Three ISPs sought emergency broadband benefit waivers or updated their requests, in filings posted Friday in docket 20-445. Ritter Communications asked for limited waiver of EBB reimbursement rules, seeking a one-month delay to submit a snapshot of new subscribers by the 15th of each month. WOW also asked for waiver. C Spire asked in a supplement to its waiver to give Universal Service Administrative Co. a monthly forecast of EBB support it anticipates receiving the following month for new subscribers. Several providers got similar waivers (see 2105110072).
FCC staff said ISPs can get emergency broadband benefit reimbursement for connected broadband devices even when customers switch providers, granting two requests and applying them throughout the EBB program. The Wireline Bureau granted Cox Communications and the National Lifeline Association's requests, said an order Friday in docket 20-445. Cox and NaLa asked to waive the requirement that a provider can't request reimbursement for a connected device for subscribers who aren't receiving EBB-supported service from the provider at the time of the snapshot (see 2105240063). “This waiver permits all participating providers offering a connected device to submit a reimbursement claim for a connected device discount provided to a household that had been receiving an EBB-supported service from that provider at the time the device was supplied to the household, even if the household subsequently transferred its benefit to another provider prior to the snapshot date,” staff wrote: “We grant this waiver to remove a disincentive” to providers. Cox said its participation in the connected device program depended on the waiver (see 2105110047).
FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund rules are to take effect May 28, says that day's Federal Register. For a story in this issue about ECF, see 2105260048.
Zebra asked the FCC to act on its waiver request this summer to operate its Dart positioning system in the 7.125-8.5 GHz band, in a call with Office of Engineering and Technology staff. Zebra “answered questions from FCC staff regarding operational and technical matters,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 20-17. OET sought comment last year (see 2001150016). The system is primarily used to track balls and players at NFL facilities.
Gogo Business Aviation asked for limited waiver of FCC effective radiated power limits for air-to-ground operations in the 849-851 MHz and 894-896 MHz bands for a next-generation system. The system uses orthogonal frequency division multiplex technology “to improve throughput, coverage, and reliability for inflight connectivity to aircraft in the United States and Canada,” said a Thursday posting: “A narrow waiver permitting the current ERP rules to be measured as limits on the maximum average power, rather than peak power, will allow Gogo … to maximize the utility of its next-generation system, similar to other mobile wireless licensees.”
FCC staff OK'd Cincinnati Bell and Hawaiian Telcom's transfer to Red Fiber and Cincinnati Bell's transfer of control request, said a public notice Wednesday. The buyer must comply with letters of agreement Cincinnati Bell filed as a winning Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction bidder. Staff also granted Red Fiber's petition to allow foreign investment above the 25% benchmark.
Boeing urged the FCC to act on a rulemaking on service rules to enable use of the 5030-5091 MHz band for unmanned aircraft systems, in a call with FCC Wireless Bureau staff. “Lack of access to licensed spectrum for UAS command and control is not merely a hypothetical problem that will be felt once UAS technologies are deployed at scale, but a real, ongoing problem that is impacting the industry’s ability to develop these systems today.” A filing posted Tuesday in RM-11798 said Boeing recently received FCC experimental authority to test one UAS technology, but the FAA required use of licensed spectrum.
Ignore Microsoft-sought changes to an FCC order relaxing distributed transmission system interference rules (see 2105240067) and other TV white spaces changes, NAB Associate General Counsel Patrick McFadden blogged Tuesday. About 300 functioning TVWS devices are in U.S. use, he said. “Filings from Microsoft and its allies are going to exceed the number of functioning white spaces devices in the country any minute,” McFadden said: “If white spaces is a workable technology with a role to play in rural broadband … Microsoft really, really doesn’t need yet more help.” The company didn’t comment.
FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment meets virtually June 24 at 10 a.m., says Tuesday's Federal Register. The meeting will feature reports from the committee’s working groups.
The National Lifeline Association seeks waiver of certain emergency broadband benefit rules: the requirement "subscribers receive EBB service from a provider on the snapshot date to receive reimbursement for connected device discounts provided by that provider." The filing posted Monday in docket 20-445 said the FCC should direct Universal Service Administrative Co. to "expeditiously update" the national verifier application programming interface so "all providers have access to accurate data regarding prospective subscribers' eligibility for the connected device benefit."