Opposition to the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau's plan to place cost and demand data filed in 2023 by video relay service providers in the record for its rulemaking on VRS compensation is due May 3, said a public notice Wednesday in docket 03-123 (see 2107300056). The bureau said it also intends to include VRS providers' "completed [Telecom Relay Service] Fund annual provider form and TRS Fund annual provider form appendix."
The FCC committed nearly $21 million in additional Emergency Connectivity Fund support Wednesday. The new funding will support 50 schools, five libraries and three consortiums, said a news release.
Noting the FCC fine stemming from its VoIP-related 911 outage (see 304240063), Shentel emailed us Tuesday it "takes our 911 obligations very seriously, and we have already implemented new processes and procedures to prevent similar events from happening in the future." It said callers in the outage experienced one-way audio, but their numbers and locations "were successfully delivered to the 911 call center, and 911 operators were able to place return calls to communicate with the 911 callers."
The FCC wants comments by May 9, replies by May 19, in docket 03-123 on GlobalVRS's petition to be reimbursed through the Telecom Relay Service Fund for providing video relay services to deafblind individuals, said a notice for Tuesday's Federal Register. GlobalVRS sought reimbursement for "costs associated with the development of its call distribution platform, outreach, and other costs associated with its provision of VRS to individuals who are deafblind," the notice said.
NTCA sought "meaningful updates" to the Connect America Fund broadband loop support (BLS) and high-cost loop support (HCLS), as well as the Alternative Connect America Cost Model "in a timely manner," in separate meetings with aides to all four FCC commissioners. The group said support through these programs is needed to sustain providers' delivery of broadband speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps in their service areas, per an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 10-90. NTCA also backed adopting the ACAM Broadband Coalition's proposal to "adjust support using a two-pronged analysis comparable to the [broadband, equity, access, and deployment] program’s assessment of unserved and underserved areas."
The FCC committed more than $2.5 million in additional Emergency Connectivity Fund support Wednesday. The new funding will support 15 schools, one library and one consortium from all three application windows, said a news release.
Sorenson urged the FCC to act on video relay service rates, meeting with Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Office of Economics and Analytics, and Office of the Managing Director staff. Sorenson said VRS is "no longer functionally equivalent" and doesn't "allow for competitive wages for the highly skilled ... video interpreters," per an ex parte filing Tuesday in docket 03-123. Sorenson said there must be "annual inflationary adjustments" for the rates and account for research and development costs.
An FCC order directing the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau to issue an additional notice of funding opportunity for the affordable connectivity program's national competitive outreach grant and the tribal competitive outreach grant programs is effective Tuesday, said a notice for that day's Federal Register. The commission made up to $10 million available to be spent equally by each grant program (see 2303150058).
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by May 8, replies by June 6, on an NPRM beginning implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, said a notice for Friday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the item in March (see 2303160009).
The FCC Wireline Bureau selected two more entities for the affordable connectivity program's Your Home, Your Internet Pilot and ACP Navigator Pilot programs Thursday. Baltimore County Public Library and Florida Atlantic University were selected to participate and will do so without grant funding, said a public notice in docket 21-450. A total of 34 entities were selected to participate in the two pilot programs (see 2303150058).