The lawyer for the Tri-County Telephone Association challenging the FCC’s nearly $1 billion USF telecom rebuild program for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands faced questions Thursday as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard oral argument in TCT's case (docket 20-1003 in Pacer). Judges challenged the group’s argument that the FCC doesn't have authority to use high-cost USF support dollars for disaster relief.

As T-Mobile follows through on regulatory commitments to build out 5G to cover most of the U.S., population density often isn’t as big a challenge as topography, said Chris Wieczorek, senior director-spectrum policy, at the Americas Spectrum Management Conference. In mountainous areas, “you get a lot more coverage holes,” he said. Wednesday's conference focus was on rural and hard-to-serve areas.

Several members of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees face tough reelection fights, elections experts told us. Most of the vulnerable lawmakers are Republicans, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Commerce Security Subcommittee Chairman Dan Sullivan of Alaska. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan is the only Democrat on either committee who faces similarly long odds. The House Commerce and Judiciary panels face far less potential turnover among incumbents seeking to return in the next Congress.

Several members of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees face tough reelection fights, elections experts told us. Most of the vulnerable lawmakers are Republicans, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Commerce Security Subcommittee Chairman Dan Sullivan of Alaska. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan is the only Democrat on either committee who faces similarly long odds. The House Commerce and Judiciary panels face far less potential turnover among incumbents seeking to return in the next Congress.

Commissioners affirmed an FCC private line order but gave TDS Metrocom and XO Communications relief they sought in 2017 (see 1705020039). The two asked to reverse a staff order denying requests to review Universal Service Administrative Co. audit findings on USF contributions. “We affirm the Commission’s long-standing contribution reporting requirements that direct all contributors to obtain and provide to USAC or the Commission upon request documentation that supports the jurisdictional allocation of their revenues,” the FCC said in Tuesday's Daily Digest. “Our decision ensuring that our filing requirements are adhered to by all contributors helps to safeguard the integrity of the Fund.” Based on “unique circumstances,” the FCC said TDS has “shown good cause to grant a waiver of our rules and we direct USAC to reverse its decision.” The commission said USAC didn’t give “sufficient weight to the additional evidence XO submitted to demonstrate it had allocated its private line revenue to the proper jurisdiction” and remanded its determination letter.

Auditing Washington, D.C.’s 911 center will uncover any systemic dispatching issues, and more regular reviews could go a long way toward preventing future problems, said experts in interviews. While it's concerning to read reports of the D.C. Office of Unified Communications sending responders to wrong addresses, closer review is needed, and some possible causes, including training and retention, are national problems, they said.

AT&T denied Mississippi Public Service Commission claims the carrier sent false information to Universal Service Administrative Co. Commissioners asked the FCC last week to audit AT&T on its use of more than $283 million in Connect America Fund support to expand broadband to 133,000 Mississippi locations (see 2009300023). USAC earlier this year upgraded its portal to allow bulk corrections to data, and AT&T hasn’t revised the data because it first wanted to review and validate geocoding of its entire CAF II locations inventory, the carrier said in a Wednesday letter to FCC Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith and Inspector General David Hunt. AT&T isn’t deceiving by advertising internet as available at a location but then finding it’s unable to install service after the company’s technician measures signal strength, it said. The telco said it will comply with interim buildout milestones and exceed the 100% requirement by year-end in Mississippi and all 17 other CAF II states. Mississippi PSC Commissioner Brandon Presley tweeted Thursday that he asked commission staff to investigate reports that AT&T will stop expanding DSL. “While DSL is not an optimal choice for internet service, it’s all that many have and is better than other services.” AT&T provided us a statement in response (see 2010080066).

AT&T denied Mississippi Public Service Commission claims the carrier sent false information to Universal Service Administrative Co. Commissioners asked the FCC last week to audit AT&T on its use of more than $283 million in Connect America Fund support to expand broadband to 133,000 Mississippi locations (see 2009300023). USAC earlier this year upgraded its portal to allow bulk corrections to data, and AT&T hasn’t revised the data because it first wanted to review and validate geocoding of its entire CAF II locations inventory, the carrier said in a Wednesday letter to FCC Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith and Inspector General David Hunt. AT&T isn’t deceiving by advertising internet as available at a location but then finding it’s unable to install service after the company’s technician measures signal strength, it said. The telco said it will comply with interim buildout milestones and exceed the 100% requirement by year-end in Mississippi and all 17 other CAF II states. Mississippi PSC Commissioner Brandon Presley tweeted Thursday that he asked commission staff to investigate reports that AT&T will stop expanding DSL. “While DSL is not an optimal choice for internet service, it’s all that many have and is better than other services.” AT&T provided us a statement in response (see 2010080066).

A possible switch from an elected to governor-appointed New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is dividing current and possibly future members. New Mexicans will vote Nov. 3 on that issue and on who will fill two commissioner seats at least until 2023, when the change would take effect. Nine other states also have utility regulator elections this year, with several candidates talking broadband.

None of the net neutrality order issues remanded to the FCC by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (see 1910010013) needs further consideration, concluded the draft order released Tuesday for commissioners' Oct. 27 meeting. Even if supposed harms the 2017 order had on public safety, pole attachment rights for broadband-only providers, and the Lifeline program could be substantiated, they're limited and hugely outweighed by the order's benefits, the agency concludes.