The FCC Wireline Bureau named Hughes Network Systems an eligible telecom carrier for New York. It's conditioned upon and limited to authorization to receive Connect America Fund support in coordination with the state's New NY Broadband Program, said Wednesday's order in docket 10-90.
A New Jersey Assembly panel will likely take up a pay-TV truth-in-advertising bill early next year, said Consumer Affairs Committee Chairman Paul Moriarty (D), in an interview. Moriarty last week proposed A-5825 to ban MVPDs and virtual ones from marketing prices other than the total billable amount (see 1911070055). With few legislative days left this year, the bill probably will need to be reintroduced in January, said Moriarty. The assemblyman expects to find a Senate sponsor to carry the bill in the other chamber, he said. Moriarty said he’s responding to constituent complaints about cable bills that are sometimes $20 more than was advertised: “It’s false advertising.” Except for taxes, providers should “tell people in advertised prices what it costs to actually use the service,” he said. The proposal includes less-traditional providers like streaming services because even if they’re not doing it now, it “doesn’t mean they won’t in the future,” Moriarty said. The legislation isn’t about “trying to oversee a particular industry,” he said. “We just want truth in advertising.” A Comcast spokesperson defended itself Thursday: “The fees that broadcast stations and regional sports networks charge us to carry their content are the two fastest growing components of our overall programming costs. We clearly disclose these fees to be transparent with customers about what’s included in their bills, and we get their consent when they sign up or add services to their account.” New Jersey Broadcasters Association President Paul Rotella emailed: "Cable companies have been shortchanging free over-the-air TV broadcasters in some cases for content. I don’t think additional fees are good for consumers or the audiences broadcasters serve." AT&T/DirecTV and other pay-TV providers didn’t comment. Moriarty said he's separately “looking into” ISPs offering consumers upgrades to higher speeds for free but then charging extra for the increase 12 months later.
Alaska Gov. Michael Dunleavy sought clarification of an FCC rule on rural telehealth, among petitions for reconsiderations posted in docket 17-310 Wednesday. Dunleavy said the new mechanisms for determining cost recovery rates "don't sufficiently acknowledge the logistical and economic challenges to delivering service throughout rural Alaska, nor does it recognize the dramatic differences between our regions and communities." Rule changes would lead to systemic underfunding of telecom needed to deliver healthcare services to hard-to-reach communities, the Republican said. Alaska Communications asked to promptly address all outstanding matters from the telehealth rulemaking. It said the FCC is better positioned than the Universal Service Administrative Co. to timely resolve questions about rural rate determinations. USTelecom has concerns about how the FCC will implement a new median rural rate framework, citing material errors or omissions, and "Alaska requires a different approach to setting a rural rate that is unique." The median rate calculation risks "defunding telehealth services for the neediest rural Alaskans," it said. The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition said USAC may have overstated nonrural telehealth expenditures, and the FCC should reconsider major policy changes based on such data. It also warned against deprioritizing funding for nonrural telehealth consortium participants. The North Carolina Telehealth Network Association and Southern Ohio Health Network asked the FCC to modify the definition of rural for the purposes of the program's eligibility.
The California Public Utilities Commission’s look into rate affordability includes communications, Commissioner Cliff Rechtschaffen said Friday in docket R.18-07-006. The telecom industry argued federal law stops the state from scrutinizing broadband (see 1909230048). The commissioner scheduled a revised staff proposal to be filed by Jan. 22, with comments due Feb. 21, replies March 6. He anticipates a proposed decision in May and commission decision in June.
Reducing barriers to telemedicine is among recommendations of four FCC Intergovernmental Advisory Committee reports released Thursday. Direct state emergency alert system plans to involve social media protocols that include the specific local entities that will issue messages, and the contents of such messages, IAC asked. Barriers to telemedicine include limited technical support in rural hospitals, physician concerns over reimbursement, and complexities of credentialing and privileging for telecare providers, the group reported. There are “valuable insights and recommendations that will help inform the work of the FCC and that of our state, local, Tribal, and territorial government partners,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
The FCC Wireline Bureau granted petitions to Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative and Consolidated Communications Networks to waive a commitment to serve a specific number of locations under rural broadband experiments in the USF Connect America Fund program, in an order posted to docket 10-90 Thursday. "Petitioners demonstrate that the required number of locations exceeds the actual number of locations that the petitioners have been able to identify within their respective study areas," the bureau said. The agency will direct Universal Service Administrative Co. to reduce payments accordingly.
