AT&T said the FCC should increase transparency in the rural telehealth USF program and take other steps to combat abuse before considering increasing a $400 million annual funding cap. The agency should make applicant funding requests public, as it does in the E-rate program, and target support to "mileage based services to address" a statutory "reasonable comparability requirement," said the telco's filing posted Friday in docket 17-310 on a meeting with Wireline Bureau staff. AT&T "also discussed extending E-rate 'best practices' to the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program, including E-rate gift rules, bid evaluation criteria, eliminating discounts for voice service," and "allowing beneficiaries to be reimbursed directly" by the Universal Service Administrative Co. But Alaska's Sitka Counseling said the current funding is "inadequate to enable rural communities" to use the program to improve healthcare and lower overall costs. "The FCC should increase the budget for the rural health care support mechanisms to reflect inflation over the past two decades and increases in the level of support available from those mechanisms, as well as increased technology and telecommunications demands due to our [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] legal obligations, advances in telemedicine capabilities, changes in patient expectations and standards of care, and new demands from skilled nursing facilities," said a Sitka filing posted Monday.

The FCC should improve processing of E-rate funding requests for school and library self-construction of fiber projects, said the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition in a filing posted Thursday in docket 13-184. SHLB said more than half of the "special construction" requests in funding year 2016 were denied or withdrawn, and despite some helpful procedural changes, a "sizeable collection of FY 2017 fiber special construction requests are still in review." Recommendations for improving the fiber application and review process include that the FCC clarify the standard of review for these requests. School and library E-rate applicants must show they chose the most cost-effective solutions, but Universal Service Administrative Co. without explanation denied "numerous" requests where applicants submitted documentation showing their projects were "the most cost-effective," and often the lowest-cost, project, SHLB said. It said when applicants conduct valid competitive bidding processes, USAC and the FCC should defer to applicant cost-effectiveness analysis.

The FCC should improve processing of E-rate funding requests for school and library self-construction of fiber projects, said the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition in a filing posted Thursday in docket 13-184. SHLB said more than half of the "special construction" requests in funding year 2016 were denied or withdrawn, and despite some helpful procedural changes, a "sizeable collection of FY 2017 fiber special construction requests are still in review." Recommendations for improving the fiber application and review process include that the FCC clarify the standard of review for these requests. School and library E-rate applicants must show they chose the most cost-effective solutions, but Universal Service Administrative Co. without explanation denied "numerous" requests where applicants submitted documentation showing their projects were "the most cost-effective," and often the lowest-cost, project, SHLB said. It said when applicants conduct valid competitive bidding processes, USAC and the FCC should defer to applicant cost-effectiveness analysis.

House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., asked the Universal Service Administrative Co. Thursday to send him copies of the reports on audits it did over the past three fiscal years of the USF High-Cost and Rural Health Care programs over ongoing concerns about waste, fraud and abuse in both programs. Pallone began reviewing possible abuses of the High-Cost program last year and successfully got the GAO to begin an investigation of the program. “I am concerned that the FCC is failing to adequately address waste, fraud and abuse in the legacy portion of the High-Cost Program and is instead directing its resources solely to smaller programs” like Rural Health Care, Pallone said in a letter to USAC CEO Radha Sekar. Pallone and other House Democrats sought a GAO review earlier this week of FCC work to deploy its national verifier program to determine consumer eligibility for Lifeline funds. The commission said in early December it was delaying the launch of the national verifier program until early this year amid security issues (see 1712010042). USAC didn't comment.

House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., asked the Universal Service Administrative Co. Thursday to send him copies of the reports on audits it did over the past three fiscal years of the USF High-Cost and Rural Health Care programs over ongoing concerns about waste, fraud and abuse in both programs. Pallone began reviewing possible abuses of the High-Cost program last year and successfully got the GAO to begin an investigation of the program. “I am concerned that the FCC is failing to adequately address waste, fraud and abuse in the legacy portion of the High-Cost Program and is instead directing its resources solely to smaller programs” like Rural Health Care, Pallone said in a letter to USAC CEO Radha Sekar. Pallone and other House Democrats sought a GAO review earlier this week of FCC work to deploy its national verifier program to determine consumer eligibility for Lifeline funds. The commission said in early December it was delaying the launch of the national verifier program until early this year amid security issues (see 1712010042). USAC didn't comment.

Puerto Rico Telephone Co. asked the FCC to provide $200 million in emergency USF support to help restore telecom services disrupted by hurricanes Irma and Maria. "Although the FCC has taken considerable actions to accommodate universal service in rural areas of the country, no similar attention has been paid to insular areas," said a petition posted Friday in docket 10-90. "PRTC requests that the Commission create a $200 million emergency Universal Service Fund designated to facilitate restoration of service in insular areas by eligible telecommunications carriers ('ETCs') in Puerto Rico."

The Senate Commerce Committee voted Thursday to again advance FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr's renomination to a full five-year term. But lawmakers in both parties acknowledged in later interviews that he's unlikely to get a full Senate vote soon. President Donald Trump nominated Carr last year to consecutive terms, including an abbreviated one expiring in June. The Senate confirmed Carr to only the abbreviated term, under a deal aimed at providing a clear Republican nominee to pair with a potential successor to Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn if she leaves (see 1706290063 and 1708030060). Trump renominated Carr earlier this month to a term ending in 2023, after the Senate sent back all nominations it failed to act on in 2017 (see 1801040058 and 1801080062 and see the personals section of this issue).

The Senate Commerce Committee voted Thursday to again advance FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr's renomination to a full five-year term. But lawmakers in both parties acknowledged in later interviews that he's unlikely to get a full Senate vote soon. President Donald Trump nominated Carr last year to consecutive terms, including an abbreviated one expiring in June. The Senate confirmed Carr to only the abbreviated term, under a deal aimed at providing a clear Republican nominee to pair with a potential successor to Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn if she leaves (see 1706290063 and 1708030060). Trump renominated Carr earlier this month to a term ending in 2023, after the Senate sent back all nominations it failed to act on in 2017 (see 1801040058 and 1801080062 and see the personals section of this issue).

USF changes afoot in many states may affect VoIP, predicted National Regulatory Research Institute Telecommunications Principal Sherry Lichtenberg. “More states will move to a connections-based system so that they can address both stand-alone broadband and make up for the reduction in revenue based on the move to bundled service and VoIP,” she emailed Wednesday. “I would expect a move to include VoIP providers, including cable, in state USF assessments, as well as stand-alone broadband providers.” The Idaho Public Utilities Commission should collect money from VoIP and wireless providers, a technologically neutral approach that would provide more money to the fund, said CenturyLink Idaho Director-Regulatory Affairs Jim Farr at a Wednesday workshop. If the commission collects money from wireless carriers, it also should distribute money to wireless carriers, replied CTIA Director-State Regulatory Benjamin Aron. State changes are appropriate, but federal action is needed, Joint Board on Universal Service State Chair Chris Nelson told us. Congress should update the Telecom Act to bring certainty to USF, said Idaho PUC President Paul Kjellander in an interview.

Idaho USF probably isn't sustainable and may require a legislative fix, Public Utilities Commission staff said at a teleconferenced Wednesday workshop. The PUC is assessing state USF viability, as several other states also are expected to revamp state funds this year. State changes are appropriate, but federal action is needed, Joint Board on Universal Service State Chair Chris Nelson told us.