The California Public Utilities Commission may vote on May 19 to modify various account rules under the California Advanced Services Fund. Wednesday's proposed decision in docket R.20-08-021 would update program rules for the Broadband Public Housing Account, Broadband Adoption Account and Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Account in response to a $6 billion broadband package and three other 2021 state laws. Changes would include expanding eligibility for public housing grants and increasing that program’s minimum speed requirement to 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload, from 6/1 Mbps today. For the adoption program, the proposal would double allowable reimbursement for take-home devices to $300, increase the current one-device-per-household limit to two and expand eligible program costs to include hot spots, modems, switches and computer warranties. The CPUC would increase maximum grants for regional consortiums to $200,000 from $150,000 annually. The commission proposed setting about a $72.6 million budget for CASF that would include about $30.9 million for the infrastructure program, $19 million for adoption, $10.7 million for consortiums, $10 million for public housing and $2 million for tribal technical assistance.

Fixed broadband service providers can now access a "preliminary version" of the FCC's broadband serviceable location fabric, said a Wireline Bureau, Broadband Data Task Force, and Office of Economics and Analytics public notice Thursday in docket 19-195 (see 2204060046). Access is currently limited to providers that "filed fixed broadband deployment data in past Form 477 filings," the notice said. Also Thursday, FCC staff issued guidance for state, local and tribal governments to submit verified broadband availability data through the broadband data collection system.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo cited a need to "make sure we change" the ongoing lack of broadband in tribal and rural communities during a Thursday White House event to roll out Biden administration equity action plans. Commerce aims to address "digital inequalities to promote not only the availability of reliable, affordable high speed broadband access but also the adoption and meaningful use of broadband for all Americans," the department's action plan said. It cited the rollout of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives within NTIA's Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth as an early accomplishment of that goal. The White House cited NTIA's implementation of more than $48 billion in connectivity money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as one way the administration is acting to address equity, noting the money will "help close the digital divide, particularly for rural and Tribal communities." DOD, meanwhile, is "advancing the safe and equitable use of" AI technology "to mitigate algorithmic bias by investing in agency-wide responsible AI development and investing in the development of a more diverse AI workforce, including through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)," the White House said.

Digital equity advocates and lawmakers want bigger efforts to bridge the digital divide, they said Tuesday. Some at the Hispanic Technology & Telecommunications Partnership’s virtual digital inclusion summit said digital discrimination is a top priority. Others encouraged local leaders to promote the FCC’s affordable connectivity program.

Cogeco's Breezeline unveiled its Internet Assist Plus package aimed at subscribers eligible under the FCC's affordable connectivity program (ACP). It said IAP provides service of up to 100 Mbps and an ACP discount of up to $30 a month for broadband service, or up to $75 a month on qualifying tribal lands.

Industry groups and ISPs participating in the FCC’s affordable connectivity program sought more time to comply with the program’s non-usage tracking rule. Comment posted Friday in docket 21-450 backed a USTelecom petition for an additional 60 days after the April 15 deadline (see 2203230041).

The Treasury Department is reviewing state and territory plans for the Capital Projects Fund on a “rolling basis,” said the fund's director, Joseph Wender, during a Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition webinar Thursday (see 2105100060). “We’re hoping to make awards in the pretty near future,” Wender said, noting tribal applications are due by June 1 and all grant and program plans by Sept. 24.

Industry experts expect the FCC to act, probably this summer, on an enhanced competition incentive program (ECIP) now that reply comments are in docket 19-38. Several predicted the agency may wait for a third Democrat to be confirmed to the commission. Commissioners approved a Further NPRM 4-0 in November (see 2111180071) following up on a provision in the Mobile Now Act, which became law in 2018.

The FCC Wireline Bureau extended through June 30 its waiver of Lifeline program document requirements for reverification, recertification, general de-enrollment, and income for subscribers in rural areas on tribal lands, said an order Friday in docket 11-42 (see 2203170030). The order noted this "will likely be the bureau's final extension of these waivers."

The Interagency Steering Group on Native American Voting Rights said Thursday “more could be done” by the FCC and other policymakers to promote voting on Tribal lands. The FCC auctioned off spectrum licenses and USF support “to build out broadband capacity to millions of unserved locations, but could do more to integrate Tribal governments into the process, to ensure better communication and relationships between the auction winners and the Tribal communities they serve,” the report said. To the extent states deploy federal funding or funding of their own to promote broadband in Tribal areas “it would be advisable to similarly incorporate Tribal governments into the process of assessing needs and selection procedures, as well as bid evaluation and contract approval.” When the FCC issues spectrum licenses to Tribal governments it should offer “the technical and grantmaking assistance necessary for Tribal governments to capitalize effectively on the spectrum availability,” the report said. Information designed for viewing on desktop computers “may not be effective for eligible voters who are primarily online through smartphones, no matter how robust their connectivity or capacity,” it said: State and local officials should ensure “their election-related applications and information are also optimized (and translated) for mobile, in order to reach Native American voters where they are.”