The FCC Wireline Bureau approved the rural healthcare program's FY 2022 funding request review procedures for the telecom program, it said in a letter to the Universal Service Administrative Co. Friday in docket 02-60. The approval is "subject to further modifications" or "instruction from the commission."
USTelecom, AT&T, Lumen, Verizon, Consolidated and Windstream told FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau staff that consumer broadband labels should be "tailored to meet their purpose," said an ex parte posted Thursday in docket 22-2. The ISPs had "concerns" about calls to include a label on monthly bills, saying it "would be burdensome and costly to providers without any real benefit to consumers." They also repeated calls to avoid "esoteric metrics that are meaningless to the average consumer" and said the FCC should "educate consumers on what speeds support their planned activities" (see 2203250053).
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau granted Hamilton Relay conditional certification to provide IP captioned telephone service on a fully automatic basis, said an order Wednesday in docket 03-12 (see 2204140058). The certification was granted "for a period not to exceed two years" and is conditioned on Hamilton verifying that "its actual provision of service to registered users meets or exceeds the commission's [telecom relay service] minimum standards," the order said. The bureau also granted Hamilton a partial waiver to amend the language of its consumer self-certification because some calls would be handled without the involvement of communications assistants.
Ariel sought full five-year certification for Sorenson Communications to provide video relay services supported by the Telecom Relay Service Fund, said an application posted Tuesday in docket 03-123. It also sought full certification for CaptionCall to provide IP captioned telephone service. The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau directed Ariel to file applications within 15 days of completing its purchase of Sorenson and its subsidiary CaptionCall (see 2203230044).
The FCC Wireline Bureau released a set of best practices for domestic Communications Act Section 214 applicants seeking approval for transactions including a transfer of USF high-cost obligations, per a public notice Tuesday. The bureau "has recently received higher volumes" of such applications, it said, and recommended applicants include certain information to "expedite the timely acceptance ... and minimize the need for supplemental filings." Such information includes a list of all USF high cost support received that would be transferred, information about whether any entities are eligible telecom carriers, how a transfer may affect an entity's Connect America Fund Phase II or Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support, cost study areas to be transferred, and whether any entities currently participating in Lifeline, the emergency broadband benefit program, or affordable connectivity program would continue to do so.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and NTCA told the FCC they're "concerned that a lack of transparency and accountability" in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction could put some locations to be served at the gigabit tier "at risk of receiving service levels that fall short both of the expectations set by the commission for the auction and of awardee commitments," said a letter posted Monday in docket 19-126. NRECA and NTCA said Resound Networks' plan to "alter its deployment strategy" by using fixed wireless technology in areas it planned to be fiber "presents significant concerns." The groups noted RDOF applicants seeking to use fixed wireless to provide gigabit level service need to "make a case" that they could do so, and "careful scrutiny is warranted now, especially in a case like this where the winning bidder reportedly seeks to switch from a proven technology to one that is subject to a number of practical challenges." Resound was among the winning bidders that agreed to withdraw bids for certain census blocks that may already be served or are unpopulated (see 2109010084).
Hamilton Relay notified the FCC of a "substantive change" to two of its IP captioned telephone services, in a letter posted Thursday in docket 03-123. Hamilton released a new software update for its Mobile CapTel App for iOS and Android devices that included "a redesigned and updated user interface." It also released a similar update for its web-based IP CTS software.
Incompas asked FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau staff to "clarify the purpose" of the agency's forthcoming consumer broadband labels and the term ISP "to clarify who is required to provide the broadband labels," said an ex parte post on Thursday in docket 22-2 (see 2203100059). Incompas said providers offering business data services or broadband to enterprise and government customers shouldn't be required to provide labels because "[t]hese are sophisticated customers that negotiate their contracts and know exactly which services they are receiving." The group also asked that E-rate and rural healthcare program providers be excluded from the requirement because their customers "participate in the competitive bidding process where they specify the exact services they need." Give providers the option to add symmetrical speeds and reliability to the label, Incompas added. "These two service qualities have become very important for customers and would permit competitive providers to distinguish their services," the group said, backing an online glossary of terms housed on the FCC's website.
Fixed broadband service providers can now access a "preliminary version" of the FCC's broadband serviceable location fabric, said a Wireline Bureau, Broadband Data Task Force, and Office of Economics and Analytics public notice Thursday in docket 19-195 (see 2204060046). Access is currently limited to providers that "filed fixed broadband deployment data in past Form 477 filings," the notice said. Also Thursday, FCC staff issued guidance for state, local and tribal governments to submit verified broadband availability data through the broadband data collection system.
The FCC Wireline Bureau conditioned its decision on Gtek and BroadAspect's requests for review of the Universal Service Administrative Co.'s ruling that the companies didn't qualify for the systems integrator exception of the FCC's universal service contribution requirements, said an order Wednesday in docket 06-122. The companies also sought a waiver of fines for failing to timely file Forms 499-A. Both companies said in their requests "there is a conflict between the Form 499-A instructions for the systems integrator exception ... and the requirement that all interconnected VoIP providers file Form 499-A." The bureau cited "insufficient evidence in the record ... to conclude whether the companies meet the criteria necessary to qualify for that exception" and conditioned waivers on USAC's "factual determination."