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Sacred Wind Meets With Pai, Others on USF

Sacred Wind Communications addressed USF issues with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, outgoing Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, aides to all five commissioners, Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith and staffers. CEO John Badal and others "discussed the impacts on Sacred Wind, its network…

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and its Tribal customers of proposals" in a Connect America Fund NPRM and two orders March 23, said filings last week (here and here) in docket 10-90. The CAF item aims to help rate-of-return telcos provide broadband service and improve high-cost subsidy program operations (see 1803230025). Sacred Wind brings "voice and broadband services to historically unserved tribal lands" using hybrid "fiber to fixed wireless to copper" technologies, Rural Utilities Service loans and CAF support, said a presentation. It urged the FCC to develop Alternative Connect America Cost Model tiers for higher cost RLECs and acknowledge "ongoing higher costs for maintaining" 10 or 25 Mbps service. Saying 4G and 5G wireless "will be long in coming to remote rural areas," it recommended the agency "incentivize price cap carriers to spin off remote rural areas to RoR carriers," "restore predictability" for rural carriers and "continue support for Voice-only where demanded."