The FCC's rules for its affordable connectivity outreach grant program are effective Nov. 7, said a notice for Tuesday's Federal Register. Rules for an ACP pilot program to boost enrollment among federal public housing recipients are effective Tuesday. Commissioners approved the items in August (see 2208050023).
Cloud-based voice and collaboration platform company Ooma sees “a lot of opportunity with T-Mobile,” despite a drop in user count in fiscal Q2 ended July 31, said CEO Eric Stang on a Thursday earnings call. “We did decline marginally in the number of users we have on the residential platform -- not a lot, but a little bit,” Stang said. In the fiscal quarter ended July 31, the wireless carrier began messaging in stores about Ooma’s Telo voice-over-IP offering with its home internet, Stang said, calling that “a step forward.” Currently, most Ooma sales via T-Mobile are coming from website visits, home internet purchases or research on the website, he said: “There are other channels with them that could do more.” The companies are discussing “other things,” said Stang, and “we’ll see how those things transpire.” Ooma’s Telo 4G product reached its end of life in the quarter and had to be replaced, Stang said, and that affected Q2 sales through T-Mobile. Ooma replaced the device with Telo LTE, which has a dongle adapter for the LTE connection.
The FCC plans to recharter its Disability Advisory Committee for a two-year term and is seeking nominations for membership, said a notice in Thursday’s Daily Digest. Nominations are due Oct. 14. The committee last met in June (see 2206280060).
The Communications Workers of America partnered with Microsoft at a "community Labor Day festival in Atlanta" and other cities to boost enrollment in the FCC's affordable connectivity program, the union said Thursday. CWA and Microsoft will "work with local public housing authorities and other community partners" to promote ACP and pre-qualify households. The union said providers offering no-cost broadband plans to ACP enrollees will also be on site. “CWA members have a longstanding commitment to making sure that every household in America has reliable high-speed internet service," said President Chris Shelton. Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company is "glad to be working with CWA to bring more broadband access to more Americans" through ACP.
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by Oct. 3, replies by Oct. 21on two recurring caller ID authentication obligations under the Traced Act, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register (see 2208050055).
The FCC Wireline Bureau designated Starry's Connect Everyone an eligible telecom carrier in areas where the ISP preliminarily won Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction support within Alabama and Virginia. The designation is "effective upon Starry’s authorization to receive support," said an order Tuesday in docket 09-197.
NTIA awarded more than $105 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support Tuesday to five tribal entities in Arizona. The new funding will support infrastructure deployment projects to connect more than 33,300 unserved and underserved tribal households, said a news release. “Direct investment into tribal communities is a crucial step in closing the digital divide in Indian country while protecting local customs and traditions and creating new opportunities for global engagement and growth," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The funding "will improve the quality of life, spur economic development activity, and create opportunities for remote employment,” said Pascua Yaqui Tribal Chairman Peter Yucupicio. The tribe received nearly $7 million to connect 1,372 unserved tribal households with fiber and fixed wireless.
NTIA awarded more than $161 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support, for more than $620 million to date, the agency announced Friday. More than $143 million will support broadband deployment projects in California and Washington to connect more than 2,800 unserved tribal households. "Closing the digital divide in Indian country is a crucial step for protecting local customs and traditions while invigorating the opportunities for global engagement and growth," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The Hoopa Valley Tribal Council received the largest amount, more than $65 million, to "install fiber and wireless to directly connect 1,045 unserved Native American households, 64 tribal businesses, and 19 community anchor institutions." NTIA separately awarded the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada $18.9 million for a middle- and last-mile fiber deployment project. "This funding will significantly improve the quality of life for our tribal members and is long overdue," said ITCN Executive Director Deserea Quintana.
The FTC increased to $75 the cost of accessing a single area code beyond the first five free ones in the Do Not Call registry, beginning Oct. 1, said a news release Friday (see 2108240073). Access to an additional area code for six months will increase by $3 to $38. The maximum charge for accessing all area codes nationwide will increase from $19,017 to $20,740.
About 2,000 Communications Workers of America members in California reached agreement with Frontier, after a strike over alleged subcontracting that violated a collective bargaining agreement, CWA said Thursday (see 2208190037). Frontier "committed to take significant steps to adhere to the limits of subcontracting set in the collective bargaining agreement," the union said. It's "a huge victory," said CWA Local 9510 Executive Vice President Kenny Williams. "Although the issues relating to this grievance are resolved, we are still fighting for a new contract," said CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce. CWA also launched a $500,000 advertising campaign on Frontier's use of subcontracting in Connecticut, Texas and California. “Instead of using its clean slate to provide more good-paying jobs with healthcare and retirement benefits, Frontier is using its second chance to divest its workers,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Frontier's "blatant disregard for their union workers is completely unacceptable." Frontier didn't comment. Also Thursday, CWA District 9 received a $5.8 million Department of Labor's apprenticeship grant to partner with the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District to "expand its apprenticeship training programs for fiber technicians at its existing training center in San Jose and three additional sites" across California.