using USF funds to maintain, improve, modify, operate, manage, or otherwise support its Huawei equipment, it asserts that it cannot act without a significant cost burden until the Commission acts in the Supply Chain proceeding to establish a cost reimbursement program for USF recipients to replace equipment from covered companies,” said the Thursday order. “Pine Cellular is presented with limited options for network deployment to the Choctaw Nation communities: build out its existing Huawei network and try to prove it used non-USF funds (recognizing that it also may need to replace this network); or build out an expensive parallel network for which it has no guarantee of reimbursement.” The extension is through Jan. 9, 2022.
Commissioner Mike O'Rielly's nearly seven-year FCC career will wrap up by year's end. During the agency's September meeting Wednesday, he said he's folding on others' efforts to get himself renominated. He said he's leaving regardless of how the November presidential election plays out (see 2009300014).
Votes on the 5G Fund and rule changes to make it easier for tower companies to expand the footprint of cellsites appear likely to be added to the agenda for the Oct. 27 commissioners’ meeting, FCC and industry officials told us. The gathering is the last before the election and would wrap up two big 5G items. Both are expected to be controversial.
The looming battle for Senate confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett could either help or hurt FCC nominee Nathan Simington's chances of getting the chamber's approval before the election, lawmakers and others told us. President Donald Trump announced his Barrett pick Saturday to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as expected (see 2009220022). Trump earlier named Simington, an NTIA senior adviser, as his pick to replace Commissioner Mike O'Rielly (see 2009150074).
COVID-19 robocall scams remain a problem and are becoming more sophisticated, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Associate Chief Ed Bartholme warned the FCC Consumer Advisory Committee Friday. Ensuring consumers answer calls from COVID-19 contact tracers is a growing concern, he said. CAC members said broadband deployment continues to be a rural issue. The meeting was the last under CCS' current charter, though the FCC rechartered the group (see 2007070052).
Oregon's Public Utility Commission voted 3-0 for a formal rulemaking to adopt state USF changes implementing an Oregon law (SB-603) requiring VoIP and wireless contribution to state USF (see 2009020005). Commissioners agreed with staff’s recommendation at a teleconference Tuesday.
The FCC Wireline Bureau Friday identified seven companies that applied to participate in the Stage 2 competitive process for the USF telecom rebuild program for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The deadline was Sept. 3 (see 2008070035). In Puerto Rico, applicants are: AeroNet Wireless Broadband, Critical Hub Networks, Data@ccess Communication, Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Telephone. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, they are: Broadband VI and Virgin Islands Telephone. A quiet period for the companies started Sept. 3.