Comments are due Sept. 4, replies Oct. 1, on an FCC toll-free 8YY call Further NPRM on intercarrier compensation arrangements, under a proposed rule in docket 18-156 scheduled for Tuesday's Federal Register (calendar). The FNPRM released June 8 proposes a three-year transition for 8YY originating end-office and tandem switching and transport charges to bill-and-keep under which carriers don't pay each other. FCC technical amendments in docket 10-90 and in Monday's FR correct errors in rules providing high-cost USF relief from operating-expense restrictions to some tribal-oriented carriers.

The National League of Cities said it remains opposed to the Streamlining the Rapid Evolution and Modernization of Leading-edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance (Streamline) Small Cell Deployment Act (S-3157). Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, filed the bill last week after months of collecting feedback (see 1806290063). S-3157, which first circulated in October (see 1710310057), aims to ease barriers to 5G and other broadband deployment by implementing a “reasonable process and timeframe guidelines” for state and local consideration of small-cell applications. NLC is “disappointed that the Commerce Committee did not fully address our concerns about local pre-emption, and imposing a new federal one-size-fits-all mandate for small-cell deployments won’t work for all cities,” a spokesperson said. The group and other local allies repeatedly pushed back while the bill was circulating over language to pre-empt state, local and tribal laws seen as barriers to deployments (see 1804130057).

The National League of Cities said it remains opposed to the Streamlining the Rapid Evolution and Modernization of Leading-edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance (Streamline) Small Cell Deployment Act (S-3157). Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, filed the bill last week after months of collecting feedback (see 1806290063). S-3157, which first circulated in October (see 1710310057), aims to ease barriers to 5G and other broadband deployment by implementing a “reasonable process and timeframe guidelines” for state and local consideration of small-cell applications. NLC is “disappointed that the Commerce Committee did not fully address our concerns about local pre-emption, and imposing a new federal one-size-fits-all mandate for small-cell deployments won’t work for all cities,” a spokesperson said. The group and other local allies repeatedly pushed back while the bill was circulating over language to pre-empt state, local and tribal laws seen as barriers to deployments (see 1804130057).

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, filed their long-circulating Streamlining the Rapid Evolution and Modernization of Leading-edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance (Streamline) Small Cell Deployment Act (S-3157) Thursday evening (see 1710310057). The bill, first circulated in October, aims to ease barriers to 5G and other broadband deployment by implementing a “reasonable process and timeframe guidelines” for state and local consideration of small-cell applications. State and local entities would be required to act on collocation applications within 60 days and other requests within 90 days, though the FCC could agree to waive deadlines on a one-time basis. S-3157 would require regulators evaluate small-cell applications based on “objective and reasonable structural engineering safety requirements” or other aesthetic or concealment requirements. Pushback from local allies over language to pre-empt state, local and tribal laws seen as barriers to deployments hindered introduction (see 1804130057). CTIA and the Wireless Infrastructure Association lauded the move.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, filed their long-circulating Streamlining the Rapid Evolution and Modernization of Leading-edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance (Streamline) Small Cell Deployment Act (S-3157) Thursday evening (see 1710310057). The bill, first circulated in October, aims to ease barriers to 5G and other broadband deployment by implementing a “reasonable process and timeframe guidelines” for state and local consideration of small-cell applications. State and local entities would be required to act on collocation applications within 60 days and other requests within 90 days, though the FCC could agree to waive deadlines on a one-time basis. S-3157 would require regulators evaluate small-cell applications based on “objective and reasonable structural engineering safety requirements” or other aesthetic or concealment requirements. Pushback from local allies over language to pre-empt state, local and tribal laws seen as barriers to deployments hindered introduction (see 1804130057). CTIA and the Wireless Infrastructure Association lauded the move.

The International Trade Commission posted Revision 6 to the 2018 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The semiannual update to the HTS implements the third round of tariff cuts under the expanded World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement, and adds new tariff numbers for a variety of products, including organic fruits and vegetables, lighted mirrors and molded or pressed paper plates. The ITC is also adding new tariff provisions that appear to cover products subject to antidumping and countervailing duty orders on solar cells and products from China and Taiwan, and reorganizing tariff classification provisions for archaeological and ethnographic objects. All changes take effect July 1, unless otherwise specified.

The International Trade Commission posted Revision 6 to the 2018 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The semiannual update to the HTS implements the third round of tariff cuts under the expanded World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement, and adds new tariff numbers for a variety of products, including organic fruits and vegetables, lighted mirrors and molded or pressed paper plates. The ITC is also adding new tariff provisions that appear to cover products subject to antidumping and countervailing duty orders on solar cells and products from China and Taiwan, and reorganizing tariff classification provisions for archaeological and ethnographic objects. All changes take effect July 1, unless otherwise specified.

