Rural telcos asked the FCC to increase their USF support and take other steps to ensure subsidy flows meet statutory mandates and help carriers improve broadband service. Tribal groups said the agency had to do more to support tribal carrier broadband efforts and operations expenses. But NCTA opposed proposals to increase Connect America Fund spending for rate-of-return (RoR) telcos without offsets, and both it and the Wireless ISP Association suggesting using reverse auctions to award some support. Comments on an NPRM attached to an order providing $545 million in new support for RLECs (see 1803230025) were posted Friday and Tuesday in docket 10-90.

Mescalero Apache Telecom Inc. criticized an FCC broadband deployment cap on tribal carrier USF relief from operations expense (opex) limitations. MATI said it should be eligible for the additional support because its actual deployment level is below the cap. Citing high tribal costs, the commission in April provided opex USF relief to tribal-oriented carriers, conditioned on them not having deployed 10/1 Mbps broadband to 90 percent or more of their tribal housing units, which sparked concerns from Chairman Ajit Pai and others that Mescalero would be ineligible (see 1804050028 and 1804060042). Mescalero believes the cap "was adopted without sufficient explanation" or "record support," and "with no notice," said the carrier's filing on a discussion with an aide to Commissioner Mike O'Rielly posted Wednesday in docket 10-90. O'Rielly said he sought conditions to target the relief where it was most needed. But Mescalero said its broadband deployment and service "in a very remote and mountainous reservation with severe weather conditions" increases its opex costs, making its need for support even greater than those with lesser deployment. Regardless, the carrier said it should receive the relief because it "does not actually serve 90 percent of customers with 10/1 Mbps broadband service," despite Form 477 data indicating it provides service to 95 percent. Based on further analysis, Mescalero determined it's "not currently able to deliver 10/1 Mbps connectivity to 90 percent of locations." The provider cited commission precedent for allowing carriers to make showings to correct inaccurate Form 477 estimates if necessary to avoid USF revenue loss. O’Rielly "is supportive of challenge processes in order to ensure that our decisions are based on accurate data," emailed an aide. Pai's original proposal "would have provided relief" and "that would have been his preferred outcome," emailed an FCC spokesperson. "Unfortunately, there weren’t the votes to get that done so Chairman Pai worked with those Commissioners who were willing to engage in good faith to produce the best order possible under the circumstances.” Pai and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn traded barbs in February after she changed her vote to a partial dissent (see 1802020058).

Mescalero Apache Telecom Inc. criticized an FCC broadband deployment cap on tribal carrier USF relief from operations expense (opex) limitations. MATI said it should be eligible for the additional support because its actual deployment level is below the cap. Citing high tribal costs, the commission in April provided opex USF relief to tribal-oriented carriers, conditioned on them not having deployed 10/1 Mbps broadband to 90 percent or more of their tribal housing units, which sparked concerns from Chairman Ajit Pai and others that Mescalero would be ineligible (see 1804050028 and 1804060042). Mescalero believes the cap "was adopted without sufficient explanation" or "record support," and "with no notice," said the carrier's filing on a discussion with an aide to Commissioner Mike O'Rielly posted Wednesday in docket 10-90. O'Rielly said he sought conditions to target the relief where it was most needed. But Mescalero said its broadband deployment and service "in a very remote and mountainous reservation with severe weather conditions" increases its opex costs, making its need for support even greater than those with lesser deployment. Regardless, the carrier said it should receive the relief because it "does not actually serve 90 percent of customers with 10/1 Mbps broadband service," despite Form 477 data indicating it provides service to 95 percent. Based on further analysis, Mescalero determined it's "not currently able to deliver 10/1 Mbps connectivity to 90 percent of locations." The provider cited commission precedent for allowing carriers to make showings to correct inaccurate Form 477 estimates if necessary to avoid USF revenue loss. O’Rielly "is supportive of challenge processes in order to ensure that our decisions are based on accurate data," emailed an aide. Pai's original proposal "would have provided relief" and "that would have been his preferred outcome," emailed an FCC spokesperson. "Unfortunately, there weren’t the votes to get that done so Chairman Pai worked with those Commissioners who were willing to engage in good faith to produce the best order possible under the circumstances.” Pai and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn traded barbs in February after she changed her vote to a partial dissent (see 1802020058).

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao named 10 state, local and tribal governments Wednesday to participate in the agency’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program, as expected (see 1805080059). “Data gathered from these pilot projects will form the basis of a new regulatory framework to safely integrate drones into our national airspace,” said Chao.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao named 10 state, local and tribal governments Wednesday to participate in the agency’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program, as expected (see 1805080059). “Data gathered from these pilot projects will form the basis of a new regulatory framework to safely integrate drones into our national airspace,” said Chao.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao named 10 state, local and tribal governments Wednesday to participate in the agency’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program, as expected (see 1805080059). “Data gathered from these pilot projects will form the basis of a new regulatory framework to safely integrate drones into our national airspace,” said Chao.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai cited an order providing relief to a few tribal-oriented carriers, answering House members who asked the agency in March to act expeditiously to ease an operating expense limitation. The April order (see 1804050028) "will provide additional funding to these carriers to provide both voice and broadband services to their customers," he wrote in response to a letter (exchange in docket 18-5) from Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M. "This was not the same Order I originally proposed in February 2017, a few weeks after I became Chairman. I would have extended support to even more carriers that serve Tribal lands. But in the interest of finally getting something done, I chose to find agreement with those commissioners who were willing to work in good faith on ways to help carriers serving Tribal lands," Pai wrote. "More needs to be done. That's why, for example, the Commission recently agreed to solicit public input on the adoption of a Tribal Broadband Factor, which would provide additional financial assistance to carriers serving Tribal lands."

The FAA is working “as fast as” it can to introduce a proposed rulemaking on remotely identifying unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), though there's no set deadline, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office Director Earl Lawrence testified Tuesday. FAA’s UAS Identification and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee submitted a final report in September with recommendations for setting an agency standard for identifying and tracking drones. Remote tracking of drones will have significant implications for commercial use, law enforcement and emergency response.

The FAA is working “as fast as” it can to introduce a proposed rulemaking on remotely identifying unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), though there's no set deadline, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office Director Earl Lawrence testified Tuesday. FAA’s UAS Identification and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee submitted a final report in September with recommendations for setting an agency standard for identifying and tracking drones. Remote tracking of drones will have significant implications for commercial use, law enforcement and emergency response.

The FAA is working “as fast as” it can to introduce a proposed rulemaking on remotely identifying unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), though there's no set deadline, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office Director Earl Lawrence testified Tuesday. FAA’s UAS Identification and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee submitted a final report in September with recommendations for setting an agency standard for identifying and tracking drones. Remote tracking of drones will have significant implications for commercial use, law enforcement and emergency response.