The FCC understands the promise broadband access offers for low-income households, Wireline Bureau Chief Matt DelNero said in a commission blog Monday. It noted the beginning of Lifeline Awareness Week and commended state regulators for making the program work for low-income users and telecom ratepayers who fund it through USF fees. "Broadband can help families fully engage in civic life and meaningfully access health services, job opportunities, and educational resources," wrote DelNero. "All network users benefit when everyone, regardless of income level, can communicate and innovate through broadband access." DelNero said initial comments (see 1509010073 and 1509040045) on proposals in the Further NPRM to expand Lifeline to broadband and promote program efficiency "reveal the remarkable variety of ways that broadband can enrich and transform lives," including by bringing better communications access to people with disabilities, children doing homework, parents needing information about state programs, and people living on tribal lands. Replies are due Sept. 30.
The FCC should give price-cap telcos broad relief from USF obligations to provide high-cost voice and Lifeline service in many areas, said AT&T, CenturyLink and USTelecom in filings in docket 09-197 in response to a public notice asking parties to refresh the record. AT&T denied the record needed refreshing and urged the commission to focus on giving relief to price-cap carriers, which are generally larger than rate-of-return carriers. USTelecom urged the FCC to grant its petition and other ILEC requests to eliminate USF eligible telecom carrier (ETC) service obligations where price-cap carriers receive no high-cost support and to de-link Lifeline from ETC designations. CenturyLink said the commission should address ETC obligations to offer voice in extremely high-cost areas and clarify that price cap carriers don’t have such duties in areas outside their actual incumbent wireline service areas.
The FCC should streamline the process for deploying broadband infrastructure on federal land, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said during a “Fireside Chat” at the Montana High Tech Jobs Summit Monday with Commissioner Mike O’Rielly and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Streamlining deployment approval on federal lands could speed up the process of spreading broadband throughout the country’s rural areas, Pai said. “Ubiquitous broadband” is a key to helping rural areas compete in the global economy, Pai said. The commissioners also discussed disruptive innovation, net neutrality and the TV incentive auction. The event also featured a panel on spectrum and the wireless economy that included policy officials from Charter Communications and NAB.
The FCC released a new eligible service list (ESL) for the E-rate USF program providing discounts for schools and libraries. "In the ESL Public Notice for this coming funding year, we proposed keeping the basic structure of the ESL while modifying the ESL to reflect the changes the Commission made to the E-rate program for funding year 2016 in the Second E-rate Modernization Order, and to provide some minor clarifications," the Wireline Bureau said in an order. The bureau said it is adopting the proposed changes to the ESL in the public notice with some modifications.
LAS VEGAS -- FCC commissioners expressed sharp disagreement last week on an expected NPRM on broadband providers’ privacy obligations under new net neutrality rules (see 1509090061). Similar to the February vote on the order itself, Chairman Tom Wheeler appears to have the support of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn on the NPRM, with Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Ajit Pai in opposition. FCC officials say the NPRM is likely to circulate for the agency’s October or November meeting.
Public interest groups asked for more time to file opposition to CTIA's petition for reconsideration of targeted FCC Lifeline USF decisions (see 1508130048), in a motion posted Wednesday in docket 11-42. The Center for Democracy and Technology, Free Press, the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute and Public Knowledge asked the commission to push back a Sept. 17 deadline for filing oppositions to Oct. 19.
LAS VEGAS -- The FCC should wrap up an order creating a dedicated USF mobility fund, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn urged, speaking Thursday at the Rural Wireless Association conference at the CTIA convention.
The National Association of State 911 Administrators released a white paper on four possible approaches states could take to ensure sustainable funding for next-generation 911. The white paper addresses the problem of declining revenue and suggests using either the current funding model with moderate changes, sales tax, insurance or the state USF as a means to fix that. A companion white paper will be released in early 2016, it said.
The industry appeal of the latest FCC net neutrality order is taking on a much different character than Verizon’s challenge to the 2010 order on that topic. Industry observers said that can be both a good and a bad thing for opponents of the rules, approved in February by a sharply divided FCC. Several attorneys cited the same adage -- too many cooks can spoil the broth. But they also said many of the lawyers have long appellate experience, which also strengthens the appeal.
The FCC could face tough implementation tasks as it seeks to modernize Lifeline subsidy mechanisms for low-income consumers, conflicting comments in the agency’s rulemaking suggest. The commission received strong support -- and a deluge of parties weighed in -- on its core proposals to extend Lifeline USF support from voice to broadband service and shift consumer eligibility oversight away from telecom providers. (For previous stories, see 1509010073, 1509020058, 1509020048 and 1508180069).