Incompas CEO Chip Pickering and others from the group laid out their policy priorities in a meeting with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, said a filing posted Friday in 17-84 and other dockets. “The Commission can further promote competition in the broadband market by implementing a series of targeted reforms to its pole attachment and replacement rules that ensures a fair and equitable allocation of replacement costs between pole owners and new Attachers,” Incompas said: “Our members’ deployments continue to be stymied by pole owners’ unreasonable pole attachment and replacement practices, including denials and excessive delays for pole access and the imposition of unsubstantiated costs for pole replacements.” On spectrum, the group urged action on 12 GHz. “This band has no federal encumbrances, does not require an auction, and can be put to immediate use once the Commission updates its rules,” Incompas said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau concluded its Connect America Fund Phase II eligible locations adjustment process (ELAP) and adopted new deployment obligations Thursday (see 2203220045). Support recipients "submitted evidence that makes it more likely than not that it has identified every eligible location within its study area and that such efforts have resulted in a reliable and accurate count of all qualifying locations," said an order in docket 10-90. The bureau also adopted new deployment obligations and reduced each participants' authorized support "on a pro rata basis." It denied a petition by Douglas Services for a waiver of the ELAP filing deadline.
The FCC granted three E-rate applicants' petitions for reconsideration for additional time to file appeals with the Universal Service Administrative Co. Little Falls Township School District, New Jersey; Putnam County School District, Cookeville, Tennessee; and Rio Bravo-Greeley Union ESD, Bakersfield, California, "mistakenly filed" their appeals with the commission instead of USAC, the Wednesday order said, and the Wireline Bureau dismissed the filings after the deadline for each applicant to timely refile with USAC. Each applicant has 60 days to refile its appeal.
The FCC wants comments opposing several petitions on inmate calling service rates by Feb. 23, replies by March 5, in docket 12-375, said a notice for Wednesday's Federal Register. Petitions for reconsideration were filed by United Church of Christ and Public Knowledge, NCIC Inmate Communications, a coalition of accessibility advocacy organizations and Hamilton Relay (see 2108300062).
The USF contribution factor will likely decrease to 29.1% during Q2 2022 from 32.6% during Q1 2023, emailed analyst Billy Jack Gregg Saturday. Gregg noted the Universal Service Administrative Co. hasn't released its report and appendices on projected demand.
The Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM) Broadband Coalition "urged immediate adoption" of its proposed changes to the ACAM program, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see 2207190056). Consumers "continue to wait for higher speed broadband and the longer the Commission takes to adopt and implement the enhanced ACAM program the longer it will be before customers can receive broadband at higher speeds," the group said, per an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 10-90. The group also said delaying implementation of the proposed enhanced program would cause more work to be redone to meet "revised deployment requirements."
NTCA raised concerns with the FCC Wireline Bureau about the potential implications of reintroducing the Connect America Fund broadband loop support (BLS) and high-cost loop support (HCLS) budget control mechanism for the 2023-2024 support year. Doing so would "result in substantial cuts" to the CAF-BLS and HCLS "for several hundred small rural providers," NTCA said in an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 10-90. The FCC "previously recognized the severe negative impacts" of the budget control mechanism, NTCA said, repeating its request for the commission to consider its proposals for updates to the alternative connect America model and CAF-BLS and HCLS mechanisms.
The FCC wants comments by March 6, replies by April 3, in docket 03-123 on a proposed three-year rate methodology for the Telecom Relay Service Fund, said a notice in Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the NPRM in December (see 2212210054).
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau wants comments by March 6, replies by March 20, in docket 17-59 on Verizon's petition to waive certain rules on blocking foreign-originated illegal robocalls, said a public notice Thursday. Verizon sought a waiver of the requirement that carriers block "toll-free calls from foreign consumers that terminate at call centers belonging to U.S. enterprises."
The FCC committed more than $30 million in additional Emergency Connectivity Fund support Wednesday. The new funding supports more than 200 schools, 15 libraries and one consortium from all three application windows, said a news release.