Expect the District of Columbia Public Service Commission to be “more active” in FCC proceedings, including Lifeline, Chairman Willie Phillips said. A commissioner since 2014, Phillips took the PSC’s top seat this year after three-term Chairman Betty Ann Kane retired. In an interview, Phillips raised concerns about state-federal coordination on the Lifeline National Verifier, which soft-launched in D.C. in February and will hard launch in May. Also, Phillips said he wants to support 5G deployment in the District.

Stakeholder frustration at the FCC not releasing a draft USF NPRM on setting a budget for the fund mounted after Tuesday’s blog post by Commissioner Mike O'Rielly defending the rulemaking. That evening, 16 groups wrote him to request he release "the text of the item prior to any consideration or approval of it on circulation." The groups "appreciate your recent attempts to clarify a few points regarding the item, but we need to know more."

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai repeatedly avoided commenting Wednesday on whether the agency, to do its job, needs more money than it sought in its $335.6 million budget request to Congress. “I want you to tell me, do you need more money?” interrupted Rep. Sanford Bishop. D-Ga., during a House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on the FCC budget after Pai had several times started to say the agency would use the current request wisely. After much back and forth, Pai said the FCC could discharge its functions with the current request or additional funds.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai repeatedly avoided commenting Wednesday on whether the agency, to do its job, needs more money than it sought in its $335.6 million budget request to Congress. “I want you to tell me, do you need more money?” interrupted Rep. Sanford Bishop. D-Ga., during a House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on the FCC budget after Pai had several times started to say the agency would use the current request wisely. After much back and forth, Pai said the FCC could discharge its functions with the current request or additional funds.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks faced questions on the outlook for the Mobility Fund Phase II program in a closed-door meeting with the House Rural Broadband Caucus, said attendees. Work on the fund has stalled since last year when the FCC launched an investigation of potential wrongdoing in MF-II and scheduled an auction.

As frustrated stakeholders watch an FCC drafting process that they want to be more transparent for an NPRM circulating on USF budgets, concerns about the document's details (see 1903270042) are mounting (see 1903280050). All stakeholders we interviewed this week and last wish the rulemaking had been set for consideration at a monthly commissioners' meeting, so it would be public three weeks beforehand. Or, they wanted it released another way in advance.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks faced questions on the outlook for the Mobility Fund Phase II program in a closed-door meeting with the House Rural Broadband Caucus, said attendees. Work on the fund has stalled since last year when the FCC launched an investigation of potential wrongdoing in MF-II and scheduled an auction.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission opened its annual state USF investigation. Case 19-0374-T-GI will look generally at use of USF funding by eligible telecom carriers, with findings to be reported to the FCC and Universal Service Administrative Co., said Thursday's order.

FCC members and others ramped up rhetoric on a draft NPRM on a potential USF budget, which hasn't been made public. The commission declined to comment. Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, the point person on the rulemaking, is "troubled by early critiques of this item," he tweeted Thursday. "Beyond not having read it, these people don’t seem to have any idea what they are talking about. Shocking for DC, I know." Three of four "USF programs already have hard spending caps & the other has a soft cap requiring Commission action if it were exceeded," he said. "An overall cap doesn’t add new budgetary pressures than those that already exist!" He said, "Instead, an overall cap will force the Commission to seriously grapple with the consequences of raising an individual program’s cap for the total fund, and more thoughtfully confront how it spends consumers’ hard-earned dollars." Commissioner Geoffrey Starks tweeted, "How can we talk about capping our Universal Service programs at a time when the Commission doesn’t seem to have a good handle on who currently has broadband and who does not?" The reported proposal (see 1903270042) "to cap USF funding directly contradicts Chairman [Ajit] Pai’s oft-repeated mantra that his primary focus is to close the digital divide," said Public Knowledge Communications Justice Fellow Alisa Valentin. "Congress has long directed the Commission to ensure that every American has access to essential communications services." Benton Foundation Executive Editor Kevin Taglang said, "We can’t extend broadband’s reach throughout rural America with a USF cap." It's "premature" to consider capping Lifeline, one part of USF, said National Consumer Law Center Staff Attorney Olivia Wein. This would "unnecessarily ration Lifeline support," she added.

FCC members and others ramped up rhetoric on a draft NPRM on a potential USF budget, which hasn't been made public. The commission declined to comment. Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, the point person on the rulemaking, is "troubled by early critiques of this item," he tweeted Thursday. "Beyond not having read it, these people don’t seem to have any idea what they are talking about. Shocking for DC, I know." Three of four "USF programs already have hard spending caps & the other has a soft cap requiring Commission action if it were exceeded," he said. "An overall cap doesn’t add new budgetary pressures than those that already exist!" He said, "Instead, an overall cap will force the Commission to seriously grapple with the consequences of raising an individual program’s cap for the total fund, and more thoughtfully confront how it spends consumers’ hard-earned dollars." Commissioner Geoffrey Starks tweeted, "How can we talk about capping our Universal Service programs at a time when the Commission doesn’t seem to have a good handle on who currently has broadband and who does not?" The reported proposal (see 1903270042) "to cap USF funding directly contradicts Chairman [Ajit] Pai’s oft-repeated mantra that his primary focus is to close the digital divide," said Public Knowledge Communications Justice Fellow Alisa Valentin. "Congress has long directed the Commission to ensure that every American has access to essential communications services." Benton Foundation Executive Editor Kevin Taglang said, "We can’t extend broadband’s reach throughout rural America with a USF cap." It's "premature" to consider capping Lifeline, one part of USF, said National Consumer Law Center Staff Attorney Olivia Wein. This would "unnecessarily ration Lifeline support," she added.