ProSource’s announcement Thursday that it added 19 new dealer members (see 1603170034) is part of a renewed recruitment effort after a year of putting products and systems in place to “frame the foundation” of the buying group’s Power CI and ProSource designations, CEO Dave Workman told us Friday.

PARKER, Colo. -- The HAUS (Home Automation University) home automation training and business company founded and funded by three custom installation industry veterans opened its doors to Press Day Tuesday, a month ahead of its first scheduled weeklong training session. HAUS, a member-based organization, wants to take advantage of market timing in the smart home market and give dealers from the security, AV and HVAC industries products and tools they need to succeed in the growing space, its founders say.

The Senate Commerce Committee pulled the two-year FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) from its Wednesday markup agenda, despite persistent efforts to include the bill sponsored by Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. Democrats generally backed the reauthorization effort but said more time is needed to review the proposal, one staffer told us Tuesday. Amendments were already filed.

The Senate Commerce Committee pulled the two-year FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) from its Wednesday markup agenda, despite persistent efforts to include the bill sponsored by Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. Democrats generally backed the reauthorization effort but said more time is needed to review the proposal, one staffer told us Tuesday. Amendments were already filed.

Price-cap telcos can use Connect America Fund Phase II model-based support "to serve locations in eligible census blocks where the price-cap carrier has served or intends to serve a location or locations using Phase I Round 2 incremental support," the FCC clarified in an order Wednesday in docket 10-90. Carriers accepted about $1.5 billion collectively in annual CAF II support over six years for broadband-oriented deployment and service. But before that, many of them received less incremental broadband support in two rounds of CAF Phase I funding. The order issued Wednesday also made various modifications to letter of credit requirements for recipients of rural broadband experiment (RBE) support. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn partially dissented from the order, saying it reversed a previous decision that prevented price-cap carriers from using Phase I funding in the same census blocks receiving Phase II support, which she said was aimed at preventing waste. "Today’s item reverses that course and allows providers to use support from both CAF Phase I and CAF Phase II to serve the very same census block," she said. She said the order didn't explain why the change was preferable to the previous policy. "Adequate cost controls should be a hallmark in every program and I find the reversal here especially troubling given the magnitude of universal service support at issue," she said.

Price-cap telcos can use Connect America Fund Phase II model-based support "to serve locations in eligible census blocks where the price-cap carrier has served or intends to serve a location or locations using Phase I Round 2 incremental support," the FCC clarified in an order Wednesday in docket 10-90. Carriers accepted about $1.5 billion collectively in annual CAF II support over six years for broadband-oriented deployment and service. But before that, many of them received less incremental broadband support in two rounds of CAF Phase I funding. The order issued Wednesday also made various modifications to letter of credit requirements for recipients of rural broadband experiment (RBE) support. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn partially dissented from the order, saying it reversed a previous decision that prevented price-cap carriers from using Phase I funding in the same census blocks receiving Phase II support, which she said was aimed at preventing waste. "Today’s item reverses that course and allows providers to use support from both CAF Phase I and CAF Phase II to serve the very same census block," she said. She said the order didn't explain why the change was preferable to the previous policy. "Adequate cost controls should be a hallmark in every program and I find the reversal here especially troubling given the magnitude of universal service support at issue," she said.

A proposed $2.25 billion Lifeline USF budget became an immediate flash point after an FCC draft order circulated Tuesday that would extend the program’s support for low-income phone service to broadband coverage and streamline consumer eligibility verification duties and provider participation requirements (see 1603080024). The draft order, which is expected to be considered at a March 31 meeting, would index the budget to inflation and require the Wireline Bureau to notify the FCC when program funding reaches 90 percent of the budget and analyze the causes of the spending growth, “followed by Commission action within 6 months,” said an agency fact sheet.

A proposed $2.25 billion Lifeline USF budget became an immediate flash point after an FCC draft order circulated Tuesday that would extend the program’s support for low-income phone service to broadband coverage and streamline consumer eligibility verification duties and provider participation requirements (see 1603080024). The draft order, which is expected to be considered at a March 31 meeting, would index the budget to inflation and require the Wireline Bureau to notify the FCC when program funding reaches 90 percent of the budget and analyze the causes of the spending growth, “followed by Commission action within 6 months,” said an agency fact sheet.

A new draft FCC reauthorization bill from Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., no longer includes some process overhaul provisions that he floated last year. Thune announced last week that he wants to mark up the FCC Reauthorization Act in the coming weeks, and a new nine-page draft bill text is circulating. A Commerce Committee aide told us the bill could be marked up as soon as next week. The tentative markup date is March 16, a telecom industry lobbyist confirmed.

A new draft FCC reauthorization bill from Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., no longer includes some process overhaul provisions that he floated last year. Thune announced last week that he wants to mark up the FCC Reauthorization Act in the coming weeks, and a new nine-page draft bill text is circulating. A Commerce Committee aide told us the bill could be marked up as soon as next week. The tentative markup date is March 16, a telecom industry lobbyist confirmed.