Some carriers treat the wireless industry like a version of the board game Monopoly, but hopefully the FCC is reinjecting some competition into the market, said Competitive Carriers Association officials in a blog post Friday. Tim Donovan, senior vice president-legislative affairs, and Rebecca Murphy Thompson, general counsel, hailed commissioners' approval Thursday of the Mobility Fund II order (see 1702230042). “Dominant carriers may have already scooped up Park Place and Boardwalk, but competitive carriers have made investments to build innovative, far-reaching networks serving Indiana Avenue, Kentucky Avenue, Tennessee Avenue, and Pennsylvania Railroad,” they wrote. “With the help of Universal Service funding and smart infrastructure policies, carriers can continue to expand to areas where the business case for doing so is absent, either because private investment does not suffice or a dominant carrier has asserted their market power to lock other players in ‘jail.’”

Some carriers treat the wireless industry like a version of the board game Monopoly, but hopefully the FCC is reinjecting some competition into the market, said Competitive Carriers Association officials in a blog post Friday. Tim Donovan, senior vice president-legislative affairs, and Rebecca Murphy Thompson, general counsel, hailed commissioners' approval Thursday of the Mobility Fund II order (see 1702230042). “Dominant carriers may have already scooped up Park Place and Boardwalk, but competitive carriers have made investments to build innovative, far-reaching networks serving Indiana Avenue, Kentucky Avenue, Tennessee Avenue, and Pennsylvania Railroad,” they wrote. “With the help of Universal Service funding and smart infrastructure policies, carriers can continue to expand to areas where the business case for doing so is absent, either because private investment does not suffice or a dominant carrier has asserted their market power to lock other players in ‘jail.’”

A Vermont 911 case is raising legal and public policy questions about whether states can mandate backup-power requirements for wireless or interconnected VoIP carriers. Last week at the Public Service Board, some commented that federal statute bars states from making battery-backup mandates to either industry, and -- for wireline providers including VoIP -- that FCC existing backup power requirements make separate state rules unnecessary. A recent former California commissioner said in an interview it’s critical from a public policy standpoint for states and local governments to make their own decisions on communications network resiliency, including battery backup. A NARUC attorney disputed industry claims of federal pre-emption.

A Vermont 911 case is raising legal and public policy questions about whether states can mandate backup-power requirements for wireless or interconnected VoIP carriers. Last week at the Public Service Board, some commented that federal statute bars states from making battery-backup mandates to either industry, and -- for wireline providers including VoIP -- that FCC existing backup power requirements make separate state rules unnecessary. A recent former California commissioner said in an interview it’s critical from a public policy standpoint for states and local governments to make their own decisions on communications network resiliency, including battery backup. A NARUC attorney disputed industry claims of federal pre-emption.

Anxiety rose over the fate of the CPB in recent weeks, after reports the Trump administration may be mulling a FY 2018 budget that places its funding on the chopping block. The White House and appropriators resisted confirming any objections to the CPB last week. Broadcasting officials told us Capitol Hill appropriators may stand poised to uphold the funding, if the administration does push such a proposal.

The FCC approved an order setting a broad range of bid weights for a planned Connect America Fund Phase II reverse auction of almost $2 billion in subsidy support for fixed broadband/voice services over 10 years. The CAF II bid weights are designed to value "high speeds, higher usage allowances and low latency," balanced with "cost efficiencies" to deploy broadband widely, said a release Thursday. Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn voted for the order; Commissioner Mike O'Rielly partially dissented.

The FCC approved an order setting a broad range of bid weights for a planned Connect America Fund Phase II reverse auction of almost $2 billion in subsidy support for fixed broadband/voice services over 10 years. The CAF II bid weights are designed to value "high speeds, higher usage allowances and low latency," balanced with "cost efficiencies" to deploy broadband widely, said a release Thursday. Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn voted for the order; Commissioner Mike O'Rielly partially dissented.

President Donald Trump seems receptive to prioritizing broadband access, potentially through his infrastructure proposal, senators who raised the issue with him told us. During last year’s presidential campaign, Trump invoked plans for an infrastructure stimulus of as much as $1 trillion, and this year several lawmakers from both chambers and parties pressed the White House to incorporate broadband funding through such a vehicle. Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., a key Trump liaison to the House, cautioned it’s too soon to say.

President Donald Trump seems receptive to prioritizing broadband access, potentially through his infrastructure proposal, senators who raised the issue with him told us. During last year’s presidential campaign, Trump invoked plans for an infrastructure stimulus of as much as $1 trillion, and this year several lawmakers from both chambers and parties pressed the White House to incorporate broadband funding through such a vehicle. Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., a key Trump liaison to the House, cautioned it’s too soon to say.

Representatives of rural wireless carrier Smith Bagley met with aides to the three FCC commissioners and Wireless Bureau staff to push for special Mobility Fund treatment for tribal areas. The carrier “urged the Commission to afford special treatment for Tribal Lands in the Lower 48, similar to that provided in the Commission’s recent ‘Alaska Plan’ order that assigned over $1.5 billion in universal service funding to accelerate and preserve broadband deployment in Alaska over the next ten years,” Smith Bagley said in a filing in docket 10-208. Doing business as Cellular One of North East Arizona, it provides mobile communication services to customers in northern Arizona and New Mexico.