Telcos, others, reiterated their opposition to a “further guidance” notice released by the FCC Office of Native Affairs and Policy, which requires that telecom companies engage with tribal governments whose lands they serve. In reply comments on a USTelecom petition for reconsideration, non-tribal entities elaborated on their earlier concerns (CD Sept 28 p6) that the new rules violate the Administrative Procedure Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), and the First Amendment. U.S. Cellular, C Spire Wireless, and Pioneer Cellular argued the further guidance was not accompanied by “any comparative analysis” of the costs and benefits of the requirements, and has “numerous procedural and legal deficiencies” (http://xrl.us/bntu9p). Blooston Rural Carriers disputed comments by Gila River Telecommunications that the rules requiring engagement with tribes do not implicate the PRA (http://xrl.us/bntu99). Tribal entities continued to oppose USTelecom’s petition. Gila River maintained that the further guidance was “not only procedurally and constitutionally proper,” but also offered the opportunity for better coordination and increased deployment of telecom services on tribal lands (http://xrl.us/bntvaf). The National Tribal Telecommunications Association said those who support USTelecom’s petition fail to grasp the concept that tribal governments are “sovereign” on tribal lands, and “serve the role of regulator, legislature, judicial, and other executive branches of non-Tribal state governments. It is difficult to imagine USTelecom members refusing to engage with their state commission or local government in providing current services or in planning future broadband, voice, or other services,” NTTA said (http://xrl.us/bntvaq).

The FCC Wireline Bureau reminded states, in three public notices issued late Thursday, of Lifeline deadlines and clarified certain Lifeline issues. Telcos and state Lifeline administrators need to recertify eligibility for all Lifeline subscribers by Dec. 31, one public notice said (http://xrl.us/bntuxz). Then, they “must report the results to the Commission, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), and to states and Tribal governments (where appropriate), by January 31, 2013,” the bureau said. States that want to opt out of the National Lifeline Accountability Database need to “make a one-time request by November 1, 2012 that the state has a comprehensive system in place to check for duplicative Lifeline support,” another public notice said (http://xrl.us/bntuys). The FCC is now providing a limited waiver until Dec. 1 “to enable states to take into account the guidance provided in this public notice regarding the showing that a state must make in order to opt out of the database,” it said. This notice detailed elements of how states should prepare for opting out. A third bureau notice sought to “provide guidance” to states on how to institute the FCC’s one-per-household rule and avoid duplicative support (http://xrl.us/bntuak). “Consistent with the one-per-household rule, once an ETC [eligible telecommunications carrier] determines through an examination of its records that it is providing Lifeline supported service to multiple subscribers at a single address, the ETC must provide each subscriber at that address with a one-per-household worksheet,” the bureau said. The subscriber needs to comply with appropriate steps within 30 days or be de-enrolled, the bureau added.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Those at the PCIA show were enthusiastic about recent growth of LTE technology, and the wireless infrastructure advances needed to support it including distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cell towers, they said. Evercore analyst Jonathan Schildkraut wrote investors that enthusiasm in the industry appeared at “record highs” and forecast continued growth.

Over 83,000 new U.S. road miles in 31 states will get access to mobile Internet within 3 years, the FCC said Wednesday as it disclosed results of its Mobility Fund “Auction 901” to allocate $300 million toward closing gaps in mobile coverage. Carriers that received funding must complete projects within three years, and must make their networks available to other providers for roaming, the commission said. The Competitive Carriers Association praised the one-time “infusion” of support, but said the agency needs to make more funding available on an annual basis if it wants to achieve its universal service goals.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau sought comment on a waiver request by the state of Montana, which wants to use 155.4750 MHz for interagency coordination of first responders within 16 kilometers of the U.S.-Canadian border. The Northern Tier Interoperability Consortium got a grant under the Border Interoperability Demonstration Project and Montana wants to use the “Blue Channel” spectrum. “Specifically, Montana would allow state, local, tribal and Canadian first responders to communicate on the Blue Channel for mutual U.S./Canadian operations at or within 16 kilometers of the border,” the bureau said in a notice (http://xrl.us/bnrn4p). “Montana argues this plan would achieve the following objectives: 1) Improve day-to-day interoperable emergency communications among local, state, tribal, and federal entities as well as international partners along and across international borders; 2) Improve interoperable emergency communications among emergency response providers responding to threats and natural disasters on the border; and 3) Facilitate interoperable communications among emergency response providers in border communities of varying population densities.” Comments are due Oct. 18, replies Oct. 29.

