The 5G Spectrum Act, even if it doesn't become law, could benchmark how satellite communications incumbents get compensated for clearing part of the C band, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly told reporters Tuesday in a wide-ranging interview. S-2881 "does have weight," especially as there seemingly has been a general shift from Capitol Hill resistance to any incentives, said. If satcom incumbents receive a percentage of the $40 billion in auction proceeds, as the legislation says (see 2001090021), debate will likely center on between 30 and 50 percent, though compensation could be a hard number for incumbents, or a combination of percentage and hard number, he said.

CTIA urged the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission to wait to recommend state USF changes to the legislature. The commission adopted rules implementing a state USF broadband program in December 2017, "less than two years ago," and applications for first broadband projects were filed "only last year,” CTIA commented Thursday in case 19-00046-UT. “Any suggestions made now would be based on mere opinions, not objective data drawn from completed projects.” Tap the state’s general fund rather than increase the size of state USF, which would “disproportionately and adversely” affect wireless customers who contribute most, CTIA said. No legislative changes are needed, commented the New Mexico Exchange Carrier Group. The state fund “is providing a reliable mechanism for supporting universal service availability at affordable rates in rural areas and, at the same time, promoting the expansion of broadband internet access service to unserved and underserved areas.” The PRC could draw more broadband funding from state USF without changing the fund or statute, CTIA suggested. "The Commission can ensure that more money is committed to broadband deployment in New Mexico by requiring carriers receiving access replacement or need-based subsidies to spend more than the statutory minimum” of 60 percent of those subsidies, it said. The exchange carriers disagreed: The current 60 percent threshold isn't "unreasonably burdensome" for recipients, but if it's increased, some “may find it difficult or impossible to meet a higher threshold for broadband expenditures and still be able to cover their non-broadband expenses without raising local rates.”

CTIA urged the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission to wait to recommend state USF changes to the legislature. The commission adopted rules implementing a state USF broadband program in December 2017, "less than two years ago," and applications for first broadband projects were filed "only last year,” CTIA commented Thursday in case 19-00046-UT. “Any suggestions made now would be based on mere opinions, not objective data drawn from completed projects.” Tap the state’s general fund rather than increase the size of state USF, which would “disproportionately and adversely” affect wireless customers who contribute most, CTIA said. No legislative changes are needed, commented the New Mexico Exchange Carrier Group. The state fund “is providing a reliable mechanism for supporting universal service availability at affordable rates in rural areas and, at the same time, promoting the expansion of broadband internet access service to unserved and underserved areas.” The PRC could draw more broadband funding from state USF without changing the fund or statute, CTIA suggested. "The Commission can ensure that more money is committed to broadband deployment in New Mexico by requiring carriers receiving access replacement or need-based subsidies to spend more than the statutory minimum” of 60 percent of those subsidies, it said. The exchange carriers disagreed: The current 60 percent threshold isn't "unreasonably burdensome" for recipients, but if it's increased, some “may find it difficult or impossible to meet a higher threshold for broadband expenditures and still be able to cover their non-broadband expenses without raising local rates.”

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated an order Monday for the Nov. 19 commissioners’ meeting that would bar providers from using USF support to buy from suppliers deemed a threat to national security. Pai mentioned Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE (see 1910280021). FCC officials said the order singles out those two. Pai proposes to seek comment on rules requiring eligible telecom carriers remove from their networks existing equipment from the suppliers and on how to provide financial assistance to carriers to help them transition to a trusted supplier.

Nebraska residents are falling behind other Americans on broadband, says the Nebraska Rural Broadband Task Force Thursday. Comments are due Oct. 10, before the task force meets to approve the report Oct. 18, says the group’s website. Eighty-nine percent of Nebraskans, and 63 percent in its rural areas, have fixed broadband of at least 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up, compared to 94 percent in the U.S. and 76 percent of rural Americans. Mobile broadband is available to 83 percent of all Nebraskans and 56 percent of rural Nebraskans, vs. 89 and 69 percent respectively. Enhance broadband mapping and data collection, the task force recommends: "Current state and federal broadband mapping efforts likely overstate broadband coverage.” Nebraska’s map uses FCC Form 477 data, but this "census block reporting can overstate broadband availability in large census blocks,” it says. Rural areas could benefit from emerging technologies, but “5G will likely be deployed first in urban areas, potentially exacerbating the speed gap,” the draft says. The Public Service Commission should continue efforts to revamp state USF contribution and "improve provider accountability by moving to a grant-like system of distribution,” and consider reverse auction, it says. Give E-rate matching funds through state USF to incentivize fiber to schools and libraries, and encourage them to “implement programs such as Wi-Fi on buses, hotspot lending programs, low cost pay-by-the-month internet access, or TV White Space deployments," it says. An Ohio report last week also found coverage gaps (see 1909260008).

Nebraska residents are falling behind other Americans on broadband, says the Nebraska Rural Broadband Task Force Thursday. Comments are due Oct. 10, before the task force meets to approve the report Oct. 18, says the group’s website. Eighty-nine percent of Nebraskans, and 63 percent in its rural areas, have fixed broadband of at least 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up, compared to 94 percent in the U.S. and 76 percent of rural Americans. Mobile broadband is available to 83 percent of all Nebraskans and 56 percent of rural Nebraskans, vs. 89 and 69 percent respectively. Enhance broadband mapping and data collection, the task force recommends: "Current state and federal broadband mapping efforts likely overstate broadband coverage.” Nebraska’s map uses FCC Form 477 data, but this "census block reporting can overstate broadband availability in large census blocks,” it says. Rural areas could benefit from emerging technologies, but “5G will likely be deployed first in urban areas, potentially exacerbating the speed gap,” the draft says. The Public Service Commission should continue efforts to revamp state USF contribution and "improve provider accountability by moving to a grant-like system of distribution,” and consider reverse auction, it says. Give E-rate matching funds through state USF to incentivize fiber to schools and libraries, and encourage them to “implement programs such as Wi-Fi on buses, hotspot lending programs, low cost pay-by-the-month internet access, or TV White Space deployments," it says. An Ohio report last week also found coverage gaps (see 1909260008).

Broaden the definition of healthcare providers, allow funding for remote monitoring and medical body area network devices (MBAN), and make the program available in a wide geographic area. Those are among recommendations for the FCC pilot USF pilot to support connected care for the poor and veterans. Comments posted through Friday docket 18-213 for the three-year, $100 million program (see 1907100073).

Broaden the definition of healthcare providers, allow funding for remote monitoring and medical body area network devices (MBAN), and make the program available in a wide geographic area. Those are among recommendations for the FCC pilot USF pilot to support connected care for the poor and veterans. Comments posted through Friday docket 18-213 for the three-year, $100 million program (see 1907100073).

Opposition poured in to an FCC proposal to cap the overall budget for the various USF programs and to combine the budget cap for two mechanisms to fund anchor institutions, in comments posted through Tuesday to docket 06-122. Stakeholders said such a plan would be difficult to implement and contradicts both the USF mission and the current FCC chairman's top priority to close the digital divide (see 1906030059).

Opposition poured in to an FCC proposal to cap the overall budget for the various USF programs and to combine the budget cap for two mechanisms to fund anchor institutions, in comments posted through Tuesday to docket 06-122. Stakeholders said such a plan would be difficult to implement and contradicts both the USF mission and the current FCC chairman's top priority to close the digital divide (see 1906030059).