The FCC deserves praise for its response to 2017’s rush of storms but could improve its Disaster Information Reporting System, provide incentives or funding to strengthen communications infrastructure in remote areas, and establish a regional office in Puerto Rico, said commenters in docket 17-344 to a call for comments on communications resiliency and FCC handling of hurricanes Irma, Maria and Harvey.
Puerto Rico Telephone Co. asked the FCC to provide $200 million in emergency USF support to help restore telecom services disrupted by hurricanes Irma and Maria. "Although the FCC has taken considerable actions to accommodate universal service in rural areas of the country, no similar attention has been paid to insular areas," said a petition posted Friday in docket 10-90. "PRTC requests that the Commission create a $200 million emergency Universal Service Fund designated to facilitate restoration of service in insular areas by eligible telecommunications carriers ('ETCs') in Puerto Rico."
USTelecom and ITTA voiced concerns about an FCC Connect America Fund auction draft order on the tentative agenda for commissioners' Jan. 30 meeting (see 1801090050). USTelecom focused on a reconsideration issue raised by some about a potential gap between location commitments identified by a broadband cost model "and the number of locations that may actually exist on the ground in the CAF Auction eligible CBGs [census block groups]," said a filing posted Monday in docket 10-90 on a meeting telco officials had with an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr. "Our due diligence effort revealed approximately 18% fewer locations in these CBGs. Because paragraph 25 of the Draft Recon Order would require auction winners to build out to the number of locations identified in the model regardless of the actual number of locations, a location deficit of this size could significantly reduce participation." There's "concern with Section III.D.1. of the Draft Order, regarding how to address the 'locations gap' in the [CAF Phase II] auction context," said ITTA on meetings it, NTCA, WTA and Vantage Point had with aides to Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel. "Vantage Point found an overestimation of model-identified locations in 85 percent of 144 exchanges, with an average discrepancy of approximately 22 percent between model-identified locations and 'real-world' locations." Adtran said the draft "inaccurately describes" relief it requested, asking the FCC to correct the record. Hughes Network Systems reported on a meeting last week it said should have been submitted earlier due to an "inadvertent error." Kansas and Oklahoma rural telcos asked for actions to address a USF "shortfall" affecting cost-based rate-of-return telcos.
Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said Monday he was asked by Chairman Ajit Pai to help build support on Capitol Hill for addressing FCC auction authority. “I’ve pushed as hard as I possibly can and will continue,” O’Rielly said, saying he testified on the importance of a fix and discussed it in Hill meetings. Sometimes Congress needs an “incident” to happen before it's willing to move, he told reporters. He also said he's confident the FCC's net neutrality repeal won't be overturned by lawmakers or courts.
House Communications Subcommittee Republicans and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., released separate sets of legislation Friday aimed at encouraging broadband deployment. The House Communications Republicans' bills were a third wave of additional legislation that followed the release earlier this month of overarching principles on broadband infrastructure before House work on a broader infrastructure bill to follow White House anticipated release of its legislative package. Lawmakers filed other sets of broadband legislation Tuesday and Wednesday (see 1801110058, 1801160048 and 1801170055).
The FCC would conclude mobile broadband isn't a full substitute for fixed broadband, and maintain a fixed service benchmark of 25/3 Mbps, Chairman Ajit Pai said Thursday on a draft report he circulated with commissioners under Section 706 of the Telecom Act. Taking a "holistic approach," the draft would say the FCC is "meeting its statutory mandate" to promote broadband on a reasonable and timely basis, though more actions are needed, he said. A notice of inquiry asked whether 10/1 Mbps mobile broadband might be a fixed substitute for purposes of advanced telecom capability (ATC) deployment, a suggestion Democratic commissioners and others opposed (see 1709200042 and 1710100053).
CenturyLink said it reached an interim USF broadband deployment milestone in 30 of 33 states, and is "very close" in the other three. The telco told the FCC it accepted Connect America Fund Phase II support to deploy at least 10/1 Mbps broadband service to over 1 million locations in 33 states, and has reached about 600,000 locations in those states. Preliminary data shows it "met or exceeded" a Dec. 31 interim milestone of 40 percent broadband deployment in 30 states, but "may not have reached" the milestone in Colorado, Kansas and South Dakota, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 10-90. "In each of these states, CenturyLink has deployed to thirty-eight percent or more of the total CAF II locations," said the company: "CenturyLink continues its process to review, validate and confirm the data" and expects to provide a "vetted" update by March 1.
An FCC draft order to give over $500 million in new USF support to cooperatives and other small rural telcos (see 1801160040) would provide about $180 million to rate-of-return carriers receiving high-cost funding for the current year ending June 30, an agency spokesman told us Wednesday. He said the draft would provide "up to $360 million over the next decade to rate-of-return carriers" that receive support through an Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM). "Some will be covered by reserves, but the item seeks comment on the appropriate budget for the program going forward," he emailed.
House Communications Subcommittee Republicans and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., filed opposing legislation Wednesday aimed at encouraging broadband deployments. House Communications Republicans filed three bills as part of an additional wave of legislation aimed at forming the backbone of the House Commerce Committee's work on a broadband infrastructure title that will follow the expected release of an infrastructure legislative proposal from President Donald Trump's administration (see 1801110058 and 1801160048). The Making Available Plans to Promote Investment in Next Generation Networks without Overbuilding and Waste (Mapping Now) Act, filed by Reps. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, and Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., aims to direct NTIA to update and improve the National Broadband Map. The Promoting Exchanges for Enhanced Routing of Information so Networks are Great (Peering) Act, from Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., would authorize an NTIA matching grant program to promote creation and expansion of peering centers, and authorize recipients of funding from the USF E-Rate and Telehealth programs to use those funds to obtain connections to peering facilities. The Wireless Internet Focus on Innovation in Spectrum Technology for Unlicensed Deployment (Wi-Fi Study) Act, from Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., would direct the General Services Administration to study the role of unlicensed spectrum and the potential for gigabit WiFi service in spectrum bands below 6 GHz. Eshoo and Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., separately filed their Broadband Conduit Deployment Act. The bill, which Eshoo circulated in draft form last year, would mandate “dig once” policies that require the inclusion of broadband conduit during the construction of road projects that receive federal funding (see 1703200067). “By laying broadband conduit during construction of roads that receive federal funding, broadband providers can later install fiber-optic cable without costly excavation of newly built roads,” Eshoo said in a news release.
Idaho USF probably isn't sustainable and may require a legislative fix, Public Utilities Commission staff said at a teleconferenced Wednesday workshop. The PUC is assessing state USF viability, as several other states also are expected to revamp state funds this year. State changes are appropriate, but federal action is needed, Joint Board on Universal Service State Chair Chris Nelson told us.