The FCC Wireline Bureau completed its initial review of information submitted by Connect America Fund Phase II support recipients participating in the eligible locations adjustment process (ELAP), said a public notice Monday in docket 10-90 (see 1911120061). The bureau received 27 submissions covering 23 states and 36 participant/state combinations. All participants were found to have met their "prima facie evidentiary burden" to continue with the ELAP process, it said. The bureau will release participants’ names, the study area codes of locations, the reported type of locations, geocoordinates of locations, the postal address or physical identification of locations, and the number of separate dwelling units. The Universal Service Administrative Co. will release an interactive map with that information. Prospective stakeholders seeking broadband services are required to start the registration process by completing an online registration form by March 25. The bureau waived the 90-day stakeholder challenge window, citing "unanticipated technical obstacles to simultaneous implementation of both the registration process and stakeholder challenge window." The challenge filing window will be open April 1-June 29.

NAB and board member Byron Allen appeared to be partially at odds Monday on FCC nominee Gigi Sohn, before her Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee confirmation hearing (see 2111230066). NAB wants Sohn to submit an amended ethics agreement with more information on her association with broadcast programming streaming service Locast, but Allen declared his strong support for her confirmation. Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy and a group of five Republican current and former elected officials said Monday they support Sohn, whose nomination has already drawn strong GOP pushback (see 2111170071). Sohn and NTIA administrator nominee Alan Davidson, who’s also to appear before the Senate Commerce panel, highlighted improving U.S. broadband access and affordability, in responses to prehearing questionnaires.

The FCC’s last open meeting of 2021 will include votes on making emergency alert systems messages more accessible, changes to competitive bidding regulations for E-rate, and revisions to spectrum sharing rules for low-orbit satellite systems, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel blogged. The virtual meeting is Dec. 14 at 10:30 a.m.

Some emergency broadband benefit program providers' sales agents enroll households by "falsely claiming" the household includes a child attending a Department of Agriculture community eligibility provision (CEP) school during the eligibility verification process, said an FCC Office of Inspector General advisory Monday. The data "clearly show a number of CEP schools are grossly overrepresented in EBB household enrollments when compared to the actual student enrollment at those schools," the advisory said. OIG found nearly 50 provider retail stores listed as the home address for households and more than 2,000 households living more than 50 miles from their designated CEP school. OIG didn't identify the schools "to preserve the integrity of ongoing investigations." The Office of Managing Director directed Universal Service Administrative Co. to modify the EBB application portal to require proof of enrollment at a CEP school. The bureau is also referring bad actors to the Enforcement Bureau and recouping "improperly disbursed funds," said a public notice. Accepted documentation includes a school letter confirming enrollment or a report card, said a Wireline Bureau PN. The bureau is also requiring current EBB enrollees to confirm their CEP-based eligibility: Households that "fail to timely confirm their eligibility will be de-enrolled."

Tribal libraries may soon get the clarity they sought on E-rate eligibility rules, as industry and tribal groups widely approved, in comments posted Tuesday in docket 02-6, FCC-proposed updates to the definition of an eligible library (see 2110010070). Some said more is needed to encourage participation.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is likely to get a warmer GOP reception at her Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee confirmation hearing than fellow Democratic commission nominee Gigi Sohn will get at a to-be-scheduled December panel, lawmakers and lobbyists told us. Some observers believe FTC nominee Alvaro Bedoya, who’s also to appear Wednesday, will draw more attention because of some of the agency’s recent actions under Chair Lina Khan. The hearing will begin in 253 Russell immediately after a 10 a.m. meeting that will include votes on National Institute of Standards and Technology director nominee Laurie Locascio, the Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act (S-594) and American Cybersecurity Literacy Act (S-2699).

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., told us he’s going to continue to press for progress on major tech and telecom legislation during the remainder of this Congress rather than coast toward retirement, after his October announcement he won’t run for re-election (see 2110180043). Doyle concedes progress on net neutrality legislation, a top issue since he became lead Communications Democrat in 2017, may not happen before he retires. Communications Vice Chair Doris Matsui of California and two other members -- Reps. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina and Yvette Clarke of New York -- confirmed to us they’re considering whether they would like to succeed Doyle as the subpanel’s lead Democrat.

LOUISVILLE -- Just as states are pursuing a few approaches to shore up their own USFs, state regulators have a similar array of ideas about how the federal government can put its funds for broadband and other telecom services on sounder financial footing. In interviews on the sidelines of NARUC's gathering and in phone interviews for those who didn't travel here for the Sunday-Wednesday event, commissioners generally agreed the path the federal USF is on isn't sustainable because the percentage fee on some telecom services that consumers are levied on their monthly bills has gone up in recent years.

The FCC Wireline Bureau paused phasedown of Lifeline voice-only support until Dec. 1, 2022, said an order Friday (see 2111050051). Staff waived the increase of minimum service standards for mobile broadband until then, as expected (see 2111030038). The bureau didn't address the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates’ petition for reconsideration and instead acted on its own motion.

Tech companies and trade associations favor working more closely with U.S. trade partners to diversify information and communications technology supply chains and make them more resilient to disruption and bottlenecks, several commented Thursday in BIS-2021-0021. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security sought comment to help the secretaries of Commerce and Homeland Security prepare a report to the White House on supply chain disruptions in the “critical sectors and subsectors” of the ICT “industrial base” by the one-year anniversary of President Joe Biden’s Feb. 24 executive order (see 2109170042).