A CLE heard criticism of FCC broadband mapping inaccuracies and of an AT&T executive appearing to some to celebrate a municipal network's struggles. Many at Thursday's Wolters Kluwer event agreed the maps need improvement, including Mississippi Public Service Commission Chairman Brandon Presley (D). He has a related draft NARUC resolution (see 1810310035). "The maps are completely inaccurate" and some providers claim to have service in places where they don't, he said: "We’re finding problems throughout our district," which covers about a third of Mississippi. Best Best law firm's Gerard Lederer, who represents municipalities, said "we simply would like to have facts. ... We really need to know where to fill in the gaps. If you don’t have agreement on that, I’m not sure how you can pursue the goal" of universal-type availability. The FCC has defended its process, and declined to comment now. An Oct. 24 tweet from AT&T Mississippi President Mayo Flynt that "another one bites the dust" on Opelika, Alabama, selling its "broadband business for big loss" also drew scrutiny Wednesday. USTelecom Vice President-Law and Policy Diane Griffin Holland said that, speaking personally, "We should not necessarily poke fun at or have a visceral reaction where a municipality seeks to take the initiative to deploy broadband." She thinks public-private partnerships could "take sort of the best of both worlds" to perhaps get "us closer to ubiquitous deployment." Mayo was highlighting AT&T's long-held position that "government-owned networks typically fail at great cost to taxpayers,” a spokesman said. “A number of municipal broadband efforts have failed over the last several years, often at great cost to local taxpayers," a USTelecom spokesman also noted. The group's "position has long been that bringing broadband to unserved areas is essential to closing today’s digital divide," he said. "The best way for municipalities to aid in this effort is through lowering the barriers to private sector deployment and partnering with private companies." As government is funding some projects to fill in digital gaps, some sought higher speeds. Speeds of 10/1 Mbps downstream/upstream may not be sufficient, and the Utilities Technology Council seeks 25/3 or higher, said General Counsel Brett Kilbourne. Many customers of utilities in sparsely populated areas buy 50 Mbps and above, even when slower speeds are available, he said. "Folks in rural areas want high speeds just as much as folks in urban areas."

NARUC plans to vote next month on a resolution urging the FCC to extend the Mobility Fund Phase II process “until such time as all participants can be assured that their challenges are effective and the eligibility map is reflective of the on-the-ground experience of consumers,” said draft resolutions posted Tuesday. The Consumers and the Public Interest Committee plans to vote on the draft by Mississippi Public Service Commission Chairman Brandon Presley at NARUC’s annual meeting Nov. 11-14 in Orlando. If the FCC can’t assure state commissioners, “NARUC urges the FCC to withdraw the current process … and create an improved process that will ensure that the areas … receive the universal support required to fulfill the purpose of the fund,” the draft said. Some members found technological glitches in the FCC’s speed-test app, particularly the Apple iOS app, it said. Commissioners “found it difficult to supply the required numbers of tests given the lack of human resources; dealt with overwhelmed FCC employees who are under immense pressure to answer a large volume of questions; and found the entire FCC process to be underdeveloped and inefficient, leading to a lack of trust on the part of these NARUC members that the final eligibility maps will accurately reflect the need for service in the poorest parts of the nation.” The group plans to vote on a draft resolution promoting collaboration between state and federal regulators to prevent cyberattacks against electric utilities. It proposes the association organize a cybersecurity summit and develop best practices. The FCC declined comment.

NARUC plans to vote next month on a resolution urging the FCC to extend the Mobility Fund Phase II process “until such time as all participants can be assured that their challenges are effective and the eligibility map is reflective of the on-the-ground experience of consumers,” said draft resolutions posted Tuesday. The Consumers and the Public Interest Committee plans to vote on the draft by Mississippi Public Service Commission Chairman Brandon Presley at NARUC’s annual meeting Nov. 11-14 in Orlando. If the FCC can’t assure state commissioners, “NARUC urges the FCC to withdraw the current process … and create an improved process that will ensure that the areas … receive the universal support required to fulfill the purpose of the fund,” the draft said. Some members found technological glitches in the FCC’s speed-test app, particularly the Apple iOS app, it said. Commissioners “found it difficult to supply the required numbers of tests given the lack of human resources; dealt with overwhelmed FCC employees who are under immense pressure to answer a large volume of questions; and found the entire FCC process to be underdeveloped and inefficient, leading to a lack of trust on the part of these NARUC members that the final eligibility maps will accurately reflect the need for service in the poorest parts of the nation.” The group plans to vote on a draft resolution promoting collaboration between state and federal regulators to prevent cyberattacks against electric utilities. It proposes the association organize a cybersecurity summit and develop best practices. The FCC declined comment.

