Administrator Alan Davidson said he sees NTIA as a “one-stop shop” for entities to seek assistance as they apply for broadband money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The $65 billion in connectivity funding included in IIJA, including $48 billion under NTIA administration, is an “incredible chance to connect everyone,” Davidson told a U.S. Conference of Mayors event Friday. He took office Jan. 14. Davidson urged applicants to “have a plan” since “there are so many pots of money” available via IIJA for broadband. The more than $42 billion in state grants coming from NTIA is “the biggest pot, but there are lots of other pots of money,” he said. NTIA’s “got information about where to find grants” and staff will “provide you technical assistance” during the application process. The agency seeks comment through Feb. 4 on rules for its IIJA broadband grant programs (see 2201070048).
Two FCC connected care pilot recipients that won a combined $800,000 withdrew, said Wireline Bureau letters posted Thursday in docket 18-213. Grady Health System notified the FCC of its withdrawal in November. Grady said its commitment to provide a 15% match and personnel "is not feasible at this time," saying the proposed reporting requirements "raise concerns." Heritage Clinic notified the commission in December without detailing a reason and asked that the funding would be awarded to another agency. Grady sought more than $635,000 to provide telehealth services in Georgia, while Heritage sought nearly $200,000 to cover the cost of offering video telehealth services in California.
Sorenson's petition for declaratory ruling that service-related costs for field staff be allowed is a "straightforward question" to "clarify a misunderstanding of one simple concept," Sorenson said in reply comments posted Wednesday in docket 03-123 (see 2201110072). There's "no basis at all" for the Telecom Relay Service Fund administrator to determine that all costs related to field staff are disallowed because "sometimes ... field staff address [customer premises equipment]-related issues," Sorenson said. "Longstanding complaints about business models are not relevant to the question at hand," Sorenson responded to criticism from Convo Communications and GlobalVRS.
Don't approve Lumen's proposed asset sale to Apollo "without enforceable conditions on fiber investment, employment and plant retirement, and clarification on Connect Holding’s long-term plans," said the Communications Workers of America comments posted Wednesday in docket 21-350 (see 2108200035). Apollo's Connect Holdings would be called Brightspeed after the proposed transaction is completed. Require Connect Holdings to "disclose its investment plans for Brightspeed over a five-year and ten-year timeframe" and prohibit the company from using the capital raised through the transaction or debt offerings to pay dividends for at least three years, CWA said. Impose "strong [fiber to the premises] deployment" and other "specific deployment commitments," it said. Nearly 1,200 CWA workers in 15 bargaining units are located in the 20 states affected by the sale, CWA said. It said the proposed sale "could result in considerable harm to the public interest without strong commitments." Lumen and Apollo declined to comment.
The FCC Wireline Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics adopted many of the proposals for the third mandatory data collection for inmate calling services, in an order Tuesday in docket 12-375 (see 2111050045). The reporting period was expanded to three years. ICS providers must report customer prepayments separately and any interest paid on prepayments. The bureau adopted its proposal on the types of data collected and added figures for new account generation and termination. It also adopted its proposal to require weekly turnover data. Site commissions must be categorized as either legally mandated or contractually prescribed. These payments must also be disaggregated between monetary and in-kind payments, as well as whether they are fixed or variable. Providers will be required to report how site commissions are allocated between ICS and non-ICS operations. The bureau expanded its proposal on security costs to include providers’ security and surveillance services "outside the site commission section."
The FCC Wireline Bureau authorized support for more than 2,500 winning FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Phase I bids, said a public notice Friday in docket 19-126. Cincinnati Bell, Conexon, First Light Fiber, Midco and Windstream were among the authorized bidders.
The FCC report on the future of USF should consider where support is needed to "sustain networks and keep services affordable," in addition to unserved areas, NTCA told Commissioner Brendan Carr and his staff, per a filing Friday in docket 21-476. The group suggested adopting "a holistic perspective" on USF's role in "enabling and sustaining access to broadband as compared to other programs focused narrowly on network construction alone."
The FCC Wireline Bureau designated Windstream for high-cost eligible telecom carrier status in certain areas within Florida and New York, said a Thursday order in docket 09-197. It's "conditioned upon, limited to, and effective upon" its authorization to receive Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I support.
Prohibit broadband providers' exclusive access agreements with multi-tenant environments (MTEs), NCTA asked an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, per a filing Wednesday in docket 17-142 (see 2111220047). Limiting other types of arrangements "would jeopardize rather than enhance the availability of advanced broadband to MTE tenants," the group said. "Competition and consumer choice in MTEs are strong."
Hold Consumers' Research's challenge of USF's Q4 contribution factor in abeyance until the FCC issues its report to Congress on the future of USF, the agency asked the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, per a filing Tuesday in case 21-3866 (see 2111180018). The report "should address petitioners’ arguments with respect to the lawfulness of the FCC’s rules and procedures for adopting the universal service contribution factor," the agency said: Consumers' Research opposed the motion and interveners supported it.