ACA Connects says Senior Vice President-Government Affairs Ross Lieberman is resigning, effective Aug. 31, “to pursue new interests” … New Mexico Public Regulation Commission names Ed Rilkoff, from Smartflower Solar tech company, director-Utility Division … Qualcomm hires Izzy Santa, ex-One Concern, as senior director-public affairs and Katie Patala, formerly Mercury Public Affairs, as director-public affairs … Saga Communications appoints board member Warren Lada interim CEO following Friday’s death of founder and CEO Ed Christian.

Industry disagreed whether the FCC should impose additional requirements on certain voice service providers to combat illegal robocalls (see 2207150053). Some agreed with a proposal to impose additional measures on intermediate providers, in comments posted Thursday in docket 17-97. Others sought flexibility as providers continue to implement Stir/Shaken caller ID authentication.

The FCC “reopened” for in-person meetings in June, but the agency hasn’t seen a wholesale return to them, and most meetings between staff and industry remain virtual, as they have been since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, based on a review of ex parte filings and interviews with lawyers and FCC officials. Some expect more in-person meetings starting after Labor Day, depending on what happens on COVID infection rates during August.

Industry groups asked the FCC to streamline its rules for its annual data collection of subscription rates and plans offered through the affordable connectivity program (ACP). Some said the FCC should rely on the forthcoming broadband consumer labels and raised privacy concerns if data is collected at the subscriber level in comments posted Tuesday in docket 21-450.

Industry disagreed whether the FCC should consider an Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM) Broadband Coalition proposal to extend the program through increased deployment obligations in exchange for additional funding (see 2205190023). Some sought to expand eligibility to carriers receiving other high-cost USF support, in comments posted Tuesday in docket 10-90. Others said the FCC should defer new high-cost support until programs funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are completed.

Every state and territory applied for NTIA’s digital equity planning grant program, the agency announced Wednesday (see 2206160072). NTIA received letters of intent from "hundreds of tribal nations" to participate in the digital equity program. All states and territories also submitted a letter of intent for the $42.45 billion broadband, equity, access and deployment program by the July 18 deadline, NTIA said. Iowa and Florida were the last two states to sign on, per a tweet from NTIA Tuesday.

Broadcasters, MVPDs, ISPs and other entities argued over the state of competition in the broadband and video marketplaces and how to address it, in comments posted by Friday’s deadline in docket 22-203 for the agency’s biannual State of Competition in the Communications Marketplace report to Congress, due in Q4. Regulations premised on lack of competition “should be repealed,” said NCTA. The FCC “must consider the real-world consequences of imposing, in a highly competitive marketplace, a burdensome and outdated regulatory regime,” said NAB.

Industry groups and consumer advocacy organizations continued to disagree on the amount of digital discrimination in the broadband marketplace, in reply comments posted Friday in docket 22-69 (see 2205170071). Central to the disagreement was whether the FCC has the authority to consider a disparate impact standard rather than discriminatory intent in final rules.

Industry groups disagreed whether the FCC should adopt a new cost allocation framework and rules for pole replacements, in comments posted Tuesday in docket 17-84. The proceeding stems from a 2020 NCTA petition asking the FCC to clarify its pole replacement rules. The FCC adopted the Further NPRM in March in lieu of acting on the petition, noting the group “revealed inconsistent practices by utilities" on cost responsibility for pole replacements (see 2203180074).

By the end of 2025, more than 90% of U.S. households will have access to at least one broadband provider offering 100/20 Mbps service and at least one offering 25/3 Mbps service, ACA Connects said in a white paper Thursday. Citing FCC data and trend lines, it said 84% of households will have access to at least two providers offering 100/20 Mbps service. The paper said increased competition, plus FCC ability to regulate prices and speeds for broadband services it subsidizes, makes moot any supposed need "for common-carrier-style regulatory intervention." It said 7% of U.S. households are in areas served by a subsidized broadband provider, and the number of those households will grow in coming years due to the FCC's broadband equity, access and deployment program spending and other federal stimulus programs. ACA urged that even if there is common-carrier-style regulation on larger broadband providers, smaller operators should be exempt.