The FCC is seeking comment on pay phone companies’ request for a universal service fund rescue. The American Public Communications Council asked the FCC for an emergency infusion of Lifeline money -- $10 per month per line for publicly available phones. The council has also asked for a rulemaking notice on a fifth tier for the Lifeline program, which would be used permanently to support pay phones (CD Dec 6 p6). Comments are due Jan. 18, replies Feb. 2.

The FCC’s proposed mobility fund is too small to help build out 3G broadband for the nation’s under-served areas, T-Mobile, the Rural Telecommunications Group and South Dakota-based Flow Mobile said in comments filed in docket 10-208 and released Friday. Verizon and Windstream disagreed, saying the fund was appropriate. Verizon, in fact, went further and said that not only is the $100-$300 million proposed mobility fund adequate, but the FCC should phase out other support for competitive eligible telecommunications providers.

House Republicans elected Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon as Communications Subcommittee chairman Thursday. They chose the chairmen and vice chairmen of all six Commerce subcommittees, and Sue Myrick of North Carolina was named vice chairman of the full committee. Walden was said to have the support of incoming House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and of Commerce Chairman-elect Fred Upton of Michigan (CD Dec 16 p2). Upton decided to split the Energy and Environment Subcommittee into a panel on energy and power and another on the environment and the economy. Some lobbyists had expected the split, so the Environment Subcommittee could focus on the Environmental Protection Agency, and so John Shimkus of Illinois, named chair, could lead a subcommittee, since he won’t chair Communications. Lee Terry of Nebraska was named the Communications Subcommittee’s vice chairman. He has said he'll continue next Congress to make a Universal Service Fund revamp a focus and he hopes to find a Democrat to help him shepherd legislation through, much as outgoing Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., did. Cliff Stearns of Florida, the ranking GOP member of the subcommittee this Congress, will head the Oversight Subcommittee, Upton’s office said. The outgoing Commerce ranking member, Joe Barton, R-Texas, who lost to Upton for the chairmanship, was named chairman emeritus. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., got the same title when he lost in 2008 to Henry Waxman of California. Waxman, now leaving the Commerce chair, was named last week by outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as ranking member. Mary Bono Mack of California will lead the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee, with Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee as vice chairman. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania was named vice chairman of the Environment Subcommittee. The Energy Subcommittee will be headed by Ed Whitfield of Kentucky and John Sullivan of Oklahoma was named vice chairman. “Our challenges are many, and it will be all hands on deck for the Energy and Commerce Committee as we repeal Obamacare, cut spending, roll back job-killing regulations, unleash technological innovation, and fortify our nation’s energy security,” Upton said.

House Republicans elected Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon as Communications Subcommittee chairman Thursday. They chose the chairmen and vice chairmen of all six Commerce subcommittees. Walden was said to have the support of incoming House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and of Commerce Chairman-elect Fred Upton of Michigan. Upton decided to split the Energy and Environment Subcommittee into a panel on energy and power and another on the environment and the economy. Some lobbyists had expected the split, so the Environment Subcommittee could focus on the Environmental Protection Agency, and so John Shimkus of Illinois, named chair, could lead a subcommittee, since he won’t chair Communications. Lee Terry of Nebraska was named the Communications Subcommittee’s vice chairman. He said he'll continue next Congress to make a Universal Service Fund revamp a focus and he hopes to find a Democrat to help him shepherd legislation through, much as outgoing Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., did. Cliff Stearns of Florida, the ranking GOP member of the subcommittee this Congress, will head the Oversight Subcommittee, Upton’s office said. The outgoing Commerce ranking member, Joe Barton, R-Texas, who lost to Upton for the chairmanship, was named chairman emeritus. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., got the same title when he lost in 2008 to Henry Waxman of California. Waxman, now leaving the Commerce chair, was named last week by outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as ranking member. Mary Bono Mack of California will lead the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee, with Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee as vice chairman. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania was named vice chairman of the Environment Subcommittee. The Energy Subcommittee will be headed by Ed Whitfield of Kentucky and John Sullivan of Oklahoma was named vice chairman. “Our challenges are many, and it will be all hands on deck for the Energy and Commerce Committee as we repeal ‘Obamacare,’ cut spending, roll back job-killing regulations, unleash technological innovation, and fortify our nation’s energy security,” Upton said.