Rural telcos pressed the FCC to hike their USF subsidies, encountering less opposition in replies this week than in initial comments on an NPRM in docket 10-90 (see 1805290060 and 1803230025). RLECs said there's broad support for increasing rate-of-return (RoR) high-cost funding beyond a budget set in 2011 and modesty increased above $2 billion. WTA backed "fully funding" the "outdated" budget to meet broadband demand, first to $2.43 billion this year and gradually to $2.975 billion in 2026. It said RoR USF should be a single budget. NTCA cited "consensus" the agency should "right-size" the budget to account for past and future inflation. A group of Nebraska carriers receiving support based on an Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) said increasing their monthly funding from $146 per location to $200 would be a "reasonable balance." The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission backed hiking A-CAM support to $200/location and increasing the overall budget to account for inflation, including for carriers receiving legacy support. GVNW Consulting on behalf of Illinois RLECs (here) and Granite State Telephone (here) urged keeping a "100 percent overlap" requirement for challenging support based on unsubsidized competition, while GeoLinks, a wireless ISP, urged changes. The Broadband Alliance of the Midwest and the Eastern Rural Telecom Association were among the other RLEC parties replying. The National Tribal Telecommunications Association called for easing a rural-growth cap generally and budget controls for tribal carriers, and Gila River Telecommunications pushed a tribal broadband factor. The Wireless ISP Association said it and NCTA had sought rural USF changes, including moving toward auctions for distributing subsidies. "Arrayed against this reasonable, market-based approach are a handful of [RLECs and allies], all with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo," WISPA said. "Broad aspersions are cast on the ability of competing providers to offer new service to unserved areas without any supporting data other than the skewed information produced by the failed challenge process." USTelecom opposed the auction proposals.

Rural telcos pressed the FCC to hike their USF subsidies, encountering less opposition in replies this week than in initial comments on an NPRM in docket 10-90 (see 1805290060 and 1803230025). RLECs said there's broad support for increasing rate-of-return (RoR) high-cost funding beyond a budget set in 2011 and modesty increased above $2 billion. WTA backed "fully funding" the "outdated" budget to meet broadband demand, first to $2.43 billion this year and gradually to $2.975 billion in 2026. It said RoR USF should be a single budget. NTCA cited "consensus" the agency should "right-size" the budget to account for past and future inflation. A group of Nebraska carriers receiving support based on an Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) said increasing their monthly funding from $146 per location to $200 would be a "reasonable balance." The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission backed hiking A-CAM support to $200/location and increasing the overall budget to account for inflation, including for carriers receiving legacy support. GVNW Consulting on behalf of Illinois RLECs (here) and Granite State Telephone (here) urged keeping a "100 percent overlap" requirement for challenging support based on unsubsidized competition, while GeoLinks, a wireless ISP, urged changes. The Broadband Alliance of the Midwest and the Eastern Rural Telecom Association were among the other RLEC parties replying. The National Tribal Telecommunications Association called for easing a rural-growth cap generally and budget controls for tribal carriers, and Gila River Telecommunications pushed a tribal broadband factor. The Wireless ISP Association said it and NCTA had sought rural USF changes, including moving toward auctions for distributing subsidies. "Arrayed against this reasonable, market-based approach are a handful of [RLECs and allies], all with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo," WISPA said. "Broad aspersions are cast on the ability of competing providers to offer new service to unserved areas without any supporting data other than the skewed information produced by the failed challenge process." USTelecom opposed the auction proposals.

The FCC granted 12 of 14 waiver petitions in the Connect America Fund Phase II auction of subsidies for fixed broadband and voice services, though some didn't qualify to bid. Meanwhile, Comcast and MediaCom told us they didn't apply to bid in the auction starting July 24. The Wireline and Wireless bureaus granted 10 of 11 applicant waiver petitions asking regulators to accept late-filed Form 477 submissions as evidence of their voice and/or broadband service experience but denied Net Vision Communications' request because it didn't file a 477 for a relevant period, said an order in docket 17-182 and Tuesday's Daily Digest. The bureaus noted the waivers didn't necessarily mean applicants were qualified to bid, as applications were judged in totality; a public notice Monday announced 220 applications were accepted and 57 denied (see 1806250051). Waiver grantees qualified to bid were Workable Programs and Systems, Hankins Information Technology, Red Spectrum Communications, 360 Communications, Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority and Northern Arapaho Tribal Industries. Not qualified were Redzone Wireless, Emerald Cable, Good Connections and Skyrunner. The bureaus denied Sonus Technologies' request to waive a requirement that applicants with fewer than two years of experience submit three years of audited financial statements. In another order, the bureaus granted waivers to Horizon Telcom and Hawaiian Telcom to amend applications to reflect pending ownership changes, conditioned on deal consummation. The FCC May 29 approved transfers from Horizon Telecom and two subsidiaries to Horizon Acquisition Parent; June 19, it approved transfers of control from Hawaiian Telcom to Cincinnati Bell. Both applicants were qualified to bid.