The FCC wants comments by April 4 on a matching agreement between the Universal Service Administrative Co. and the Virginia Department of Social Services, which would take effect on that date, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register. It lets officials verify eligibility for applicants and subscribers to Lifeline and the affordable connectivity program. Comments to privacy@fcc.gov.
The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition backed the New England Telephone Consortium and Connections Telehealth Consortium's request to extend the rural healthcare program's 2022 filing window from April 1 to June 1, in a letter Tuesday in docket 02-60. Extending the deadline "will result in better quality applications with fewer errors and less need for administrative follow-up," the group said.
Hamilton Relay told the FCC it made "substantial progress" in resolving call takeover issues for its telecom relay services, per a letter Tuesday in docket 03-123. It resolved "all remaining call takeover issues" for one-line and two-line captioned telephone services, traditional TTY-based telecom relay service, and most web and wireless IP CTS offerings. Hamilton hasn't resolved call takeover issues for one web-based IP CTS service because it "presents unique challenges," it said. The company sought a "brief additional extension" of answer performance requirements for traditional TRS and speech-to-speech relay, citing "severe labor shortages." It also sought a two-month extension on its speed of answer waivers for CTS and IP CTS, noting it anticipates fully implementing automatic speech recognition in "approximately two months."
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by March 14, replies by March 21, on Commnet's request to transfer its Connect America Fund Phase II support for its Wyoming census blocks to Vistabeam, said a public notice Monday in docket 22-52. The companies said Vistabeam has "expended CAF support funds in connection with deployment in its CAF-supported area, and expects to meet the 40 percent buildout milestone well ahead of the three-year milestone deadline." If approved, Vistabeam would be assigned part of Commnet's "accumulated CAF II support," receipts of "all future CAF II support," and all of Commnet's CAF II obligations.
The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network is "concerned" that restrictions on allowable costs for video relay services funded by the Telecom Relay Service Fund "leave providers no choice but to cut corners with quality of service and neglect non-allowable costs" like research and development, the group told staff to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, per an ex parte filing Friday in docket 10-51 (see 2107300056). "Responsible stewardship of the funds is vital," the group said, but "the 'bottom line' should not be the only factor." The FCC could also consider implementing "financial incentives" for the skills-based routing pilot and deaf interpreter pilot programs to encourage provider participation, the group said, noting neither program "has gotten off the ground" since the commission created them.
Iconectiv asked the FCC not to refer to the North American Numbering Council its request to confirm it will still meet the local number portability administrator neutrality requirements after parent company Ericsson's pending acquisition of Vonage. The plea came in reply comments posted Wednesday in docket 95-116 (see 2202080085). The matter "does not require NANC consideration," iconectiv said, and a referral "would only delay a final resolution, with no indication that the commission would receive any meaningful feedback." The company said it has "existing safeguards" that are "designed to constrain Ericsson's ability unduly to influence iconectiv."
The FCC added some language to its final order requiring Aureon to submit information needed for the Wireline Bureau to calculate refunds to its customers, according to our comparison with the draft. The Tuesday order included language sought by Lumen that said the bureau's 2018 investigation didn't preclude challenges to Aureon's previously filed rates (see 2202150036).
The FCC committed an additional $86 million in Emergency Connectivity Fund support Wednesday, totaling more than $4.6 billion to date, said a news release (see 2202080069). The new funding will support more than 350 schools, 29 libraries and 8 consortiums to buy more than 239,000 connected devices and 96,000 broadband connections.
Emergency Connectivity Fund participants that applied for support during the first two application filing windows may use June 30, 2023, as the service delivery date for all requests, said an FCC Wireline Bureau order Tuesday in docket 21-93 partially granting a request from the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, Consortium for School Networking, State Educational Technology Directors Association, and American Library Association (see 2202100069). The relief was limited to requests for equipment, other nonrecurring services, and recurring services. The updated rule takes effect upon Federal Register publication. SHLB is "so appreciative" of the Wireline Bureau "for discussing these challenges with both SHLB staff and applicants," said Executive Director John Windhausen in a statement: "Today’s order shows that their team has been listening, and it will free schools and libraries to make the biggest impact with their ECF dollars.”
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by March 24, replies by April 8, on Liberty Mobile Puerto Rico and Liberty Mobile U.S. Virgin Islands' petition for declaratory ruling that AT&T "must port to Liberty approximately 24,000 wireless numbers assigned to approximately 16,000 different customers" in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or a waiver of rules to "permit the porting to occur," said a public notice Tuesday in docket 22-68. Liberty said it acquired the customers when it acquired AT&T's wireless business in these areas in October.