Ian Cohen

Incompas and fiber providers pressed FCC commissioners to reject a USTelecom petition to forbear from requiring large ILECs to provide competitors unbundled wholesale access discounts. The providers "leverage unbundled network elements (UNEs) in key places while they are entering a market and building out their fiber networks," said a filing on a meeting with Commissioner Mike O'Rielly attended by executives of IdeaTek, Sonic Telecommunications, Socket Telecom, Mammoth Networks, First Communications and Access One, posted Tuesday in docket 18-141: If some "experience significant price increases, similar to those they faced" after business data service deregulation, "it could eliminate their ability to provide critical services." Some met Commissioner Brendan Carr (here), an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel (here) and Chairman Ajit Pai (see 1807020046). USTelecom and Windstream proposed to delay UNE elimination until February 2021 (see 1806260028).

ITTA and members voiced their views to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and an aide, who spoke at a membership meeting that included executives of Blackfoot Communications, CenturyLink, Cincinnati Bell, Comporium Communications, Consolidated Communications, Consolidated Companies of Nebraska, Great Plains Communications, Hargray Communications, Ritter Communications and TDS Telecom. "Attendees expressed positions consistent with ITTA’s prior advocacy related to the universal service high-cost program budget for rate-of-return carriers; the need for reforms of the universal service contribution methodology; support for stay of the rural call completion rules adopted in April 2018; proposed Commission action related to 8YY originating access charges; and a proposed Commission rule to withhold federal [USF] disbursements to any USF recipient purchasing equipment or services from any communications equipment or service providers identified as posing a national security risk to communications networks or the communications supply chain," said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 10-90.

Comments are due Sept. 4, replies Oct. 1, on an FCC toll-free 8YY call Further NPRM on intercarrier compensation arrangements, under a proposed rule in docket 18-156 scheduled for Tuesday's Federal Register (calendar). The FNPRM released June 8 proposes a three-year transition for 8YY originating end-office and tandem switching and transport charges to bill-and-keep under which carriers don't pay each other. FCC technical amendments in docket 10-90 and in Monday's FR correct errors in rules providing high-cost USF relief from operating-expense restrictions to some tribal-oriented carriers.

USTelecom proposed updated methodology for distributing USF voice subsidies in high-cost and extremely high-cost areas not otherwise supported by Connect America Fund Phase II. The group proposed distributing $105 million in annual high-cost USF funding as the starting budget for the voice support -- equal to $95 million in frozen support currently given to price-cap ILECs and $10 million to account for Alaska Communications support. There would be another $35 million in transition support the first year that would be phased out by year three. USTelecom said it and incumbent telco members previously submitted proposals for how the FCC should support price-cap ILEC voice services for unsubsidized locations not given voice-related USF forbearance relief from eligible telecom carrier (ETC) voice duties in states where they accepted model-based CAF II support offers. This plan "encapsulates those areas but also expands to encompass other high cost areas that will remain unsupported after the CAF II Auction" (scheduled to start July 24), said a filing posted Monday in docket 10-90. "This expansion required a fresh look towards a simple and readily implementable interim proposal." Otherwise, it said, price-cap ILECs will have an "unfunded ETC obligation" where not replaced as ETC.

Comments are due July 16, replies July 23, on the planned sale of Inmate Calling Solutions from TKC Holdings to Securus, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Monday in docket 18-193.

Incompas and IdeaTek Telecom urged the FCC to dismiss a USTelecom petition for forbearance relief from unbundling discounts and other wholesale regulations, but Windstream and CenturyLink Link backed the petition. IdeaTek CEO Daniel Friesen told FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, a Kansas native, that his company focuses on deploying fiber to the home and small businesses in underserved areas of rural Kansas, with plans to invest "even more significantly" in coming years, said an Incompas filing posted Monday in docket 18-141. "Continued access to unbundled network elements [UNEs] is crucial to his ability to continue to provide, and expand, these vital services in unserved and underserved areas," it said. Friesen "focused on his use of the unbundled dark fiber interoffice transport." Incompas and IdeaTek said other fiber builders need UNE access. Windstream, which jointly proposed a three-year transition for eliminating such duties (see 1806260028), met with Pai and Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Brendan Carr, said postings Friday (here, here, here): "The proposal represented a reasonable compromise between parties with competing interests and that the transition period specified therein reflected the minimum amount of time necessary." CenturyLink discussed UNE details with Wireline Bureau staffers in response to their questions about the data the company provided to USTelecom in support of its petition, said a posting Monday: "CenturyLink has not discontinued the provision of DSL in any market where it has been made available, and we are not aware of any case in which a carrier customer is utilizing UNEs purchased from CenturyLink to provide DSL in areas where CenturyLink itself does not provide DSL."

CoBank touted benefits of rural broadband and a telemedicine pilot program it sponsored in southwest Georgia targeting low-income patients with Type II diabetes. "Initial results are exceeding expectations because the vast majority of the participating patients are lowering their blood sugar levels," and savings are expected, said a filing on meeting with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and an aide, posted Thursday in docket 10-90: The goal "is to highlight the efficiency of universal broadband in rural areas to drive down healthcare costs." CoBank and partners have $4.2 billion in loan commitments to the telecom industry, including electric cooperatives deploying rural broadband, it said.

Comments are due July 20, replies Aug. 3 on FCC intercarrier compensation proposals to curb access stimulation arbitrage, under an item for Friday's Federal Register (calendar). The commission released an NPRM June 5 in docket 18-155 (see 1806060010). A Monday order in docket 17-310 to immediately boost a USF Rural Health Care Program funding cap 43 percent to $571 million and index it for inflation (see 1806250042) is effective Friday, under another FR item.

The FCC extended a June 21 deadline to Friday for "authorized" RLECs to accept revised offers of Alternative Connect America Cost Model subsidy support, for "administrative convenience," said a Wireline Bureau public notice Wednesday in docket 10-90.

Windstream backing USTelecom's proposal to put off ILEC wholesale pricing relief from "unbundled network element" discounts until 2021 is helpful at the FCC, and a delay would bolster the ILEC case in expected litigation, said attorney Jeff Carlisle, Wireline Bureau chief 2004-05 who oversaw a triennial review remand order that eased UNE duties and isn't involved in the current proceeding. Though Carlisle agreed with those who said Windstream's endorsement creates added political cover for the FCC to approve a USTelecom forbearance petition (see 1806260028), he said that's less important than the strengthened legal argument the possible delay creates for UNE relief meeting a three-prong test. "Political cover is great for getting the FCC vote USTelecom wants, but that vote will put the last nail in the coffin of the infrastructure access provisions of the 1996 [Telecom] Act and will be appealed immediately," he emailed. "Surviving that appeal depends on USTelecom providing a majority of the Commissioners with a convincing case about a somewhat counterintuitive proposition -- that allowing incumbents to stop selling network elements at deep discounts actually promotes competitive market conditions and is thus in the public interest. Providing a 'gentle' landing for CLECs and a more gradual transition to market alternatives helps that case."