R Street Institute is concerned that the FCC's proposed rules banning broadband bulk billing in multi-tenant environments (MTE) could retard broadband inclusivity efforts. The group told an aide to Commissioner Anna Gomez the rules could "potentially exacerbate challenges to getting Americans online and staying connected," in an ex parte filing Tuesday in docket 17-142 (see 2405080043). Consumers "benefit from lower prices that are possible when a broadband provider can negotiate with" MTE owners, "reducing the risk of investment and increasing potential return," said R Street. It also warned that letting consumers opt out of bulk billing agreements "could prevent such agreements at all, depending on the text of the rule." It urged that the FCC seek additional data on the potential rule's impact. In addition, Summit Broadband raised concerns about the proposed rules, holding separate meetings with aides to Gomez, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington. The facilities-based provider warned of the potential harm the proposed rules would have on its customers, many of whom are homeowners associations (HOA). "These mandatory opt out provisions would cause ISPs to raise prices to recoup potential lost revenues and could push some providers to exit the HOA marketplace altogether, leading to less facilities-based competition," Summit Broadband said.

The FCC's broadband data collection process has "lingering structural problems" that "plague the promise and ultimate reliability of" the national broadband map, NTCA said in a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Anna Gomez. The group said in an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 19-195 that the FCC should consider creating public heat maps, updating BDC challenge codes, making successful challenges more "sticky," improving verification efforts and technical standards, and closing a "loophole" where certain providers can "avoid submitting technical explanations for propagation assumptions." NTCA also stressed the need for "proper enforcement measures in the case of chronic overreporting of coverage."

Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico told the FCC it's still working with the Universal Service Administrative Co. to "complete the steps necessary to engage in pre-testing performance measures" for USF Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund Stage 2 recipients (see 2304190063). In a letter Friday (docket 18-143), Liberty said it "continues to have technical difficulties with accessing and uploading data" to USAC's performance measures module and can't begin pretesting for Q2 2024.

The FCC reminded competitive LECs they must submit interstate tariff revisions by July 17. A Wireline Bureau public notice posted Tuesday in docket 21-41 encouraged CLECs to file revisions "after the competing incumbent LEC's interstate access charge tariffs become effective on July 2."

A coalition of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) winners urged the FCC to grant a limited waiver of the program's rules concerning a letter of credit and relinquish census block groups in areas that have been or will be overbuilt by federal-funded broadband deployment projects. The coalition said in a meeting with Wireline Bureau staff that waiving the letter of credit rule to one year of support was needed because "unforeseeable cost increases place significant strains on RDOF winners to contribute huge amounts of additional funds for RDOF broadband deployments." The group also urged the commission to "promptly address" potential overbuilding "through its deconfliction process and allow RDOF funding recipients to return such areas ... without financial penalties."

The FCC wants comments by May 28, replies by June 7, in docket 03-123 on Telecom Relay Services Fund compensation formulas, funding requirements and contribution factors from July 1 through June 30 that Rolka Loube Associates proposed, a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau public notice Friday said.

The FCC Wireline Bureau announced its annual tariff review plans for LECs, effective July 1, in an order Friday in docket 24-41. The bureau also adopted modifications for its rate-of-return tariff review plan and waived rules requiring that carriers file an access charge tariff for a two-year period.

The FCC Wireline Bureau approved the National Exchange Carrier Association's proposed average-schedule interstate settlement disbursements formulas for one-year beginning July 2. An order Friday in docket 23-415 noted that the formulas included "three consumer broadband-only loop" factors instead of one in NECA's filing from the previous year.

Alaska Communications Systems settled a nearly $6.3 million fine with the FCC over a rural healthcare program's rules on competitive bidding and rural rate determinations. An Enforcement Bureau order Wednesday said that ACS will make a $5.3 million repayment to the Universal Service Fund and receive a credit of $1 million for "ACS's withdrawal of claims and appeals" for certain funding requests between FY 2015 through 2018.

The FCC Wireline Bureau waived the commission's rules on several unserved locations that aren't subject to an enforceable commitment. An order appeared in Monday's Daily Digest (docket 10-90). The waiver covers enhanced alternative connect America model program locations within West Side Telephone Company's West Virginia study area where ClearFiber is no longer subject to a grant from the Rural Utilities Service, the bureau said. Otherwise, the locations would have been treated as served by ClearFiber due to the company's "federally enforceable commitment." The bureau also released additional guidance for enhanced ACAM recipients about the use of broadband availability data.