AT&T Fiber pushed speed, reliability and security in a virtual event Monday announcing advanced speeds, new pricing plans for multi-Gbps and initiatives to address the digital divide. It announced new no-contract 2- and 5-Gbps plans for residential and small-business customers.
AT&T Fiber pushed speed, reliability and security in a virtual event Monday announcing advanced speeds, new pricing plans for multi-Gbps and initiatives to address the digital divide. It announced new no-contract 2- and 5-Gbps plans for residential and small-business customers.
Total demand for USF programs topped $9 billion in 2021, reported the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service on Friday. About $5 billion in high-cost support was claimed in 2020, with FCC staff estimating a similar amount claimed in 2021. Demand for low-income programs in 2021 was more than $1 billion. More than 7 million consumers participated in Lifeline in 2020, with 7,000 tribal subscribers participating in Link Up. More than $1 billion of the $2.4 billion committed to E-rate in 2021 was disbursed. Total rural healthcare funding disbursed was $49 million as of June 30. The USF Q4 2021 contribution factor was 29.1%, down from 31.8% in Q3.
“Broadband is an essential service and is not yet accessible to all Californians,” said new California Public Utilities Commission President Alice Reynolds at her first CPUC meeting Thursday. Reynolds, who replaced now-retired Marybel Batjer (see 2112160064), is “very excited” about recently announced state and federal funding, “and the commission has an important role going forward to help communities both rural and urban that have been left behind for too long,” she said virtually. “We must work with local and tribal governments, consumer advocates and the public to build networks that provide modern, affordable and reliable broadband service that is future-proof, lasting for decades to come.” Reynolds showed “she is committed to continue the groundbreaking work being undertaken in California to extend high quality, affordable and reliable broadband to everyone in our state,” emailed Regina Costa, The Utility Reform Network telecom director: “We are very pleased that she values the collaboration with consumer advocates, Tribes, the public and local governments.” Also at the meeting, CPUC commissioners voted 4-0 to adopt a consent agenda including a proposed resolution (T-17758) to adopt $34.6 million in California High Cost Fund-A support for 2022. The funding goes to CalTel and nine other small LECs. The CPUC is down to four commissioners because former member Martha Guzman Aceves left to become administrator of EPA Region 9.
The FCC wrapped up its comment cycle on the future of the 4.9 GHz band. But industry officials told us further agency action likely isn’t imminent, with issues to wade through before recommending a final approach. Commenters disagreed whether there should be a national framework with a nationwide band manager, though there's general support for expanding use of the band. A question is who other than public safety agencies should be given access.
Democratic former FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani backed current Democratic commission nominee Gigi Sohn. “I have no doubt that [Sohn] will be an ally to those focused on equity, justice and economic fairness,” Tristani said in an opinion piece in The Hill. “She has a strong track record of promoting policies that make internet access more affordable for the poor, people of color and people living on tribal lands.” To “eliminate ongoing racial, ethnic, geographic and income-based disparities in internet access, we need a fully functional FCC,” she said. The Senate Commerce Committee is eyeing including a vote on Sohn on the agenda for a likely Jan. 26 executive session (see 2201070058).
A draft FCC NPRM would require ISPs to disclose certain information to consumers through a broadband label, if approved during the agency's January meeting, said a fact sheet Thursday (see 2201050057). Other drafts include an order updating the E-rate program's rules to ensure tribal libraries' access to the program, an order updating political programming rules, an NPRM updating equipment authorization rules, and an order resolving "pending issues" on white space spectrum.
The FCC has a "robust agenda" for the agency's January meeting, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel blogged Wednesday. This year is "going to be a busy and productive year at the FCC," she wrote. On tap is a proposal to establish "simple-to-understand broadband labels," an order addressing E-rate for tribal libraries, and updates on political programming, white space spectrum and equipment authorization rules.
With enrollment now open for the FCC’s affordable connectivity program and the transition from the emergency broadband benefit program underway, some consumer advocacy groups told us they're concerned that EBB-enrolled households could face a bill shock or lose their benefit entirely if required to affirmatively opt in to receive the new benefit. Several questions remain because the FCC hasn't issued rules for the new program and the higher subsidy amount is set to end March 1.
The FCC extended to March 31 the deadline for Lifeline reverification, recertification, de-enrollment and income documentation requirements for subscribers in rural areas on tribal lands. It was to expire Friday. “The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt by many Americans, and recently a new variant of the coronavirus has emerged that has contributed to uncertainty about the ongoing pandemic,” said a Thursday Wireline Bureau order in docket 11-42: “The importance of access to affordable communications services for low-income consumers has been underscored by the pandemic and its long lasting impact.”