There's no consensus whether mobile and fixed communications services are complementary or substitutes in docket 20-60 comments this week for the FCC's communications market competitiveness report to Congress. The agency got requests for further smoothing access to poles and rights of way for wireline broadband access.
Industry, policymakers and consumer advocates are seeking new ways to expand Lifeline enrollment and benefits in response to the public health and economic crisis, we're told. Some advocates are pursuing emergency funding to provide a more robust residential broadband Lifeline benefit to meet the demands of working and learning at home. Stay-at-home orders put restraints on Lifeline promotion and enrollment.
Commissioners approved an NPRM Thursday on the proposed 5G Fund over partial dissents by Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks, as expected (see 2004200063). Both said the NPRM offers a false choice and the FCC can’t rely on bad maps or wait until 2023 or later to start offering support. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly supported the NPRM, but also had concerns. Members met via teleconference, for the second month during COVID-19.
DRS agreed to return $1 million to USF in a healthcare consent decree on Alaska, said an FCC Enforcement Bureau order Wednesday. The company didn't comment.
States are directing broadband funds to COVID-19 response, but many others lack that ability, said state commissioners, legislators and broadband officials in recent interviews. The pandemic increased states’ urgency to close broadband gaps and could lead to policy changes, they said.
The FCC’s April 23 meeting will be via teleconference and in a shortened format due to COVID-19, the agency said in a sunshine notice Thursday. As expected (see 2004150057), some major items will be voted during the meeting while the rest will be voted on circulation ahead of the meeting, the notice said. Commissioners will vote during the meeting on the 6 GHz rules and Further NPRM, the 5G rural USF fund and the orbital debris item. For the March meeting, some items were voted on the day before the meeting and others that morning, FCC officials said. In March, the agency prior to the meeting issued a deletion notice on the voted items.
Rep. Brenda Lawrence and eight other Democratic members of Michigan’s congressional delegation urged Capitol Hill leaders Wednesday to include “robust funding” for Lifeline, E-rate USF and Department of Agriculture broadband programs in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill. House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., is circulating draft language for the next COVID-19 bill that would appropriate $2 billion for emergency broadband benefit” funding rather than money for Lifeline (see 2004140062). The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (HR-748) “fell short of providing the necessary investment in high-speed internet service for low-income and rural Americans,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and their minority counterparts. “Do not forget” broadband funding. House Democrats’ Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act (HR-6379), which they floated during talks on HR-748, included emergency Lifeline and E-rate funding (see 2003230066). Lawrence and the other Democratic lawmakers want the USDA Rural Utilities Service’s Rural Broadband Access Grant, Loan and Loan Guarantee program to be “fully implemented and funded at $350 million annually” via the next epidemic measure. The letter's signers included Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Debbie Dingell, a House Communications Subcommittee member.
House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, N.J., is circulating discussion language to provide $2 billion in “emergency broadband benefit” funding in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill. Some lobbyists we spoke with see the draft as Democrats’ bid to resurrect plans for emergency broadband funding without providing new ammunition to Lifeline critics. Several Democratic lawmakers want future COVID-19 legislation to fund broadband and other infrastructure (see 2003260063). Some groups are urging Congress to use the coming measure to address other communications policy priorities, including media funding (see 2004090066).
Industry opposed requests to delay an FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund broadband subsidy program Phase I auction, in comments posted through Monday in docket 20-34 (see 2003270066). "Move ahead with the RDOF auction this year so that funding can be awarded to rapidly close the digital divide," USTelecom said, noting the California Public Utilities Commission argued for a delay. Telecom providers are challenged to keep networks in service during the pandemic, but "this is not an adequate reason for the Commission to delay an auction that is not due to start until October," USTelecom said: "This crisis has shown how important it is for all Americans to have access" to broadband. AT&T echoed earlier commenter skepticism for allowing unproven technologies to seek RDOF support. The company cited consensus on being "wary of short form applicants lacking two years of operational experience" and intending to rely on new low earth orbit satellite technology. NTCA wants the FCC to "reject proposals to reorient the weighting framework to favor certain lower-performing technologies that are inconsistent with the goals of the auction and that pose the risk of substantially complicating the RDOF auction." Rules should prohibit providers from using USF support to subsidize non-U.S. endeavors, GeoLinks said. "Despite these commenters’ attempts to disparage SpaceX’s network, SpaceX has now launched and operates the largest satellite constellation in the world and will soon be offering service to customers in the United States who have for too long been left behind by legacy networks," the company said. Don't "stifle broadband deployment by barring broadband service providers from using satellite technologies that can support latency-sensitive broadband services," such as medium earth orbit satellites, SES and affiliate O3b said. "Avoid making definitive conclusions about bidders or technologies prior to the short-form application process," Viasat said.
FCC staff showed areas likely to benefit from a 5G USF fund. Commissioners vote April 23 on an NPRM (see 2004020066). One of the proposed ways of awarding funds would be based on “existing data sources that identify rural areas,” Thursday's report said. The top five states in terms of land area that would qualify are: Nebraska (92%), North Dakota (91%), South Dakota (90%), Montana (89%) and Wyoming (86%). Top states based on eligible population: Vermont (47%), Maine (34%), Montana (33%), North Dakota (33%) and South Dakota (32%). The document is from the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force and Office of Economics and Analytics. The FCC said as much as 67% of the land in 49 states and three U.S. territories would be eligible. Alaska has a separate mobile plan. The agency has different support for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry criticized the report. “Unfortunately, the FCC is publishing eligibility maps that bear little relationship to where there is or is not actually coverage,” Berry emailed: “The analysis itself notes that the maps released today may bear little resemblance to the areas actually available for funding in an auction, which is extremely concerning. At a time when everyone is recognizing the importance of bridging the digital divide, the FCC seems intent on moving forward with spending $9 billion without bothering to measure the scope of the problem they are purporting to solve.”