The FCC is expected to OK a Connect America Fund reverse auction public notice, probably unanimously, industry officials told us. A CAF Phase II draft PN proposing procedures for auctioning fixed broadband/voice subsidy support is on the agenda for Thursday's commission meeting. Industry parties are battling over auction design, with some saying the details and complexity could thwart their participation, but an FCC brawl isn't expected at this point, stakeholders said.

The FCC rural healthcare USF annual budget should be increased to $600 million, from its current $400 million, "merely to account for the past two decades of inflation," Alaska Communications told Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and aides. To account for changes in the rural healthcare environment and scope of the program, an increase to $800 million is justified, said the telco's filing posted Tuesday in docket 02-60. The pool of eligible applicants is expanding to include skilled nursing facilities, rural healthcare demand is growing, and provider costs are rising to address privacy, security, bandwidth and other needs, said company, which called the USF support "essential" for serving remote rural areas in Alaska. It urged more program transparency on Universal Service Administrative Co. review of funding requests, and it cited its concerns about, and proposed conditions for, Liberty Interactive's planned buy of General Communication (see 1706200044).

The FCC rural healthcare USF annual budget should be increased to $600 million, from its current $400 million, "merely to account for the past two decades of inflation," Alaska Communications told Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and aides. To account for changes in the rural healthcare environment and scope of the program, an increase to $800 million is justified, said the telco's filing posted Tuesday in docket 02-60. The pool of eligible applicants is expanding to include skilled nursing facilities, rural healthcare demand is growing, and provider costs are rising to address privacy, security, bandwidth and other needs, said company, which called the USF support "essential" for serving remote rural areas in Alaska. It urged more program transparency on Universal Service Administrative Co. review of funding requests, and it cited its concerns about, and proposed conditions for, Liberty Interactive's planned buy of General Communication (see 1706200044).

SAN DIEGO -- FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly’s visit to NARUC's meeting re-energized federal-state joint boards on Universal Service and Jurisdictional Separations, state commissioners said. But the boards established by the 1996 Telecom Act may be losing relevance, they said. O’Rielly has been federal chair of the boards since February. He participated Tuesday in separate closed-door meetings in San Diego, with each lasting about an hour, NARUC attendees said.

The Senate Commerce Committee's Wednesday confirmation hearing on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner-nominees Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel featured plenty of grievances on policy issues and criticisms against Pai and Carr, as expected (see 1707180041). Despite some Senate Commerce Democrats' misgivings, nothing changed perceptions that all three nominees will advance easily out of the committee, although maybe not unanimously, industry lobbyists told us.

The Senate Commerce Committee's Wednesday confirmation hearing on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner-nominees Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel featured plenty of grievances on policy issues and criticisms against Pai and Carr, as expected (see 1707180041). Despite some Senate Commerce Democrats' misgivings, nothing changed perceptions that all three nominees will advance easily out of the committee, although maybe not unanimously, industry lobbyists told us.

SAN DIEGO -- As states seek broadband-for-USF and funding tweaks, an FCC member was said to visit the city where state regulators are meeting, NARUC attendees told us. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly was expected to have been in San Diego on Tuesday for closed-door meetings of the federal-state joint boards on Universal Service and Jurisdictional Separations. His office didn't comment. Also at the meeting, states and electric utilities joined local governments protesting balance on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC).

SAN DIEGO -- As states seek broadband-for-USF and funding tweaks, an FCC member was said to visit the city where state regulators are meeting, NARUC attendees told us. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly was expected to have been in San Diego on Tuesday for closed-door meetings of the federal-state joint boards on Universal Service and Jurisdictional Separations. His office didn't comment. Also at the meeting, states and electric utilities joined local governments protesting balance on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC).

The Supreme Court likely will grant USTelecom's request for more time to file a cert petition appealing a lower court's affirmation of the FCC's 2015 Title II net neutrality order, telecom attorneys told us. "I do expect the petition will be granted," said Lisa Hayes, general counsel of the Center for Democracy & Technology, which supports the order. There are more doubts about whether the petitioners could get another extension if they seek one, and it's not clear they would. Meanwhile, as the FCC posted a few early, substantive open internet comments, some noted it could take the agency a while to release them all.

The Supreme Court likely will grant USTelecom's request for more time to file a cert petition appealing a lower court's affirmation of the FCC's 2015 Title II net neutrality order, telecom attorneys told us. "I do expect the petition will be granted," said Lisa Hayes, general counsel of the Center for Democracy & Technology, which supports the order. There are more doubts about whether the petitioners could get another extension if they seek one, and it's not clear they would. Meanwhile, as the FCC posted a few early, substantive open internet comments, some noted it could take the agency a while to release them all.