The Department of Agriculture tagged $23.6 million for a broadband project by Star Telephone Membership covering about 8,750 rural homes in North Carolina as part of a USDA ReConnect pilot, Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development DJ LaVoy said Wednesday.
Mississippi re-elected Public Service Commission Chairman Brandon Presley (D), while electing two Republican commissioners -- Brent Bailey and Dane Maxwell -- in Tuesday’s election. Bailey and Maxwell “are dedicated hard-workers and I know that we are headed for four years of great things for the people of MS,” tweeted Presley, a NARUC executive committee member. Kentucky and Virginia election results could be good news for net neutrality supporters. Andy Beshear (D), who claimed victory in Kentucky’s gubernatorial election despite Republican Gov. Matt Bevin's not conceding, was one of the state attorneys general who challenged the FCC’s 2017 net neutrality repeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. That court recently ruled the FCC couldn’t stop states from making their own policies, encouraging some state Democrats (see 1910240024). But Daniel Cameron (R) is taking the Beshear's AG seat, and the GOP controls both houses of the legislature. Virginia, which already had a Democratic governor, flipped both legislative houses to make a blue trifecta. “Virginia is very much on the radar after yesterday’s election,” emailed Gigi Sohn, fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy. National Regulatory Research Institute Telecom Principal Sherry Lichtenberg said it’s hard to predict what will happen. “Although Kentucky joined the state AG appeal, I’m not sure that this will result in state legislation,” and “Virginia has been doing a great deal of work in broadband mapping,” but NRRI hasn’t “seen any movement on net neutrality there,” she emailed. Colorado's Edgewater, Greenwood Village, Lakewood, Mead, Parker and Rico voted to opt out of SB-152, a 2005 state restriction on municipal broadband, emailed Colorado Municipal League Legislative and Policy Advocate Brandy DeLange. “These elections results track with the previous 100+ communities that have passed similar questions,” showing “constituents want faster, better, reliable broadband and that they are comfortable with their local government beginning that conversation.” The vote was narrow in Lakewood, with 50.44 percent in favor. People from Fort Dodge, Iowa, voted to establish a muni telecom utility, and Holyoke, Massachusetts, residents supported a nonbinding referendum showing public support for municipal broadband, emailed Institute for Local Self-Reliance Community Broadband Networks Director Christopher Mitchell. It shows “people really wanting better options for Internet access than the cable and telephone monopolies, even in areas that the FCC would consider to be well served,” 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.”
NCTA and an Indiana landowner are at odds over whether the cable group can chime in in a fight before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals involving Charter Communications' running a fiber cable across the landowner's property (see 1910230016). NCTA said in opposition to the plaintiff-appellant's motion to reconsider (in Pacer, docket 19-2442) it's in a good position to explain the statutory framework involved and speak on how a restrictive interpretation would affect cable and broadband network expansion. It said a big part of why it and other trade groups exist is to advocate for members in court. Plaintiff-appellant Stephen West, in the motion (in Pacer) seeking reconsideration of the court allowing NCTA file an amicus brief, said it hadn't been shown Charter has inadequate legal counsel or that NCTA is providing any unique information or perspective, since its brief largely recapitulates Charter's arguments. In a separate reply brief (in Pacer) last week, West said the Cable Act doesn't give unchallengeable rights to commandeer the easement on his property because the easement wasn't formally dedicated for public use. Granting a power company rights nearly 80 years ago to traverse the property "does not magically convert an easement granting an electric company the right to run electrical wires across the Property into a ... public corridor for all utilities," he said.