The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should vacate the FCC’s Oct. 25 declaratory ruling that authorizes funding for Wi-Fi service and equipment on school buses under the commission’s E-rate program, said Maurine and Matthew Molak in a petition for review Wednesday (docket 23-60641). The Molaks said in the filing that the ruling will increase the E-rate program's “outlays” and “thereby directly increase" the amount of the federal universal service charge they pay each month as a line-item on their phone bill to fund E-rate costs.

Louisiana is the first state to get full NTIA approval of its initial proposal for the broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. NTIA approved volume 2 of the state's plan, the agency said Friday. On a videoconference with reporters Thursday, outgoing Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said he has no concerns that Gov.-elect Jeff Landry (R) “will depart from the commitment that we have made in our submission.”

Four lead Republicans on the House and Senate Commerce committees and their Communications subpanels raised major concerns Friday with the FCC’s “deeply misleading” claims about the affordable connectivity program's efficacy. Some lobbyists think this is a problem given the Biden administration’s push for Congress to appropriate an additional $6 billion to fully fund the initiative through the end of 2024 (see 2310250075). Estimates peg ACP as likely to exhaust its initial $14.2 billion tranche from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act during the first half of 2024 (see 2309210060).

The FCC didn't violate the nondelegation doctrine when it used the Universal Service Administrative Co. to calculate quarterly USF contribution factors and administer USF programs, a federal court ruled Thursday. In denying Consumers' Research's challenge of the FCC contribution factor (see 2306220062), the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals noted "all USAC action is subordinate to the FCC, and the FCC retains ultimate decision-making power."

The FCC didn't violate the nondelegation doctrine when it used the Universal Service Administrative Co. to calculate quarterly USF contribution factors and administer USF programs, a federal court ruled Thursday. In denying Consumers' Research's challenge of the FCC contribution factor (see 2306220062), the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals noted "all USAC action is subordinate to the FCC, and the FCC retains ultimate decision-making power."

Most commenters supported adding the equipment and services needed to use Wi-Fi on school buses to the FY 2024 eligible services list for the FCC E-rate program as a category one service. Comments were posted Friday in docket 13-184. FCC Republican Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington dissented last month on an NPRM asking about the change (see 2311090028).

If the FCC doesn’t impede state regulation, the California Public Utilities Commission will support FCC open internet rules and reclassifying broadband information access service (BIAS) as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act, the CPUC decided Thursday. Through a unanimous vote on the consent agenda during the state commission’s livestreamed meeting, commissioners agreed the CPUC should file comments urging the FCC to reclassify broadband as a telecom service and mobile BIAS as a commercial mobile service.

The U.S. Supreme Court might opt to avoid likely fights over the FCC's digital discrimination rules or proposed Title II net neutrality rules, Andrew Schwartzman, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society's senior counselor, told Communications Daily this month. In an extensive sit-down interview, Schwartzman spoke about his long career as a public interest advocate within telecommunications, evolution of that domain, and how the FCC's net neutrality regulatory push is not merely a repeat of the past. The following transcript of our conversation was edited for length and clarity.

The California Public Utilities Commission should reject a proposed change to NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) model rules that would affect how the state treats licensed fixed wireless (LFW) services, wireless industry groups said this week. The CPUC released comments Tuesday on volumes one and two of draft BEAD initial proposals (docket R.23-02-016). AT&T, CTIA and California’s cable association urged the commission to reject a cheap broadband requirement proposed in case Congress doesn’t renew the affordable connectivity program (ACP).

Despite warnings that China's BeiDou global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is eclipsing GPS capabilities, a U.S. response isn't expected. The BeiDou ascendency comes as China is also seen making big strides in commercial positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) satellites.