The Missouri Public Service Commission expressed concern over the growing burden of the federal USF contribution level, in comments on the FCC NPRM in dockets including 10-90. The state commission recommended the FCC reconsider the income-based eligibility criteria and let states have the discretion to maintain or discontinue the requirements. On FCC consideration of streamlining the eligible telecom carrier designation process, the Missouri commission recommends the process stay the same because of fraud. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin said the carrier access of Lifeline eligibility requests (CALER) portal, which lets the PSC staff and phone company representatives determine Lifeline program eligibility status electronically, has major limitations that need to be fixed to help with eligibility verification issues in the state. First, verification is possible when the only Wisconsin Department of Health Services database is online and it's reliably online only during normal business hours, the comments said. Second, the CALER interface doesn't allow providers to verify eligibility based on income level or qualification for the Wisconsin Homestead Tax Credit, the PSC said. The deadline for comments was Monday.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation began a campaign to combat a "misguided" virtual currency licensing proposal in the California legislature, EFF said in a blog post Monday. The group launched a website to support its position, nobitcoinlicense.org, which asks an individual to enter a cellphone number and then connects that person directly to the office of his or her state senator, said EFF. AB-1326 would limit the growth of bitcoin in the state "before we have a good sense of where the technology and its uses are headed," the group said.
CenturyLink got a contract from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide managed IP-based voice services to the agency's more than 400 statewide locations, said a CenturyLink news release Monday. CenturyLink said it will manage the agency's existing phone infrastructure, which includes IP-based and analog phone systems, and analog users eventually will transfer to a cloud-based VoIP and unified communications platform.
Seattle supports proposed reforms to the FCC Lifeline program, including the changes to the structure, modernization of the program and the improvements to access to broadband for low-income residents in the city, said a filing in docket 15-71. At least two connections should be allowed per household to ensure adequate service and mobility, the city said. The minimum standards for broadband should be based on the FCC's definition of 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream, the city said. The FCC also should ensure that providers report regularly on the levels of adoption at the city level to enable local jurisdictions to assist the commission in overseeing the program's implementation, Seattle said.
With a 4-0 vote, the Montana Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement Tuesday with CenturyLink on service quality violations across Montana, said a news release from the PSC regarding docket N2014.3.38. The agreement is in response to the commission’s complaint in state District Court in Helena for violation of Montana administrative rule 38.5.3371, which requires that 90 percent of reported service problems across the state be fixed within 24 hours, the agency said. CenturyLink agreed to accept about $91 million over the next six years from the FCC Connect America Fund Phase II for broadband infrastructure investment in rural Montana, it said. CenturyLink also agreed to "augment" the CAF II funding with investments of its own to amplify the effects of the federal funds, the PSC said.
Frontier Communications updated the FCC on the status of its state approval proceedings in connection with its pending buy of Verizon's wireline services in California, Florida and Texas. Frontier has completed three rounds of pre-filed testimony in California and is adhering to the schedule of the California Public Utilities Commission, which is expected to decide on a final order by Dec. 3, it said in a letter filed at the FCC Tuesday in docket 15-44. A Texas administrative law judge issued a proposal last week that, if adopted, would approve the transaction there, Frontier said. Although no approval is required in Florida, said the letter, Frontier briefed the Florida Public Service Commission on the transaction and will issue a post-closing notification. The letter also clarified statements from a previous filing, which said Verizon had no plans to expand FiOS or improve broadband service in areas affected by the transaction beyond satisfying current obligations. The obligations refer only to commitments under video franchise agreements to serve customers in Verizon's existing footprint and to supply FiOS to customers in the existing footprint, said the filing. "Post-closing, [Frontier] will continue to be subject to these obligations irrespective of the change in ownership."
California made $50 million available for schools to enhance broadband connectivity, said a Monday news release from the California Department of Education. This is the second round of Broadband Infrastructure and Improvement Grants, with the first round providing 227 schools with nearly $27 million for network enhancement in January, said another release from the department. Schools and districts can start applying now for the second round of grants through the K-12 High Speed Network, it said.
TeleCommunication Systems' VirtuMedix platform was chosen by the Iowa Clinic to provide telemedicine services to its family medicine patients, a TCS news release said Tuesday. The new telemedicine service -- the Iowa eClinic -- uses VirtuMedix so Iowa Clinic providers can serve patients remotely from any device, the company said.
Fifteen library jurisdictions -- 110 libraries -- joined the High-Speed Broadband in California Public Libraries project in the second year of the initiative, said the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California. CENIC is a nonprofit that operates the California Research and Education Network (CalREN), a high-capacity, 3,800-mile fiber network designed to support more than 20 million users. The projectbegan in December. In the first year, 75 library jurisdictions and their 447 individual libraries joined the project, CENIC said. These libraries are now connected to CalREN and most libraries have 1 gigabit of connectivity, CENIC said.
Birch Communications expanded its BirchNet Broadband Internet footprint by more than 60 percent, adding services to 14 states across and adjacent to the northern tier, Rockies and Pacific Northwest, said a Monday news release from the company. It said BirchNet Broadband is now available in 36 states.