FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr wants more healthcare providers to contribute to a docket on a proposed Connected Care pilot program before it moves from NPRM to order. Carr touted the pilot Thursday at a Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition conference.

Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-N.Y., announced two bills Friday aimed at improving the federal government's broadband coverage data collection practices. The Broadband Speed Act would require ISPs to annually report data to the FCC that shows the actual speeds they're capable of providing, instead of what they can potentially provide. The bill would also require all new FCC-funded broadband projects to be capable of producing a minimum top speed of 100 Mbps, Delgado's office said. The Community Broadband Mapping Act would allow local governments, electric and telephone cooperatives, small ISPs and economic development and community groups to access Rural Utilities Service funding they can use to collect local broadband coverage data. The House Communications Subcommittee is working on a broadband mapping legislative package, with the House version of the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (Data) Act (HR-4229) expected to be the legislative vehicle (see 1909250063). NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield lauded Delgado for bowing the Broadband Speed Act. “Steps must be taken to address both of these concerns, and we look forward to a further conversation with Congressman Delgado and others in Congress on how best to advance these goals and achieve the ultimate mission of universal service -- delivering quality services that will keep pace with consumer needs in rural and urban areas alike,” Bloomfield said in a statement.

Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-N.Y., announced two bills Friday aimed at improving the federal government's broadband coverage data collection practices. The Broadband Speed Act would require ISPs to annually report data to the FCC that shows the actual speeds they're capable of providing, instead of what they can potentially provide. The bill would also require all new FCC-funded broadband projects to be capable of producing a minimum top speed of 100 Mbps, Delgado's office said. The Community Broadband Mapping Act would allow local governments, electric and telephone cooperatives, small ISPs and economic development and community groups to access Rural Utilities Service funding they can use to collect local broadband coverage data. The House Communications Subcommittee is working on a broadband mapping legislative package, with the House version of the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (Data) Act (HR-4229) expected to be the legislative vehicle (see 1909250063). NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield lauded Delgado for bowing the Broadband Speed Act. “Steps must be taken to address both of these concerns, and we look forward to a further conversation with Congressman Delgado and others in Congress on how best to advance these goals and achieve the ultimate mission of universal service -- delivering quality services that will keep pace with consumer needs in rural and urban areas alike,” Bloomfield said in a statement.

FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly renewed calls to prohibit E-rate funds to schools and libraries that receive broadband service from one provider when another has already received USF dollars at the same location. "It's awful enough when the government subsidizes network builds in areas where the private sector can or does provide service, but it's a separate layer of hell when E-rate money goes to an area already being subsidized by the FCC," O'Rielly told an FCBA USF seminar. O'Rielly has corresponded with school superintendents and consortium leaders in Texas and Arizona about their plans to build self-provisioned wide-area networks that would overbuild a local incumbent's fiber facilities. "I have never been presented with credible evidence that E-Rate funded overbuilding has been anything other than wasteful for the USF," he said, citing "copious evidence of bidding matrices designed to favor a particular outcome and schools buying far more bandwidth than they use or need."

FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly renewed calls to prohibit E-rate funds to schools and libraries that receive broadband service from one provider when another has already received USF dollars at the same location. "It's awful enough when the government subsidizes network builds in areas where the private sector can or does provide service, but it's a separate layer of hell when E-rate money goes to an area already being subsidized by the FCC," O'Rielly told an FCBA USF seminar. O'Rielly has corresponded with school superintendents and consortium leaders in Texas and Arizona about their plans to build self-provisioned wide-area networks that would overbuild a local incumbent's fiber facilities. "I have never been presented with credible evidence that E-Rate funded overbuilding has been anything other than wasteful for the USF," he said, citing "copious evidence of bidding matrices designed to favor a particular outcome and schools buying far more bandwidth than they use or need."

The Wireline Bureau is taking comments through Oct. 31, replies Nov. 15, on Universal Service Administrative Co.'s drop-down menu options for FCC Form 470 applicants use to solicit bids from service providers for E-Rate eligible services, said a public notice on docket 13-184 and in Wednesday's Daily Digest. It seeks to improve the menu to address concerns about the current drop-down menu, reduce administrative burdens and minimize applicant confusion. Menu changes would be available in time for bidding on funding year 2021, the bureau said. It wants changes to be intuitive, technology neutral, searchable and compliant with the program's rules. Stakeholders wanted changes to the form in time for the FY 2020 bidding cycle (see 1808170022). In a letter in Wednesday's Daily Digest, Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith and FCC Managing Director Mark Stephens outlined guidance on how USAC should treat E-rate applications for which an applicant mistakenly selected a drop-down menu option on form 470 that didn't fully reflect the services for which it intended to seek bids: Don't "deny any remaining pending application or issue a commitment adjustment for any application solely because the applicant selected the 'Internet Access: ISP Service Only (No Transport Circuit Included)' drop-down menu option and subsequently selected on its FCC Form 471 a service that delivers Internet access to its premises."

The Wireline Bureau is taking comments through Oct. 31, replies Nov. 15, on Universal Service Administrative Co.'s drop-down menu options for FCC Form 470 applicants use to solicit bids from service providers for E-Rate eligible services, said a public notice on docket 13-184 and in Wednesday's Daily Digest. It seeks to improve the menu to address concerns about the current drop-down menu, reduce administrative burdens and minimize applicant confusion. Menu changes would be available in time for bidding on funding year 2021, the bureau said. It wants changes to be intuitive, technology neutral, searchable and compliant with the program's rules. Stakeholders wanted changes to the form in time for the FY 2020 bidding cycle (see 1808170022). In a letter in Wednesday's Daily Digest, Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith and FCC Managing Director Mark Stephens outlined guidance on how USAC should treat E-rate applications for which an applicant mistakenly selected a drop-down menu option on form 470 that didn't fully reflect the services for which it intended to seek bids: Don't "deny any remaining pending application or issue a commitment adjustment for any application solely because the applicant selected the 'Internet Access: ISP Service Only (No Transport Circuit Included)' drop-down menu option and subsequently selected on its FCC Form 471 a service that delivers Internet access to its premises."

FCC commissioners voted to move forward with $950 million to help improve and strengthen broadband networks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was one of five unanimous votes Thursday at the agency's monthly meeting, though commissioners from each party expressed some concerns.

Groups differ over how much broadband deployment data the FCC should collect from providers, in what form, and how others should be able to challenge its accuracy. Comments posted through Tuesday on docket 19-195 weighed in on the agency's plans to update its Form 477 broadband mapping reporting requirements (see 1908210008). Parties mostly agree more granular information is needed to ensure USF dollars are allocated properly in upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auctions (see 1906280059), but some say holding out for detailed location fabrics that attempt to pinpoint every serviceable structure in the nation could slow the program.

Groups differ over how much broadband deployment data the FCC should collect from providers, in what form, and how others should be able to challenge its accuracy. Comments posted through Tuesday on docket 19-195 weighed in on the agency's plans to update its Form 477 broadband mapping reporting requirements (see 1908210008). Parties mostly agree more granular information is needed to ensure USF dollars are allocated properly in upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auctions (see 1906280059), but some say holding out for detailed location fabrics that attempt to pinpoint every serviceable structure in the nation could slow the program.