Industry groups and carriers welcomed a draft FCC Further NPRM that would propose ways to clarify commission rules on access stimulation. Some sought minor edits to the draft (see 2206230069). The item would seek comments on revisions to a 2019 order on access arbitrage to clarify "perceived ambiguities ... that some providers are exploiting," according to the draft. It would target carriers that may be evading the rules by including IP enabled services (IPES) into the call flow.
Gabriella Novello
Gabriella Novello, Assistant Editor, is a journalist for Communications Daily covering telecommunications and the Federal Communications Commission. She joined the Warren Communications News staff in 2020, after covering election integrity and the 2020 presidential election at WhoWhatWhy. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in health promotion at American University. You can follow Novello on Instagram and Twitter: @NOVELLOGAB.
Every state and territory applied for NTIA’s digital equity planning grant program, the agency announced Wednesday (see 2206160072). NTIA received letters of intent from "hundreds of tribal nations" to participate in the digital equity program. All states and territories also submitted a letter of intent for the $42.45 billion broadband, equity, access and deployment program by the July 18 deadline, NTIA said. Iowa and Florida were the last two states to sign on, per a tweet from NTIA Tuesday.
Industry experts raised concerns about the amount of work states have to do to participate in NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment program (see 2201190057), during a Fiber Broadband Association webinar Tuesday. “We are operating still … with a lot of uncertainty,” said Kelley Drye 's Tom Cohen, FBA counsel, since NTIA “tossed in a lot of issues” in its notice of funding opportunity (see 2205130054).
A draft FCC notice of inquiry aimed at improving access to communications services for survivors of domestic or sexual violence should include privacy concerns and encourage partnerships with entities at the local level, advocacy organizations told us (see 2206230069). Commissioners will consider the item Thursday, which would seek comment on obstacles survivors face to obtaining broadband services and ways to amend Lifeline or the affordable connectivity program to encourage enrollment among survivors.
Industry groups and consumer advocacy organizations continued to disagree on the amount of digital discrimination in the broadband marketplace, in reply comments posted Friday in docket 22-69 (see 2205170071). Central to the disagreement was whether the FCC has the authority to consider a disparate impact standard rather than discriminatory intent in final rules.
Industry groups disagreed whether the FCC should adopt a new cost allocation framework and rules for pole replacements, in comments posted Tuesday in docket 17-84. The proceeding stems from a 2020 NCTA petition asking the FCC to clarify its pole replacement rules. The FCC adopted the Further NPRM in March in lieu of acting on the petition, noting the group “revealed inconsistent practices by utilities" on cost responsibility for pole replacements (see 2203180074).
States, local communities and industry should begin having conversations now about the type of partnerships needed once NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment program and middle-mile broadband infrastructure program funding become available, panelists said during a Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition webinar Friday. Panelists encouraged anchor institutions to start organizing and identifying their communities' needs as funding from both programs may not reach everyone.
A draft FCC notice of inquiry would seek comment on expanding access to the affordable connectivity program and Lifeline for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, if adopted during the commissioners’ July 14 meeting. It would seek comment on the agency’s authority to adjust both programs to better assist survivors and whether the FCC should adopt certain requirements set in the proposed Safe Connections Act.
The FCC will consider how to leverage Lifeline and the affordable connectivity program to better support survivors of domestic and sexual violence, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday, previewing the commissioners' July 14 meeting agenda. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence "uniquely rely on access to private communications" and face "unique challenges securing reliable phone and internet service," Rosenworcel wrote: The item under consideration will look to "ensure that survivors are able to communicate safely with abuse hotlines and shelters."
Former FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said there “absolutely” needs to be more use of unlicensed spectrum going forward Tuesday during a WiFiForward event. “I think we’re going to have more unlicensed opportunities,” O’Rielly said, but “we have to continue the momentum and it’s not an either-or decision on using licensed spectrum. It’s a matter of finding the “right band, the right circumstances, and then finding … the right partners to make that dance happen,” he said. O’Rielly noted NTIA needs to be given a “backbone” so it’s "respected by all the other agencies and stop the end runs to all the random subcommittees." NTIA is “committed to working toward a coordinated national approach” on spectrum policies and initiatives, said Senior Adviser Phil Murphy. “That includes ongoing and close coordination” on the 5.9 GHz band, Murphy said. NTIA and the FCC are holding monthly “high-level meetings” and updating their memorandum of understanding, he said, and NTIA is also updating the national spectrum strategy. High-speed internet access has “never been more critical for our economy” and Wi-Fi has been “critical in keeping individuals and communities connected” throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy said. Achieving an “equitable future” means “ensuring homes and businesses have high quality connections at affordable prices,” he said, and Wi-Fi will be “an essential part” of NTIA’s efforts to close the digital divide with its broadband programs funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.