The National Tribal Telecommunications Association recommended changes to USF support mechanisms for carriers serving predominantly rural tribal areas, in a report filed Thursday at the FCC in docket 10-90. NTTA "proposes a Tribal Area Solution to revise current federal universal service programs for [rate-of-return] carriers. These revisions, proposed for the High Cost Loop Support, Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support, and Alternative Connect America Cost Model support programs, recognize the unique challenges faced by carriers serving rural Tribal areas of the lower 48 states in the country.” Efforts to help tribal areas appear on paper to be “fairly substantial,” the group said: “However, the facts are clear -- Tribal areas, especially rural Tribal areas in the lower 48 states, lag significantly behind the rest of the country in regards to broadband availability.”

The FCC needs to revise the USF in way that's “sufficient and predictable,” said NTCA and Golden West Telecommunications CEO Denny Law in meetings with aides to all four FCC commissioners and staff from the Wireline Bureau, said an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 10-90. Stakeholders have shown “overwhelming support” for “longer-term funding to promote universal service in rural areas,” the filing said. The agency also needs to “ensure the sustainability of any budgets adopted” to provide incentives to invest in broadband “for the benefit of rural consumers,” the filing said.

Rural telco groups urged FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and aides to bolster USF support mechanisms for high-cost rural areas. NTCA, ITTA, USTelecom and WTA officials asked the commission to address USF "sufficiency and predictability" concerns by year-end, including by adopting their proposals to increase funding for rate-of-return carriers (see 1810010045), said a filing posted Thursday in docket 10-90 on meeting Pai aides. "NTCA noted the overwhelming support from stakeholders ... and among policymakers generally for longer-term funding to promote universal service in rural areas," in a meeting CEO Shirley Bloomfield and Senior Vice President Mike Romano had with Pai and an aide. "Adopt and implement a straightforward set of reforms ... for each of the already-existing USF mechanisms," NTCA recommended. It sought action on an "outdated rate floor policy."

The FCC made available a Connect America Fund map showing where program recipients report CAF-funded broadband deployment to fixed locations. The interactive map "illustrates both areas eligible for funding and the specific fixed locations where funding recipients have reported deployment by address and geographic latitude and longitude, including the maximum speed offered and the date of deployment," said a Wireline Broadband public notice Tuesday in docket 10-90. It said the current map displays broadband deployment as of Dec. 31 certified by program recipients by March 1, and will be updated as certified by carriers and as programs are added, including the recently concluded CAF II auction of subsidies for fixed broadband and voice services. Related information is at a Universal Service Administrative Co. webpage.

The FCC made available a Connect America Fund map showing where program recipients report CAF-funded broadband deployment to fixed locations. The interactive map "illustrates both areas eligible for funding and the specific fixed locations where funding recipients have reported deployment by address and geographic latitude and longitude, including the maximum speed offered and the date of deployment," said a Wireline Broadband public notice Tuesday in docket 10-90. It said the current map displays broadband deployment as of Dec. 31 certified by program recipients by March 1, and will be updated as certified by carriers and as programs are added, including the recently concluded CAF II auction of subsidies for fixed broadband and voice services. Related information is at a Universal Service Administrative Co. webpage.

Wireless carriers rejected legislative changes to Idaho USF, while rural LECs supported action but asked for more data on possible costs. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission asked in docket GNR-T-17-05 for recommendations for a possible legislative fix for state USF to present to the legislature next year (see 1808240017). Carriers disagree "with the premise that there is any need for changes to the funding mechanism for the IUSF in order to maintain the solvency,” said CTIA Director-State Regulatory Affairs Benjamin Aron in a Thursday letter: "Given the modest levels of the current surcharges there is considerable room to increase surcharge levels to offset the diminishing IUSF contribution base.” If the PUC must recommend legislative changes, it should either follow Washington state and support USF exclusively through general revenue using taxpayer funds, or Montana's “model of trusting the sufficiency of federal universal service support and declining to provide additional state funding,” Aron said. The Idaho Telecom Alliance wants legislative changes but said the state should first convene workshops and PUC staff should estimate costs of implementing various models used by neighboring states. Any device or service that connects to the public switched telephone network should be assessed a USF charge, and any carrier of last resort should be supported, the RLEC group said.

Alaska’s revenue-based USF surcharge factor would drop 4.5 points to 14.5 percent under a proposal by Alaska Universal Service Administrative Co., the Regulatory Commission of Alaska said Tuesday. It would be effective Jan. 1, on intrastate telecom services, RCA said. “The surcharge is calculated to allow sufficient funding for the AUSF, including carrier of last resort support, carrier common line support, support for local exchange company switching equipment, state Lifeline support, public interest pay telephone support, and AUSAC’s 2019 operating budget.” The commission sought comment by Nov. 1.