Telcos and carriers expressed strong support for a USTelecom petition for reconsideration of an FCC public notice that imposed various obligations on eligible telecommunications carriers that deal with tribal groups. The rules violate the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), and the First Amendment, groups say. But tribal groups that commented strongly objected to the petition, calling it “misguided” and “deeply disappointing.” The public notice (http://xrl.us/bnro5r) offered “further guidance” on the tribal government engagement obligation provisions in the USF/intercarrier compensation order, and USTelecom took issue with its calls for “culturally sensitive” marketing and in-person meetings between telecom executives and tribal leaders.

Telcos and associations challenging the FCC’s USF/intercarrier compensation order filed a joint preliminary brief Monday presenting 18 issues for the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to decide (http://xrl.us/bnrd3e). Questions include whether the FCC overstepped its authority by preempting the states’ authority to set intrastate rates, designate eligible telecom carriers and set service areas; requiring recipients of USF support to provide unregulated “information services”; and modifying or eliminating high-cost support mechanisms. Petitioners are also challenging the commission’s move to a “bill-and-keep” system of intercarrier compensation; a new obligation barring call blocking on VoIP providers; and the infringement of tribal sovereignty. Petitioners include CenturyLink, tw telecom, U.S. Cellular, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, and several state public utilities commissions and rural telephone cooperatives.

FirstNet may begin implementing the proposed nationwide 700 MHz national public safety broadband network (NPSBN) as soon as 2013, the FirstNet board said at its inaugural meeting Tuesday. All 15 members praised the $7 billion initiative and talked about next steps. But multiple organizations and a new report underscore FirstNet’s challenges of funding, scheduling and exclusion, and they questioned the manner in which the federal government has handled several suspended stimulus grants.

NTUA Wireless wants a decision by Wednesday on the merits of its application to become an eligible telecom carrier, it told the FCC Wireline Bureau Friday (http://xrl.us/bnq8o3). Its unopposed application has been pending for 568 days, the majority-owned Tribal entity said. Despite countless meetings, the carrier has “never been offered a reason to justify the prolonged regulatory delay in acting on its application,” which is causing “irreparable harm” to the carrier and the residents of Navajo Nation, it said.

Restrictions on Internet freedom continue to grow -- and the threats against it are shifting, said human rights group Freedom House’s 2012 report on worldwide Internet freedom. The report said Estonia had the most Internet freedom in the past year, followed by the U.S. and Germany. Iran was found to have the least online freedom, followed by Cuba, China and Syria. The report, released Monday, assessed events and shifts in the Internet freedom situation in 47 countries between January 2011 and May 2012. Researchers evaluated the situation in each country and assigned a numerical score, with 100 being the worst possible score. Estonia scored 10, while Iran scored 90; the U.S. scored 12, according to Freedom House (http://xrl.us/bnq8xh).The more repressive governments on the list continue to use traditional censorship methods like filtering and blocking content, but they are now supplementing those with “nuanced” tactics, Sanja Kelly, the report’s lead author, said at a Freedom House event Monday. Governments are increasingly engaging in proactive manipulation of online content, including hiring pro-government bloggers to attack anti-government bloggers’ credibility and paying people to bombard anti-government blogs with false information, she said. That tactic had previously only been found in Russia and China, but has now spread into countries like Iran and Belarus, said Freedom House. The report said 19 of the 47 assessed countries had passed new laws impacting Internet freedom since January 2011. Those have included a new law in Malaysia that holds intermediaries like ISPs responsible for “seditious” comments users post online, Kelly said. “As a consequence, in some of the environments we've seen some of the intermediaries almost voluntarily taking down the content they fear will get them into trouble."