Internet gaps exposed by COVID-19 are fueling calls by state policymakers to treat broadband like a utility. With federal preemption issues, the California Public Utilities Commission plans to “push the question,” said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves in an interview last week. Washington state’s net neutrality law author said he will seek to fully allow municipal broadband next year. A Michigan regulation bill might also return in 2021.

The Mississippi Public Service Commission got information from AT&T responsive to the agency’s subpoena about what happened with more than $283 million in Connect America Fund support to expand broadband to 133,000 Mississippi locations (see 2009100059), PSC Chairman Brandon Presley said Friday. “We’re continuing our investigation” and will share findings with Universal Service Administrative Co., Presley told us. The PSC is still finding addresses where the company claims it provides service yet denies customers’ requests for installation, he said. Mississippi law and PSC rules "protect against the public disclosure of competitively-sensitive information, including the number of customers we serve," an AT&T spokesperson said. "We have informed the commission that we will provide the requested information subject to those safeguards."

The Mississippi Public Service Commission got information from AT&T responsive to the agency’s subpoena about what happened with more than $283 million in Connect America Fund support to expand broadband to 133,000 Mississippi locations (see 2009100059), PSC Chairman Brandon Presley said Friday. “We’re continuing our investigation” and will share findings with Universal Service Administrative Co., Presley told us. The PSC is still finding addresses where the company claims it provides service yet denies customers’ requests for installation, he said. Mississippi law and PSC rules "protect against the public disclosure of competitively-sensitive information, including the number of customers we serve," an AT&T spokesperson said. "We have informed the commission that we will provide the requested information subject to those safeguards."

Universal Administrative Service Co. is opening a second 2020 filing window Sept. 21 to Oct. 16 to allow schools in the E-rate program to request funding to buy more bandwidth to meet added on-campus connectivity demands due to the pandemic, without having to go through a new competitive bidding process, says the FCC in Monday's Federal Register. The order was approved last week (see 2009160036).

Universal Administrative Service Co. is opening a second 2020 filing window Sept. 21 to Oct. 16 to allow schools in the E-rate program to request funding to buy more bandwidth to meet added on-campus connectivity demands due to the pandemic, without having to go through a new competitive bidding process, says the FCC in Monday's Federal Register. The order was approved last week (see 2009160036).

The FCC and Universal Service Administrative Co. should “comprehensively assess fraud risks to the E-rate program and follow leading practices when designing and implementing data analytics to prevent and detect fraud,” GAO said in a report sought by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. The FCC Office of Inspector General reported to Congress in 2017 that the commission’s ability to detect and deter E-rate fraud was limited because of lack of oversight controls. GAO said Wednesday it found E-rate’s program design allows participants to “self-certify” and lacks sufficient FCC oversight to “identify potential fraud risks. For example, an applicant could receive payments for services they've claimed to have provided, but don't have the documentation.” Reliance on self-certification “is an inherent overarching key fraud risk affecting the E-rate program application and funding phases,” the auditor said. “This key fraud risk presents opportunities for applicants, service providers, or consultants to misrepresent dozens of self-certification statements on various application and funding FCC forms.” Other key fraud risks include “opportunities to misrepresent compliance with competitive-bidding requirements,” instances where “various E-rate program participants” can “collude” and potential conflicts of interest “when an E-rate consultant or Educational Service Agency represents both the applicant and service provider in the same transaction.” The proposed coordinated FCC-USAC assessments of E-rate fraud risks should include “implementing their respective plans for developing periodic fraud risk assessments, examining suitability of existing fraud controls, and compiling fraud risk profiles, GAO recommended. The FCC chairman should ensure the commission and USAC “follow the leading practices in GAO’s Fraud Risk Framework when designing and implementing data-analytics activities to prevent and detect fraud as part of their respective antifraud strategies for the E-rate program.” The FCC should direct USAC “to clearly define and fully document the data fields in all relevant E-rate program computer systems to help improve FCC’s ability to understand and use data to manage fraud risks,” GAO said. The FCC agreed about the recommendations. Coordination with USAC on E-rate assessments “complements” the regulator’s “existing efforts and will help the Commission and USAC to build on those efforts to mitigate fraud risk,” said FCC Managing Director Mark Stephens and Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith in an attached letter. The FCC and USAC “have been working collaboratively to incorporate the use of data-analytics activities into our fraud risk management plans and starting last year, began using data analytics in the context of investigation and enforcement.” The FCC plans to “direct USAC to better document and define the data fields in its E-Rate systems, with an initial focus on the key data fields that USAC relies on most to administer” the program, Monteith and Stephens said. USAC declined to comment.

