The White House’s Broadband Opportunity Council delivered its long-anticipated recommendations on broadband deployment Monday. The proposal sets up what the council calls “dozens of actions” anticipated by federal agencies over the next 18 months, streamlining processes and better organizing how information is presented and handled online.
The FCC understands the promise broadband access offers for low-income households, Wireline Bureau Chief Matt DelNero said in a commission blog Monday. It noted the beginning of Lifeline Awareness Week and commended state regulators for making the program work for low-income users and telecom ratepayers who fund it through USF fees. "Broadband can help families fully engage in civic life and meaningfully access health services, job opportunities, and educational resources," wrote DelNero. "All network users benefit when everyone, regardless of income level, can communicate and innovate through broadband access." DelNero said initial comments (see 1509010073 and 1509040045) on proposals in the Further NPRM to expand Lifeline to broadband and promote program efficiency "reveal the remarkable variety of ways that broadband can enrich and transform lives," including by bringing better communications access to people with disabilities, children doing homework, parents needing information about state programs, and people living on tribal lands. Replies are due Sept. 30.
Sprint shouldn't be allowed to discontinue domestic wireline long-distance service until it satisfies certain duties regarding the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, said the Oglala Sioux Tribe Utility Commission in South Dakota in comments to the FCC in docket 15-186. The OSTUC said Sprint hasn't provided information the tribal commission needs to take a position on the carrier's planned service discontinuation (see 1506190036). To satisfy the FCC public interest standard, Sprint must meet all applicable requirements to discontinue service, including on the PRIR, the OSTUC said. "Sprint has refused to recognize the jurisdiction and authority of the OSTUC," which regulates telecom and other utility services on the PRIR, leading to litigation between the parties, the tribal commission said. A federal court recently denied a Sprint request to block the tribe from exercising jurisdiction over Sprint's telecom service on the PRIR, the OSTUC said. Sprint hadn't met tribal consumer protection duties or provided the OSTUC with any information about its planned service discontinuance on the PRIR, the tribal commission said. "Until Sprint demonstrates that it has met its obligations to 'inform customers prior to termination of service that they may file a complaint with the Commission' and comply with other applicable requirements on the PRIR, the FCC should not allow Sprint's planned termination of service on the PRIR to go into effect." The OSTUC said that Sprint had said consumers could buy alternative long-distance service from wireless carriers such as itself, but the tribal commission said it doesn't believe Sprint provides wireless service on the PRIR and there may not be other alternatives on the reservation. The OSTUC comments were dated Sept. 1, and posted on the FCC electronic filing system Monday. Sprint had no comment, but plans to file a response soon, a company spokesman told us Monday.
The FCC understands the promise broadband access offers for low-income households, Wireline Bureau Chief Matt DelNero said in a commission blog Monday. It noted the beginning of Lifeline Awareness Week and commended state regulators for making the program work for low-income users and telecom ratepayers who fund it through USF fees. "Broadband can help families fully engage in civic life and meaningfully access health services, job opportunities, and educational resources," wrote DelNero. "All network users benefit when everyone, regardless of income level, can communicate and innovate through broadband access." DelNero said initial comments (see 1509010073 and 1509040045) on proposals in the Further NPRM to expand Lifeline to broadband and promote program efficiency "reveal the remarkable variety of ways that broadband can enrich and transform lives," including by bringing better communications access to people with disabilities, children doing homework, parents needing information about state programs, and people living on tribal lands. Replies are due Sept. 30.
The California Broadband Council will discuss the state's first responder network, telehealth network and library system, and will get a tribal update at a meeting Tuesday, said the agenda. The council is made up of nine people and chaired by state Chief Information Officer Carlos Ramos. It was formed in 2010 to expand broadband deployment and eliminate the digital divide. The 9:30 a.m. meeting is at UC Riverside, 900 University Ave., Room 1113 INTS Building, Riverside, California.
The California Broadband Council will discuss the state's first responder network, telehealth network and library system, and will get a tribal update at a meeting Tuesday, said the agenda. The council is made up of nine people and chaired by state Chief Information Officer Carlos Ramos. It was formed in 2010 to expand broadband deployment and eliminate the digital divide. The 9:30 a.m. meeting is at UC Riverside, 900 University Ave., Room 1113 INTS Building, Riverside, California.
Most state commissions and organizations representing state interests believe it's a bad idea to streamline the eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation process for the Lifeline program. The filings in docket 11-42, among others, were in response to the FCC’s NPRM, for which comments were due Monday. Many of the state commissions believe the best way to curb waste, fraud and abuse within the program is to let the states continue to use their own designation process. Others believe this process will have to be revisited once the program is updated, because the FCC will need to see if things are working and be open to changing the things that aren’t. None of the states said it was a bad choice to include broadband in the coverage, but some of the state organizations recognized the need for a cap of some sort to keep the program from swelling too much.
Most state commissions and organizations representing state interests believe it's a bad idea to streamline the eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation process for the Lifeline program. The filings in docket 11-42, among others, were in response to the FCC’s NPRM, for which comments were due Monday. Many of the state commissions believe the best way to curb waste, fraud and abuse within the program is to let the states continue to use their own designation process. Others believe this process will have to be revisited once the program is updated, because the FCC will need to see if things are working and be open to changing the things that aren’t. None of the states said it was a bad choice to include broadband in the coverage, but some of the state organizations recognized the need for a cap of some sort to keep the program from swelling too much.
FirstNet won’t be a success without industry buy-in, CEO Michael Poth told the group’s second “industry day” Thursday. Poth told a packed auditorium in Reston, Virginia, and more watching online, that FirstNet understands that industry needs to earn a “reasonable profit” through its involvement with the nascent public safety wireless network. Companies will need to balance the risks and rewards of participating in FirstNet, he said. Poth was named to the job from outside FirstNet last week (see 1508170033).
Boomerang Wireless filed an amended version of its 2010 petition at the FCC asking to be designated as an eligible telecom carrier to offer low-cost service under the Lifeline program. Boomerang wants to serve Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. “Boomerang submits this Amended Petition to expand its proposed Lifeline offering,” said the petition, filed in docket 09-197. “Boomerang proposes to provide Lifeline customers with low- cost plan options that include 250 MB of data per month, and Lifeline customers who reside on tribal lands with low-cost plan options that include 500 MB of data per month.” Boomerang asked for an expedited decision by the commission.