The FCC took USF actions and made proposals intended to help rural telcos provide broadband-oriented service and to improve high-cost subsidy program operations. Dissenting Democrats said their requests for changes to an NPRM went unheeded. Chairman Ajit Pai said the minority members waited too long to make their suggestions, a charge they denied. The commission Friday released two orders and a notice (here) that provide up to $545 million in additional support to rate-of-return carriers, flesh out expense and investment cost-recovery restrictions, and aim to examine the rural USF budget and a possible tribal broadband factor. The item appears largely consistent with a draft (see 1801160040 and 1801170048).

The FCC took USF actions and made proposals intended to help rural telcos provide broadband-oriented service and to improve high-cost subsidy program operations. Dissenting Democrats said their requests for changes to an NPRM went unheeded. Chairman Ajit Pai said the minority members waited too long to make their suggestions, a charge they denied. The commission Friday released two orders and a notice (here) that provide up to $545 million in additional support to rate-of-return carriers, flesh out expense and investment cost-recovery restrictions, and aim to examine the rural USF budget and a possible tribal broadband factor. The item appears largely consistent with a draft (see 1801160040 and 1801170048).

With a lack of electricity and access to funding hampering recovery efforts for communications services in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, some concerns about the FCC USF-based aid proposal have emerged, industry and government officials in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington told us. Some industry officials expressed concern about the proposal's goals and said the plan does nothing for affected broadcasters. A group of Puerto Rico broadcasters pitched a nationwide disaster relief plan for broadcasters to Chairman Ajit Pai during his visit earlier this month. “What happened in Puerto Rico can happen elsewhere in the U.S.,” said Eduardo Rivero of Puerto Rico station owner Media Power Group.

FCC Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Mike O'Rielly jointly proposed a list of expenses that rate-of-return telcos would be excluded from recovering through USF subsidy mechanisms and their consumer rate base. They hope such personal and other nonbusiness items will be included in a pending rate-of-return draft order (see 1801160040). Two rural telco groups involved in discussion with the commissioners back the effort and hope "consensus" action will clear the way for advancing broader USF goals.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he plans to circulate soon a rural high-cost USF item, which he said would explore an appropriate budget and other ways to increase program certainty. The aim is to spur broadband deployment without inviting inefficient investment or operations, he said. Pai has been making increasing noises about updating rate-of-return USF funding rules (see 1711030065 and 1712210041), but his comments in a recent letter were his most explicit yet on expected action. He responded Dec. 19 to an Oct. 30 letter from Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, who asked the FCC to address a funding "shortfall" impeding the broadband efforts of smaller rural carriers. Both letters were posted Wednesday in docket 17-18.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he plans to circulate soon a rural high-cost USF item, which he said would explore an appropriate budget and other ways to increase program certainty. The aim is to spur broadband deployment without inviting inefficient investment or operations, he said. Pai has been making increasing noises about updating rate-of-return USF funding rules (see 1711030065 and 1712210041), but his comments in a recent letter were his most explicit yet on expected action. He responded Dec. 19 to an Oct. 30 letter from Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, who asked the FCC to address a funding "shortfall" impeding the broadband efforts of smaller rural carriers. Both letters were posted Wednesday in docket 17-18.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission must do all it can to close the rural broadband gap, a member said Thursday at a livestreamed information meeting on the state’s USF high-cost support mechanism. State broadband officials said limited funding makes it tough to spread broadband. Supporting municipal broadband efforts and phasing out high-cost support for traditional phone service could be ways forward, consumer advocates said. PUC staff pointed to continued decline in USF contributions due to changing technology.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission must do all it can to close the rural broadband gap, a member said Thursday at a livestreamed information meeting on the state’s USF high-cost support mechanism. State broadband officials said limited funding makes it tough to spread broadband. Supporting municipal broadband efforts and phasing out high-cost support for traditional phone service could be ways forward, consumer advocates said. PUC staff pointed to continued decline in USF contributions due to changing technology.

The National Hispanic Media Coalition and other public interest groups urged the FCC to do more to address the communications meltdown in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (see 1710040046). Chairman Ajit Pai, meanwhile, said he appointed a staff task force on hurricane recovery. Addressed to Pai, the letter also was signed by the Center for Media Justice, the Color of Change, Free Press and Public Knowledge.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai acted on Puerto Rico in light of the near meltdown in communications because of Hurricane Maria, but some say there’s more the agency can do. Commissioners took about a day to approve an order (see 1710030057) making up to $76.9 million immediately available for the restoration of communications networks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “The FCC’s actions are intended to enable carriers to restore essential communications services as quickly as possible,” said a news release.