The FCC and Universal Service Administrative Co. should “comprehensively assess fraud risks to the E-rate program and follow leading practices when designing and implementing data analytics to prevent and detect fraud,” GAO said in a report sought by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. The FCC Office of Inspector General reported to Congress in 2017 that the commission’s ability to detect and deter E-rate fraud was limited because of lack of oversight controls. GAO said Wednesday it found E-rate’s program design allows participants to “self-certify” and lacks sufficient FCC oversight to “identify potential fraud risks. For example, an applicant could receive payments for services they've claimed to have provided, but don't have the documentation.” Reliance on self-certification “is an inherent overarching key fraud risk affecting the E-rate program application and funding phases,” the auditor said. “This key fraud risk presents opportunities for applicants, service providers, or consultants to misrepresent dozens of self-certification statements on various application and funding FCC forms.” Other key fraud risks include “opportunities to misrepresent compliance with competitive-bidding requirements,” instances where “various E-rate program participants” can “collude” and potential conflicts of interest “when an E-rate consultant or Educational Service Agency represents both the applicant and service provider in the same transaction.” The proposed coordinated FCC-USAC assessments of E-rate fraud risks should include “implementing their respective plans for developing periodic fraud risk assessments, examining suitability of existing fraud controls, and compiling fraud risk profiles, GAO recommended. The FCC chairman should ensure the commission and USAC “follow the leading practices in GAO’s Fraud Risk Framework when designing and implementing data-analytics activities to prevent and detect fraud as part of their respective antifraud strategies for the E-rate program.” The FCC should direct USAC “to clearly define and fully document the data fields in all relevant E-rate program computer systems to help improve FCC’s ability to understand and use data to manage fraud risks,” GAO said. The FCC agreed about the recommendations. Coordination with USAC on E-rate assessments “complements” the regulator’s “existing efforts and will help the Commission and USAC to build on those efforts to mitigate fraud risk,” said FCC Managing Director Mark Stephens and Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith in an attached letter. The FCC and USAC “have been working collaboratively to incorporate the use of data-analytics activities into our fraud risk management plans and starting last year, began using data analytics in the context of investigation and enforcement.” The FCC plans to “direct USAC to better document and define the data fields in its E-Rate systems, with an initial focus on the key data fields that USAC relies on most to administer” the program, Monteith and Stephens said. USAC declined to comment.

Senate Republicans filed their new COVID-19 aid bill Tuesday, the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act, with more than $70 billion in Department of Education funding that can be used for schools to pay for remote learning. The measure doesn’t include specific broadband funding. The House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HR-6800) included connectivity money (see 2005130059). The new bill also doesn’t have other tech and telecom provisions Senate Republicans put in a late July aid proposal (see 2007280059), including funding to implement the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR-4998). Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., filed for cloture on the measure and said a final floor vote could happen this week. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the bill as Republicans’ bid to “’check the box’” and “maintain the appearance that they’re not held hostage by their extreme right-wing that doesn’t want to spend a nickel to help people.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged members of Congress to “appropriate timely and temporary funding in a technologically-neutral manner outside the existing E-Rate and other Universal Service Fund programs” for remote learning during the pandemic.

Senate Republicans filed their new COVID-19 aid bill Tuesday, the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act, with more than $70 billion in Department of Education funding that can be used for schools to pay for remote learning. The measure doesn’t include specific broadband funding. The House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HR-6800) included connectivity money (see 2005130059). The new bill also doesn’t have other tech and telecom provisions Senate Republicans put in a late July aid proposal (see 2007280059), including funding to implement the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR-4998). Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., filed for cloture on the measure and said a final floor vote could happen this week. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the bill as Republicans’ bid to “’check the box’” and “maintain the appearance that they’re not held hostage by their extreme right-wing that doesn’t want to spend a nickel to help people.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged members of Congress to “appropriate timely and temporary funding in a technologically-neutral manner outside the existing E-Rate and other Universal Service Fund programs” for remote learning during the pandemic.

Senate Republicans filed their new COVID-19 aid bill Tuesday, the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act, with more than $70 billion in Department of Education funding that can be used for schools to pay for remote learning. The measure doesn’t include specific broadband funding. The House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HR-6800) included connectivity money (see 2005130059). The new bill also doesn’t have other tech and telecom provisions Senate Republicans put in a late July aid proposal (see 2007280059), including funding to implement the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR-4998). Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., filed for cloture on the measure and said a final floor vote could happen this week. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the bill as Republicans’ bid to “’check the box’” and “maintain the appearance that they’re not held hostage by their extreme right-wing that doesn’t want to spend a nickel to help people.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged members of Congress to “appropriate timely and temporary funding in a technologically-neutral manner outside the existing E-Rate and other Universal Service Fund programs” for remote learning during the pandemic.