The FCC Wireline Bureau extended until Dec.1, 2023, its waiver pausing the phasedown of Lifeline voice-only support and increase in minimum service standards, in an order posted Friday in docket 11-42 (see 2111050058). The bureau cited a "continued preference for voice-only services and the enduring nature" of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The FCC proposed a $220,210 fine against Cleo Communications and its CEO Kyle Traxler for "engaging in conduct that violated the federal wire fraud statute" through its participation in the emergency broadband benefit program between May and August 2021, said a notice of apparent liability posted Friday. Cleo "made apparent misrepresentations" to receive authorization to participate in the program, including that it "had been providing broadband services in 54 states and territories" on Dec. 1, 2020, and "apparently used that authorization to defraud consumers using interstate wires," the notice said. The company "promised consumers that they would receive EBB program-discounted broadband services and devices in exchange for online electronic payments to Cleo, but the company never delivered the broadband services or devices."
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau announced Telecom Relay Service Fund per minute compensation rates Friday through June 30, said an order Thursday in docket 03-123. The per-minute rate for traditional TTY-based TRS is $4.5098; speech-to-speech relay is $5.6408; captioned telephone service is $2.3419; and IP relay is $1.9576. The bureau also extended its waiver of compensation formulas for IP CTS and video relay service until June 30 or the effective date of commission action (see 2111150057).
The FCC committed nearly $159 million in additional Emergency Connectivity Fund support, bringing total to nearly $5.3 billion so far, said a news release Thursday (see 2206090070). The new funding supports applications from all three filing windows and will go to more than 350 schools, 50 libraries and four consortiums. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said she's "grateful that Congress has provided this funding to help close this homework gap, so students all over the country can connect with their teachers and online assignments when they are away from school.”
The FCC Wireline Bureau extended through Sept. 30 its waiver of Lifeline recertification and reverification requirements for subscribers residing on tribal lands, said an order Thursday in docket 11-42 (see 2206090074). The bureau cited "unique circumstances" faced by those subscribers and let other Lifeline COVID-19 pandemic waivers expire as scheduled Thursday.
The FCC Wireline Bureau and International Bureau conditionally approved Stonepeak's $2.7 billion buy of Lumen's Latin American business, said a public notice Wednesday in docket 21-340 (see 2107260056). The approval was conditioned on both companies complying with an NTIA petition on "national security and law enforcement considerations," plus commitments laid out in a letter of agreement.
ATIS sought guidance from the FCC Wireline Bureau on distribution of nearly 16,000 toll-free numbers that are still being held by Somos, the current toll-free number administrator. The numbers "have been sitting unused for almost five years" and there have been "multiple inquiries" about releasing them, ATIS said in a letter posted Wednesday in docket 17-192. It asked the bureau to direct Somos to release the numbers into a spare pool "as soon as possible." ATIS also asked the FCC to make unassigned true 800 numbers eligible for allocation with a limit of 125 numbers per organization.
The FCC Wireline Bureau amended its financial reporting requirements for rate-of-return high-cost recipients to align with the Rural Utilities Services' rules, said an order Tuesday in docket 10-90. RUS amended its rules to no longer require borrowers reports from certain loan recipients. Privately held rate-of-return companies and RUS loan recipients are required to submit the "functional equivalent" of the operating report for telecom borrowers report when filing their Form 481, the order said. The rule change is effective 30 days after Federal Register publication. The bureau also waived the reporting requirement for covered companies for filings covering calendar year 2021.
The FCC Wireline Bureau updated its annual reporting and certification forms for inmate calling services, in an order Friday. The revisions reflect "minor refinements and reevaluations" in response to comments the commission received (see 2112160075). The bureau declined to reduce the categories of rate data, limit information collection for international rates, or remove questions about geographic location data. The order's effective date was delayed indefinitely pending OMB approval. "We expect that this effective date will be established long before the April 2023 due date for providers’ next annual reports and certifications for calendar year 2022," the order said.
LTD Broadband withdrew its petition for reconsideration of an FCC order denying the ISP's request for a limited waiver of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction rules requiring eligible telecom carrier designation, per a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-126. LTD Broadband sought reconsideration of the order denying a waiver for its effort to obtain ETC designation in California. The California Public Utilities Commission denied a rehearing on a previous order rejecting LTD Broadband's ETC designation request in May (see 2205170058). The ISP has a pending petition for reconsideration on its efforts to obtain ETC designation in Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota.