Several industry representatives said they expect the FTC to soon begin enforcing new policy and guidance that's intended to protect consumers from intentionally misleading native online advertising. "This is a clear warning shot," said Dan Jaffe, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) group executive vice president-government relations. With all the effort and time that regulators took to develop a detailed statement (see 1512220031), they plan to bring action against "obviously egregious cases," he told us, saying industry needs to "take [this policy] to heart" and "be sure we're within the lines and behaving in a way not to bring legal actions."

Citing concerns about being elbowed out of the Connect America Fund Phase II competitive bidding process, the satellite industry is pushing the FCC to ensure that satellite is evaluated on equal footing with fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). "The FCC has a longstanding policy favoring technology neutrality for CAF that has served the public interest resulting in increased innovation, service quality and reduced costs to consumers," the Satellite Industry Association said in a filing Tuesday in docket 10-90. Due to such satellite innovations as high-throughput space stations and broadband via nongeostationary constellations, SIA said, "It would be a mistake for the FCC to abandon such a policy now."

The Alaska Plan will give the state a stable telecom investment environment, General Communications (GCI) said in a Tuesday filing in FCC docket No. 10-90. The plan would allow the state to have enforceable deployment commitments and improved targeting of support to unserved and underserved areas, the filing said. The Alaska Plan would leverage the same middle-mile infrastructure to connect remote locations to urban centers and the lower 48 states, the filing said. Alaska Communications also filed an ex parte notice in the same docket, urging the FCC to take action on the pending Connect America Fund Phase II proposal it submitted. The FCC should also allocate support for continuing voice service in extremely high-cost census blocks in Alaska, and look at further universal service overhaul in the state, Alaska Communications said.

The Alaska Plan will give the state a stable telecom investment environment, General Communications (GCI) said in a Tuesday filing in FCC docket No. 10-90. The plan would allow the state to have enforceable deployment commitments and improved targeting of support to unserved and underserved areas, the filing said. The Alaska Plan would leverage the same middle-mile infrastructure to connect remote locations to urban centers and the lower 48 states, the filing said. Alaska Communications also filed an ex parte notice in the same docket, urging the FCC to take action on the pending Connect America Fund Phase II proposal it submitted. The FCC should also allocate support for continuing voice service in extremely high-cost census blocks in Alaska, and look at further universal service overhaul in the state, Alaska Communications said.

The Universal Service Administrative Co. projects $1.9 billion will be available from past years to carry forward into funding year 2016 for the Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism, which funds E-Rate USF discounts, USAC CEO Chris Henderson told the FCC in a letter Monday filed in docket 02-6. Of that amount, $1.36 billion is from funding years 2013 and before, $355 million is from funding year 2014 and $188 million is from funding year 2015, Henderson said.

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said “a funny thing is happening on the way to enacting a reverse auction for a key portion of the high-cost Connect America Fund (CAF).” Some people -- he didn't say who -- want commission staff “to select winners and losers with an inappropriate bias against certain technologies,” instead of devising a “program based on competitive forces and free-market principles,” O’Rielly wrote in a Thursday blog post. “Such manipulation would be the surest way to produce greater inefficiency, overpay for service and leave many consumers unserved. Further, this would set bad precedent and undermine future Commission universal service efforts. Accordingly, I suggest that we reject this approach, focus on the sound, broad principles that everyone should support, and then turn to implementing the details.” O'Rielly listed five principles for the auction to follow: "maximize coverage," "no categories," "open to all technologies," "multi-round auction" and "no overbuilding." O'Rielly recently warned against designing the auction -- for CAF Phase II areas where price-cap incumbent telcos didn't accept model-based support -- in a way that would contain a bias for fiber over wireless (see 1511170063). A draft order was circulated among commissioners in late September (see 1509250057).

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said “a funny thing is happening on the way to enacting a reverse auction for a key portion of the high-cost Connect America Fund (CAF).” Some people -- he didn't say who -- want commission staff “to select winners and losers with an inappropriate bias against certain technologies,” instead of devising a “program based on competitive forces and free-market principles,” O’Rielly wrote in a Thursday blog post. “Such manipulation would be the surest way to produce greater inefficiency, overpay for service and leave many consumers unserved. Further, this would set bad precedent and undermine future Commission universal service efforts. Accordingly, I suggest that we reject this approach, focus on the sound, broad principles that everyone should support, and then turn to implementing the details.” O'Rielly listed five principles for the auction to follow: "maximize coverage," "no categories," "open to all technologies," "multi-round auction" and "no overbuilding." O'Rielly recently warned against designing the auction -- for CAF Phase II areas where price-cap incumbent telcos didn't accept model-based support -- in a way that would contain a bias for fiber over wireless (see 1511170063). A draft order was circulated among commissioners in late September (see 1509250057).

The FCC should further modernize its Rural Health Care program to "address disparities in health[care] availability and health outcomes between rural and non-rural areas," said a joint filing from the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) and several regional telehealth organizations. The filing was posted by the commission Tuesday in docket 02-60. The groups proposed an increase in the discount percentage in the Healthcare Connect Fund for rural healthcare providers, the establishment of mechanisms for short-term relief if program demand exceeds the set cap, and an expanded definition of the word "rural." The groups also suggested the commission update its analysis of eligible healthcare providers, consider minimum levels of connectivity needed by the providers and recalibrate the Rural Health Care Program cap based on the analysis. The filing said rural healthcare providers face the highest costs for connectivity and are the least able to afford such connections, that a higher subsidy under the Healthcare Connect Fund is needed and that the fund doesn't "adequately promote and sustain open consortia." In "this rapidly evolving environment, it is vital for the Commission to ensure universal service for rural health care continues to efficiently and cost effectively promote access to affordable modern broadband," the filing said.

The FCC should further modernize its Rural Health Care program to "address disparities in health[care] availability and health outcomes between rural and non-rural areas," said a joint filing from the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) and several regional telehealth organizations. The filing was posted by the commission Tuesday in docket 02-60. The groups proposed an increase in the discount percentage in the Healthcare Connect Fund for rural healthcare providers, the establishment of mechanisms for short-term relief if program demand exceeds the set cap, and an expanded definition of the word "rural." The groups also suggested the commission update its analysis of eligible healthcare providers, consider minimum levels of connectivity needed by the providers and recalibrate the Rural Health Care Program cap based on the analysis. The filing said rural healthcare providers face the highest costs for connectivity and are the least able to afford such connections, that a higher subsidy under the Healthcare Connect Fund is needed and that the fund doesn't "adequately promote and sustain open consortia." In "this rapidly evolving environment, it is vital for the Commission to ensure universal service for rural health care continues to efficiently and cost effectively promote access to affordable modern broadband," the filing said.

Securus Technologies "mischaracterized" the FCC inmate calling order in a letter apparently sent to correctional authorities that are customers of its ICS services, Wireline Bureau Chief Matt DelNero said. “Contrary to the suggestion of the Securus Letter, the Commission has not sanctioned any proposal for correctional facilities to continue collecting site commissions ‘over and above the rate cap’ by ‘get[ting] a Mandatory Fee authorized and assessed ... that can be passed on to consumers,’” DelNero wrote to Securus President Robert Pickens in a letter Thursday. Pickens wrote a letter Nov. 13 addressed to correctional customers, which was placed into docket 12-375 by the Martha Wright Petitioner group in a recent filing. Also contrary to the Securus letter, the commission's decision to allow providers to pass universal service fees and similar government taxes and fees on to users "did not invite the creation of an alternative means for correctional facilities to 'generate some level of funding through inmate calling services,'" DelNero said. “I note that, as the Commission stated in the 2015 ICS Order, ‘We will be vigilant in monitoring the [ICS] industry. ... If we observe or are made aware of evidence of price gouging or other harmful behavior through, but not limited to, increased rates, ancillary service charges, and/or site commissions, we will not hesitate to take appropriate remedial action up to and including enforcement action pursuant to our legal authority under sections 201 and 276 or referral to another appropriate agency.’” DelNero said he hoped his letter cleared up any misunderstandings that led to the Securus letter. A company representative didn't comment Friday.