Gabriella Novello

Emergency broadband benefit providers are encountering problems enrolling eligible households in the program through Universal Service Administrative Co.’s national Lifeline accountability database, representatives said in interviews and FCC filings. Industry groups said it prevented some consumers from taking advantage of the temporary benefit when the EBB launched in May.

Commissioner Nathan Simington said finalizing new broadband data maps is a “very high priority” for FCC action. It's a “very thorny problem,” Simington said in an interview Wednesday. The FCC had to build out capacities that didn’t exist after Congress “passed the ball,” and acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is “working very hard to get it done,” he said. The commissioner has USF concerns and may be open to some changes.

Tech and telco groups disagreed about USTelecom's petition for reconsideration of calling party notification and blocked call list requirements, in comments posted Monday in docket 17-59 (see 2105200074). Lumen said requirements should exclude legacy networks because it's "unclear whether those systems are technically capable of accommodating such a notification." The Voice on the Net Coalition agreed and said the FCC should confirm that calls blocked by a subscriber through anonymous call rejection or Do Not Disturb don't fall under the session initiation protocol (SIP) response code requirements. The Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee disagreed: "Introducing carrier discretion as to the type of notification will only increase confusion for legitimate callers." Incompas and the Cloud Communications Alliance said such flexibility "is exactly what the commission sought to avoid by prescribing standardized uniform notifications." The groups opposed extending January's deadline for notification implementation. USTelecom's petition "does not explain how a different form of notification would be superior to use of the SIP codes," said the American Bankers Association, National Retail Federation and others.

Not meeting deadlines for using FCC high-cost USF funds to further roll out broadband could imperil other auction winners that played by the rules, some said in recent interviews. Charter Communications, which received $1.2 billion to serve more than 1 million locations (see 2012070039), is among rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction winners seeking waivers to extend the June 7 eligible telecom carrier certification deadline.

NTIA is making nearly $1 billion available through the tribal broadband connectivity program, said Vice President Kamala Harris, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland during a White House event. It's part of FY 2021 appropriations (see 2012210055). Tribal governments, tribal colleges and universities, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, tribal organizations and Alaska Native corporations are eligible for funding for broadband deployment, said a notice of funding opportunity. Funds can also be used to support digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth and distance learning. Applications are due Sept. 1. The funds are a "down payment on the work we must do," Harris said, and "we must keep going until we connect every American household." Acting Administrator Evelyn Remaley said NTIA will "leverage its deep experience with funding broadband programs to ensure that we make significant progress in eliminating the digital divide on Tribal land.” NTIA has webinars June 16 and 17. Thursday's announcement was "a meaningful step forward," said Free Press Policy Manager Dana Floberg. BroadLand co-Chair Mignon Clyburn said "every penny spent on broadband is a down payment on a better future, and we support the White House efforts."

FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently circulated two Wireline Bureau items that are expected to be voted on soon, officials told us Wednesday. A budget item, circulated May 21, would waive the current budget control mechanism for rate of return carriers for one year, beginning July 1 (see 2106010067). An item circulated May 27 includes at least 30 projects that were selected for the Connected Care Pilot Program, one official said. Rosenworcel also circulated an order that would grant in part AT&T’s complaint against Wide Voice on alleged violations of access stimulation rules, per an official. Connected Care pilot recipients "remain under consideration pending approval by the commission," said an FCC spokesperson: The budget item "would address application of the budget control mechanism for the upcoming tariff year to allow small rate-of-return companies to better serve their customers."

FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel welcomed Commissioner Brendan Carr’s proposal to make Big Tech pay into USF (see 2105240037). The idea is “intriguing,” Rosenworcel said in a statement to us Friday, and the commission “should be open to new ideas.” The funding mechanism is “hopelessly outdated” and the program is “on the verge of collapse,” Carr wrote last week. Under his proposal, Congress would pass legislation that “ensures Big Tech contributes an equitable amount” to USF, he said. Rosenworcel agreed it’s “clear that this would require action from Congress.”

Schools and libraries are gearing up to apply for support through the FCC’s $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund. With an application filing window likely in June (see 2105110041), experts said in interviews many facilities are eager. They have a “high level of interest” in learning more, said State E-rate Coordinators’ Alliance Chair Debra Kriete. SECA is doing statewide training and distributing educational materials. Experts agreed allowing prospective purchases will help.

Eighty-nine percent of the 950 ISPs in the FCC’s $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program aren't selling connected devices to EBB-eligible households, per the FCC. Experts said in recent interviews it could hurt enrollment efforts. Providers can get $100 for providing a connected device so long as a customer makes a $10-$50 co-payment. Eligible devices are laptops, desktops and tablets.

Citing the impact of COVID-19 on incarcerated people and their families, FCC commissioners unanimously approved an order and Further NPRM Thursday to cut interstate rates for inmate calling services (see 2105120031). It’s “not the last action we will take because there is more that needs to be done,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during Thursday’s meeting.