There appeared to be little new in the more than 100 comments that flooded into the FCC this week about how to develop a comprehensive broadband strategy for rural parts of the U.S. The recommendations of the commission are expected to be given weight at NTIA and RUS as the agencies develop their respective broadband stimulus programs.

The Senate late Tuesday confirmed Gary Locke to be Commerce Secretary by unanimous consent. The former Washington governor won praise from Sen. Maria Cantwell, D- Wash., for his leadership on broadband in rural communities. During his term, Locke used E-rate funds to develop high- speed Internet services linking K-12 schools and universities in the state, Cantwell said.

Broadband stimulus funds should be carefully spent, going to the most efficient projects in areas that are most in need, House Commerce Committee Republican leaders suggested in a letter sent Wednesday to the FCC, NTIA and Rural Utilities Service. To avoid wasting taxpayers’ dollars, agencies need to make sure the programs are properly structured, said committee Ranking Member Joe Barton of Texas and Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Cliff Stearns of Florida. They asked the agencies to submit answers by March 31 to six questions dealing with how the money should be spent: (1) Should funding go first to projects in states where mapping programs are completed? Since the funds are to be disbursed in three installments, this would give an incentive to other states to complete mapping and identify areas most in need of broadband, the letter said. (2) Should unserved areas have priority over underserved? Giving money to underserved areas is “more likely to distort the marketplace,” the letter said. (3) Should funding to underserved areas be directed to stimulating demand for service, rather than creating a new supply? (4) Should the criteria for grant allocations be technologically and competitively neutral? (5) Should grant decisions be based on whether projects would be sustainable without more government funding? Some potential applicants view the Universal Service Fund as a potential source of continued funding, once grant money is used up, the letter said. But the USF program is “bloated and inefficient,” and already costs subscribers $7 billion a year, it said. (6) Should grants be prioritized to go first to projects that “have the most impact for the least amount of taxpayer dollars?”

Broadband stimulus funds should be carefully spent, going to the most efficient projects in areas that are most in need, House Commerce Committee Republican leaders suggested in a letter sent Wednesday to the FCC, NTIA and Rural Utilities Service. To avoid wasting taxpayers’ dollars, agencies need to make sure the programs are properly structured, said committee Ranking Member Joe Barton of Texas and Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Cliff Stearns of Florida. They asked the agencies to submit answers by March 31 to six questions dealing with how the money should be spent: (1) Should funding go first to projects in states where mapping programs are completed? Since the funds are to be disbursed in three tranches, this would give an incentive to other states to complete mapping and identify areas most in need of broadband, the letter said. (2) Should unserved areas have priority over underserved? Giving money to underserved areas is “more likely to distort the marketplace,” the letter said. (3) Should funding to underserved areas be directed to stimulating demand for service, rather than creating a new supply? (4) Should the criteria for grant allocations be technologically and competitively neutral? (5) Should grant decisions be based on whether projects would be sustainable without more government funding? Some potential applicants view the Universal Service Fund as a potential source of continued funding, once grant money is used up, the letter said. But the USF program is “bloated and inefficient,” and already costs subscribers $7 billion a year, it said. (6) Should grants be prioritized to go first to projects that “have the most impact for the least amount of taxpayer dollars?”

The Senate late Tuesday confirmed Gary Locke to be Commerce Secretary by unanimous consent. The former Washington governor won praise from Sen. Maria Cantwell, D- Wash., for his leadership on broadband in rural communities. During his term, Locke used E-rate funds to develop high- speed Internet services linking K-12 schools and universities in the state, Cantwell said.

Consensus is building on universal service legislation that would expand the fund to cover broadband, House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., told the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association Tuesday. Boucher asked the group, which held its annual legislative conference this week, to urge members of Congress to support legislation he hopes to introduce “in the near term.” He declined to say when the legislation would be ready.

The satellite industry can expect to feel the full impact of the recession within a year, said Peggy Slye, director of space and telecommunications for Futron. “Our industry tends to lag the general economy by about two years,” Slye said at Satellite Week 2009. She said she also doesn’t expect the impact to last long due to a myriad of economic growth opportunities.

The FCC sought comment on five requests from carriers contesting decisions by the Universal Service Administrative Co., in public notices issued Thursday. CalTel and South Bell Payphones want the FCC to waive fees assessed to the companies for filing late their FCC Forms 499-A in 2008. 10D Telecom wants the same relief. Sunshine Community Health Center wants the FCC to review a USAC decision that “substantially reduced” Sunshine’s rural healthcare funding request in 2006. Via Talk seeks reversal of a USAC decision denying the company’s amended 2007 FCC Form 499-A, which was filed more than one year late. Via Talk also asked the FCC to correct its USF debt, because the company “erroneously over-projected revenue” in 2007 and 2008 filings. Meanwhile, Ascent Media Group asked for reconsideration of an FCC order dismissing Ascent’s request to review a USAC decision about a late-filed FCC Form 499-Q. Comments on all the proceedings are due April 20, replies May 5.

The FCC wants comment on a Centennial petition to waive the Dec. 31, 2008, deadline for submitting changes to data used to determine interim-capped Universal Service Fund high- cost support, the commission said Thursday. Centennial said it was unable to do a full review and verification of the data with the information it had. The company wants a waiver so it can submit changes two weeks after the Universal Service Administrative Co. sends it additional information. Comments are due April 20, replies May 5.

The FCC sought comment on requests by T-Mobile and two other carriers seeking a waiver of various deadlines to file receipt of universal service high-cost fund support. Hargray Telephone and Midstate Telecom are also seeking waivers. Comments on each proceeding are due April 20, replies May 5.