The USF contribution factor will drop sequentially to 22.2% during Q2 from 25.2%, emailed analyst Billy Jack Gregg Tuesday (see 2111040065). It's the fourth straight drop and would "result in the lowest assessment factor in two years," Gregg said. Projected demand is $1.66 billion.
Deny Lumen's proposed sale of its ILEC assets in 20 states to Apollo's Connect Holding, said Telephone USA Investments in a petition posted Monday in docket 21-350 (see 2108030077). The company said it's one of Lumen's assets that would be transferred, and this would result in Telephone USA losing its status as a minority-controlled business. Lumen is "attempting to seize control over Telephone USA of Wisconsin" and "has been acting to the detriment of Telephone USA Investments," it said. Telephone USA also asked the FCC to consider delaying its decision on the proposed sale until its disputes with Lumen are resolved. Lumen declined to comment.
Extend by one year the June 30 service delivery deadline for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, said the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, the American Library Association, the State Educational Technology Directors Association and the Consortium for School Networking in a letter Monday in FCC docket 21-93. The groups also sought a third funding window "in the spring" to allocate the remaining $800 million in funding and to extend the program's gift rule waiver until June 30, 2023. They also asked the FCC to "reconsider the extensive record-keeping requirements that make it difficult for libraries" and to waive E-rate's cost allocation rule (see 2106140043).
The FCC Enforcement Bureau "formally initiated an investigation" into a broadband provider that "may have been abusing the [community eligible provision] enrollment process" in the emergency broadband benefit program, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D.; House Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; and Communications Subcommittee ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, in a letter posted Friday (see 2112130057). Rosenworcel didn't name the provider. She said staff would provide their offices with "the name of the investigative target" privately because the investigation is "still ongoing."
Few changes were made to the FCC's final NPRM on consumer broadband labels, according to our comparison with the draft (see 2201270030). An NCTA-sought question on the "scope of broadband service plans to which the labels requirement should apply" was added, as expected. A question about direct notifications of term changes was tweaked. The NPRM will seek comment on whether the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gives the commission the authority to “adopt a direct notification requirement for current customers for changes to terms in the labels after their initial display.” It will also seek comment on costs and benefits of this requirement.
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by March 28, replies April 27, in docket 21-455 on an NPRM proposing to adopt a central online portal for E-rate's competitive bidding process, said Thursday's Federal Register (see 2112160080). Commissioners approved the item in December.
The FCC Wireline Bureau approved $47.9 million in COVID-19 telehealth program funding for 100 applicants Wednesday, bringing the total to $256.4 million, said a public notice in docket 20-89. It's the sixth and final set of funding announcements for round two of the program. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel praised bureau staffers for "their dedication to this program that has made such an impact on our nation’s doctors, nurses, and their patients."
Conexon withdrew its petition for waiver to default on certain Rural Digital Opportunity Phase I auction bids it provisionally won in Colorado on tribal lands, said a letter Tuesday in docket 19-126 (see 2106090065). The FCC's "inaction is unnecessarily hurting rural communities ... desperately in need of high-speed broadband services," Conexon said. The company met with Colorado Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, Wireline Bureau staff, and an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Friday to discuss its pending petition for eligible telecom carrier designation. Previous funding concerns by tribes due to Conexon's award appear "to have been rendered moot" because the tribes were able to obtain support to construct broadband networks.
Mediacom's petition for FCC preemption of a conduit network arrangement between Google Fiber and West Des Moines, Iowa, (see 2110080031) is withdrawn, with the sides having settled the issues, the FCC Wireline Bureau ordered Tuesday in docket 21-217.
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by Feb. 7, replies by Feb. 22, on iconectiv's request to confirm that it will still meet the local number portability administrator neutrality requirements once parent company Ericsson's pending acquisition of Vonage closes, said a public notice Monday in docket 95-116. Iconectiv said "existing safeguards ... as well as certain other considerations, ensure that iconectiv will not be subject to undue influence by a party with a vested interest in number portability administration."