FCC Partially Grants ATA Request to Narrow Alaska Plan Map Data-Reporting Duties
The FCC partially granted an Alaska Telephone Association petition to reconsider a bureau "Map Instructions" public notice while clarifying "Alaska Plan" carriers' map data-filing duties. The Wireline and Wireless bureaus granted the petition about "the required data accuracy standard for…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
the map collection due to be filed in 2018" and extended a March 1 submission deadline until July 1. "We also provide clarification regarding the data to be filed regarding 'community anchor institutions,'" said an order in Thursday's Daily Digest, with map instructions revised "to reflect this relief." It denied the petition otherwise. The 2016 order approving a modified Alaska Plan provided $1.5 billion in USF subsidies over 10 years to maintain, extend and upgrade broadband across remote areas of the state (see 1608310067). Fifteen rate-of-return carriers and eight wireless affiliates opted in, with the goal of providing 10/1 Mbps, but lower speeds were allowed if there were middle-mile network constraints on connecting to the internet backbone. ATA's petition said reporting requirements went beyond collecting data on middle-mile links and also covered last-mile facilities (see 1710120023). The reconsideration order "adjusts mapping requirements to allow" plan participants "to provide important information about broadband infrastructure in Alaska more efficiently," emailed ATA Executive Director Christine O'Connor.