The FCC approved revised rules for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, as expected (see 1810160068), over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, who crafted the revised rules, said changes were necessary to spark interest in the priority access licenses that will be sold as one tier of the band.
The FCC will auction off three more high-frequency bands in the second half of 2019, Chairman Ajit Pai said Wednesday as he unveiled the items for an Aug. 2 commissioners’ meeting. Pai said the meeting will focus on 5G, with draft rules for the first high-band spectrum auctions targeted for a vote. Pai also tentatively plans votes on a draft order to adopt "one-touch, make-ready" pole attachments and bar state and locality moratoriums on network buildouts, a draft order on broadcast ownership diversification through incubators and a draft notice of inquiry on creating a $100 million telehealth pilot program.
The FCC should try harder to thaw the separations freeze, two state members of the Joint Board on Separations and the state chair of the Joint Board on Universal Service said in interviews ahead of NARUC's summer meeting. They complained that the federal side of the Joint Board isn’t engaging to update separations factors set more than 30 years ago and first temporarily frozen in 2001. NARUC members plan to vote next week in Scottsdale, Arizona, on asking the FCC to extend the freeze’s 2018 expiration by two years, and other draft resolutions related to the Lifeline national verifier, IP captioned telephone service (IP CTS) and a precision agriculture bill pending in Congress (see 1807030052).
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.