House Republicans elected Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon as Communications Subcommittee chairman Thursday. They chose the chairmen and vice chairmen of all six Commerce subcommittees. Walden was said to have the support of incoming House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and of Commerce Chairman-elect Fred Upton of Michigan (WID Dec 16 p1). Upton decided to split the Energy and Environment Subcommittee into a panel on energy and power and another on the environment and the economy. Some lobbyists had expected the split, so the Environment Subcommittee could focus on the Environmental Protection Agency, and so John Shimkus of Illinois, named chair, could lead a subcommittee, since he won’t chair Communications. Lee Terry of Nebraska was named the Communications Subcommittee’s vice chairman. He said he'll continue next Congress to make a Universal Service Fund revamp a focus and he hopes to find a Democrat to help him shepherd legislation through, much as outgoing Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., did. Cliff Stearns of Florida, the ranking GOP member of the subcommittee this Congress, will head the Oversight Subcommittee, Upton’s office said. The outgoing Commerce ranking member, Joe Barton, R-Texas, who lost to Upton for the chairmanship, was named chairman emeritus. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., got the same title when he lost in 2008 to Henry Waxman of California. Waxman, now leaving the Commerce chair, was named last week by outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as ranking member. Mary Bono Mack of California will lead the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee, with Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee as vice chairman. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania was named vice chairman of the Environment Subcommittee. The Energy Subcommittee will be headed by Ed Whitfield of Kentucky and John Sullivan of Oklahoma was named vice chairman. “Our challenges are many, and it will be all hands on deck for the Energy and Commerce Committee as we repeal ‘Obamacare,’ cut spending, roll back job-killing regulations, unleash technological innovation, and fortify our nation’s energy security,” Upton said.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s plans to add net neutrality rules under the agency’s existing Title I authority comes as a relief to satellite broadband companies, said an industry executive. Under the Title I approach, satellite broadband would not be subject to Universal Service Fund contributions, as could have been the case had the agency gone forward with Title II reclassification, said Steven Doiron, director of regulatory affairs at Hughes Network Systems. Although the details of Genachowski’s plan haven’t been released, the FCC’s efforts aren’t expected to have major impact on satellite broadband providers’ businesses otherwise, said executives.

House Commerce Committee Democrats won’t decide right away whom to vote for to lead Democrats on the Communications Subcommittee, a race that’s being closely watched by the telecom industry, lobbyists from both parties said. They said that those U.S. representatives who are named to the full committee, which will have fewer Democrats come January because Republicans will have a larger proportion of members of the body, likely will meet in January to make their decisions. It’s unclear exactly when the vote will occur because some details of the committee makeup depend on decisions made by the GOP. That party will pick a chairman of the Communications Subcommittee as soon as this week.

House Commerce Committee Democrats probably won’t decide right away whom to vote for to lead Democrats on the Communications Subcommittee, a race that’s being closely watched by the telecom industry, lobbyists from both parties said. They said that those U.S. representatives who are named to the full committee, which will have fewer Democrats come January because Republicans will have a larger proportion of members of the body, likely will meet in January to make their decisions. It’s unclear exactly when the vote will occur because some details of the committee makeup depend on decisions made by the GOP. That party will pick a chairman of the Communications Subcommittee as soon as this week.

The FCC would get its full request of $355.5 million for FY 2011 if Congress approves the latest version of its omnibus spending bill, which was released Tuesday. The bill appropriates $41.5 million for the NTIA, including money for oversight of broadband stimulus grants. The bill also includes an Anti-Deficiency Act exemption of interest to the telecom industry. The Universal Service Fund program needs an annual exemption from ADA, which sets accounting rules for federal programs. Due to USF’s unique accounting methodology, the program would technically violate the Act without the exemption, which must be obtained in every budget cycle. Also of interest, the bill prohibits the FCC from adopting a restriction limiting USF funding to primary lines. Senate Democrats hope to move the 1,900-page bill to the floor within the next week.

Monday’s announcement that the Universal Service Fund contribution factor will hit 15.5 percent in Q1 shows that wireless carriers aren’t responsible for driving up the size of the fund, Rural Cellular Association President Steve Berry said Tuesday. “In August 2008, the FCC ordered an ‘interim’ cap on the total support that” competitive eligible telecommunications carriers “can receive based on the notion that wireless carriers were solely responsible for the growth in USF,” Berry said. “Clearly, wireless is not the problem; despite the cap on wireless support, the contribution factor has not only increased, but it is at its highest” level ever. The announcement “further demonstrates the need for forward looking USF reform that funds the choices of consumers,” he said.