The FCC is expected to make changes to a draft Rural Digital Opportunity Fund order, responding to industry concerns that USF recipients could have trouble meeting financial requirements under the version that circulated earlier this month, agency officials told us Wednesday. They and stakeholders expect changes to address industry concerns about RDOF letter of credit (LOC) requirements (see 2001230005). Changes to allow New York state providers to bid in the program's phase one auctions (see 2001280039) aren't expected.
Foster participation rather than create new obstacles to adoption for the USF Lifeline program that subsidizes low-income telecom users, industry, public interest and consumer groups pressed the FCC in comments posted through Tuesday in docket 17-287. The FCC is considering sweeping changes in attempts to curb waste, fraud and abuse, but stakeholders fear the agency is overstepping (see 1911210035).
The House Communications Subcommittee’s Wednesday hearing on broadband access and digital equity is expected to be an opportunity for Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and others to highlight their proposal for allocating proceeds from the FCC’s coming auction of spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band. The panel will also help Democrats showcase broadband issues before the expected rollout of their new infrastructure proposal, lobbyists told us. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., indicated the infrastructure plan would come out this week (see 2001160063). House Communications’ hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
Broadband service milestone deadlines for all auction support recipients in the Connect America Fund Phase II program will now be at the end of the calendar year, with annual location filing and certification deadlines on March 1, the FCC Wireline Bureau said Monday in an order in docket 10-90. The bureau said varied deadlines based on rolling authorizations that were in place "may create confusion" among participating providers. This action "does not in any way delay the ongoing disbursement of monthly support" to participating carriers, the order said. CAF II and New York's New NY Broadband Program recipients are to submit their first location reports by March 1, 2021. Both programs support broadband builds in rural America. A Rural Digital Opportunity Fund up for a commissioners' vote Thursday would replace the CAF II USF program (see 1912190073).
FCC restrictions on commission payments to Lifeline enrollment representatives "may have unintended consequences that warrant reconsideration or clarification," Sprint said in Wednesday meetings with commissioner aides and Wireline Bureau officials and in a filing posted Monday in docket 17-287. The agency wants to implement new policies to help curb waste, fraud and abuse in the USF program (see 1908190028).
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is circulating a second order in Blanca Telephone v. FCC, according to a list posted Friday, involving ongoing disputes on USF overpayments to the provider (see 1803070031). Also new on circulation is an application for review of the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (see 1703310018) on policy on opt-out notices for solicited faxes (see 1812170045).
A TeleQuality Communications petition for reconsideration in the USF Rural Health Care program, on behalf of Gonzales Community Health Center, is dismissed, ordered the FCC Wireline Bureau Telecom Access Policy Division Friday. The division also denied additional requests by TeleQuality on behalf of New River Valley Community Health Services, Timber Hills Mental Health Services and Family Healing Center.
House Democrats’ upcoming infrastructure bill package is expected to use composite broadband legislative language drawn from existing measures, communications lobbyists told us last week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California announced earlier this month Democrats would unveil the legislative package this week (see 2001160063). Lawmakers and industry observers question the extent to which Congress will be able to make substantial headway on infrastructure legislation this year given expectations of gridlock before the November presidential election.
There's much attention to an FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund vote Jan. 30 (see 2001230005). Speakers at a Next Century Cities conference Thursday urged policymakers not to neglect low-income urban and minority communities to address the digital divide. The event was closed to the media in-person, so we heard the webcast.
Allband Communications Cooperative is talking with the Rural Utility Service on options to restructure a loan that "may contribute toward resolution of financial issues faced by Allband and to a resolution with the FCC," said (in Pacer) a status report Tuesday for Allband v. FCC, No. 16-4059 before the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Dec. 9 Allband filed a formal loan modification request with the RUS, which is pending, the company said. In 2017, Allband asked the FCC for heftier USF support partly to help repay its RUS loan (see 1707280028).