The House Rules Committee deemed 70 of the 139 amendments filed to the Financial Services bill in order Tuesday and up for floor consideration, including all telecom amendments except the Lifeline budget cap amendment. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., withdrew that Lifeline amendment. The Obama administration “strongly opposes” the FY 2017 funding bill and President Barack Obama’s senior advisers would recommend a veto, the White House said in a statement.

The House Rules Committee deemed 70 of the 139 amendments filed to the Financial Services bill in order Tuesday and up for floor consideration, including all telecom amendments except the Lifeline budget cap amendment. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., withdrew that Lifeline amendment. The Obama administration “strongly opposes” the FY 2017 funding bill and President Barack Obama’s senior advisers would recommend a veto, the White House said in a statement.

Utah could exhaust its USF by early next year unless the Public Service Commission overhauls its contribution methodology, a state official said Tuesday at a technical conference live-streamed from PSC headquarters in Salt Lake City. The agency is eyeing methods to ensure telecom providers that pay into the state USF collect and remit required revenue, and ways to ensure funding, including possibly adding a line or connection surcharge (see 1606080064). Rural LECs suggested requiring interconnected VoIP companies to contribute.

Utah could exhaust its USF by early next year unless the Public Service Commission overhauls its contribution methodology, a state official said Tuesday at a technical conference live-streamed from PSC headquarters in Salt Lake City. The agency is eyeing methods to ensure telecom providers that pay into the state USF collect and remit required revenue, and ways to ensure funding, including possibly adding a line or connection surcharge (see 1606080064). Rural LECs suggested requiring interconnected VoIP companies to contribute.

The FCC denied a waiver petition from Alaska Communications (ACS) seeking relief from a requirement that carriers accepting Connect America Fund Phase I incremental broadband support deploy 4/1 Mbps service to one unserved location for every $775 they accept. "The Bureau concludes that the special circumstances alleged by ACS are insufficient to justify a waiver, and that grant of a waiver would not be in the public interest," said a Wireline Bureau order in docket 10-90 listed in Monday's Daily Digest. "The factors cited by ACS do not amount to special circumstances. Two of the purported special circumstances cited by ACS -- its market analysis revealing that the buildout was not economically feasible, and the discovery that many of the planned locations were already served by [wireless] ISPs -- were created entirely by ACS’s actions. ACS chose to accept Connect America funds without having completed its market analysis, even though there was clearly the possibility that the analysis would lead to a conclusion that the areas were uneconomical to build with the amount of support provided. ... Simply put, buyer’s remorse is not grounds for a waiver. Similarly, the discovery that many of the locations believed to be unserved were in fact served was not caused by some external force or condition. ... Instead, it was the result of ACS neglecting to check [a National Broadband Map] for fixed wireless service. Failure of ACS to exercise due diligence before accepting the allocated funds does not constitute special circumstances." The bureau directed the Universal Service Administrative Co. to recover support to the extent ACS failed to meet its requirements. Alaska Communications didn't comment Monday.

The FCC denied a waiver petition from Alaska Communications (ACS) seeking relief from a requirement that carriers accepting Connect America Fund Phase I incremental broadband support deploy 4/1 Mbps service to one unserved location for every $775 they accept. "The Bureau concludes that the special circumstances alleged by ACS are insufficient to justify a waiver, and that grant of a waiver would not be in the public interest," said a Wireline Bureau order in docket 10-90 listed in Monday's Daily Digest. "The factors cited by ACS do not amount to special circumstances. Two of the purported special circumstances cited by ACS -- its market analysis revealing that the buildout was not economically feasible, and the discovery that many of the planned locations were already served by [wireless] ISPs -- were created entirely by ACS’s actions. ACS chose to accept Connect America funds without having completed its market analysis, even though there was clearly the possibility that the analysis would lead to a conclusion that the areas were uneconomical to build with the amount of support provided. ... Simply put, buyer’s remorse is not grounds for a waiver. Similarly, the discovery that many of the locations believed to be unserved were in fact served was not caused by some external force or condition. ... Instead, it was the result of ACS neglecting to check [a National Broadband Map] for fixed wireless service. Failure of ACS to exercise due diligence before accepting the allocated funds does not constitute special circumstances." The bureau directed the Universal Service Administrative Co. to recover support to the extent ACS failed to meet its requirements. Alaska Communications didn't comment Monday.

A House Democratic leadership aide told us Democrats are likely to rebel against the FY 2017 FCC funding bill and stand-alone legislation to curb the Lifeline program, both being brought to the House floor this week. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., is attempting to get two different proposals addressing the Lifeline program through the floor, one as a Financial Services bill amendment (see 1606170060) and another as stand-alone legislation being considered Tuesday under suspension of the rules.

A House Democratic leadership aide told us Democrats are likely to rebel against the FY 2017 FCC funding bill and stand-alone legislation to curb the Lifeline program, both being brought to the House floor this week. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., is attempting to get two different proposals addressing the Lifeline program through the floor, one as a Financial Services bill amendment (see 1606170060) and another as stand-alone legislation being considered Tuesday under suspension of the rules.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Universal Service Administrative Co. CEO Chris Henderson sought to reassure Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., that money from such programs as Rural Health Care (RHC) aren't going toward excessive consulting fees. Wheeler and Henderson “share some of the concerns expressed in your letter about the cost to RHC and E-rate applicants of hiring consultants to assist with paperwork and compliance with the other requirements of the two programs,” they said in a May 26 reply the FCC released Friday. “Importantly, however, neither the RHC nor the E-rate program provides support of the sort described in your letter. Specifically, our rules do not allow RHC or E-rate funding to go to consultants that provide administrative support to program applicants.” Wheeler provided a separate June 3 reply to Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., released by the agency Friday, on the E-rate Productivity Center portal. Many stakeholders found that portal "challenging" but the challenge has been "overcome," Wheeler told Johnson, citing an extension given on this front to accommodate earlier challenges.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Universal Service Administrative Co. CEO Chris Henderson sought to reassure Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., that money from such programs as Rural Health Care (RHC) aren't going toward excessive consulting fees. Wheeler and Henderson “share some of the concerns expressed in your letter about the cost to RHC and E-rate applicants of hiring consultants to assist with paperwork and compliance with the other requirements of the two programs,” they said in a May 26 reply the FCC released Friday. “Importantly, however, neither the RHC nor the E-rate program provides support of the sort described in your letter. Specifically, our rules do not allow RHC or E-rate funding to go to consultants that provide administrative support to program applicants.” Wheeler provided a separate June 3 reply to Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., released by the agency Friday, on the E-rate Productivity Center portal. Many stakeholders found that portal "challenging" but the challenge has been "overcome," Wheeler told Johnson, citing an extension given on this front to accommodate earlier challenges.