Provider participation in the FCC’s affordable connectivity program is likely to be at a higher level than for the emergency broadband benefit program, we’re told (see 2112090061). Some industry groups said more providers may elect to participate since the new program is designed to be longer term than EBB.

Switzerland dropped former Congo official Jean-Claude Kazembe Musonda from its sanctions regime, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said. Musonda was the former governor of Haut-Katanga and leader of CONAKAT, the Confederation of Tribal Associations of Katanga. He died in July, resulting in his delisting by the EU Dec. 10 (see 2112130012).

NTIA awarded nearly $1 million in grants to the Yavapai-Apache Nation in Arizona and Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin as part of its tribal broadband connectivity program, said a news release Wednesday. The Yavapai-Apache Nation got $500,000, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians $442,734, to do planning studies that will help determine the best ways to expand broadband services to their members, said NTIA. The awards "reaffirm this administration’s commitment to ensuring that tribal communities ... have the resources they need to thrive in the 21st century," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Five grants totaling $2.4 million have been awarded through the program (see 2111170049). Additional awards will be announced on a rolling basis.

The FCC Wireless Bureau gave Pine Cellular in a Tuesday order, a limited one-year waiver, to Jan. 9, 2023, to meet the tribal lands bidding credit construction requirement as it deploys service to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The carrier says it's unable to meet a Jan. 9, 2022, deadline to serve 75% of the population covered by one of two 600 MHz licenses purchased using credits, the bureau said. Pine Cellular says it “needed additional time to deploy its network to serve Choctaw Nation communities because its existing network in that geographic area uses Huawei equipment for the performance of core functions,” the bureau said.

President Joe Biden appoints California Public Utilities Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves as administrator of EPA Region 9, serving states including California, starting Dec. 20 ... BakerHostetler hires Jennifer Mitchell, ex-Sony Pictures Entertainment, as partner and member, Digital Assets and Data Management Practice Group ... Nebraska Public Service Commission votes unanimously to hire retired Nebraska Army National Guard Colonel Thomas Golden as the PSC's executive director, replacing Mike Hybl, who retired in September ... CTIA hires from the office of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Sydney Pettit, who joins as director-government affairs.

The FCC is under growing pressure to set a starting date for the 2.5 GHz auction, as the 3.45 GHz auction draws to a close. Analysts said questions remain about who will bid for the spectrum, even given the relatively strong performance of the 3.45 auction, the third-highest in FCC history. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel says the FCC is likely to move forward after the current auction, which is in its final stage (see 2111180047). The agency didn’t comment Friday.

The FCC Wireless Bureau OK'd a waiver for Cross Telephone, making the company eligible for tribal land bidding credits for licenses it bought in the citizens broadband radio service auction for four licenses covering the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. “Based on the facts of this case and evidence that this specific Tribal land is underserved, we find that waiver relief is warranted,” said a Thursday order. The bureau noted the Osage Nation supported the request.

Providers, local governments and advocates welcomed FCC-proposed rules for the $14.2 billion affordable connectivity program, in comments posted Thursday in docket 21-450. Some raised concerns about potential implementation challenges as the agency shifts from the $3.1 billion emergency broadband benefit program and urged the commission to allow flexibility for EBB providers and enrolled households during the transition.

Allow tribal households that qualified as Lifeline subscribers for the FCC emergency broadband benefit program to participate in the affordable connectivity program without needing to opt in, Smith Bagley urged Wireline Bureau staff, said an ex parte letter posted Tuesday in docket 21-450. Those households "will see no change in their benefit, nor their service offering, when [EBB] transitions to ACP" and "would find it much more difficult to execute an opt-in requirement than most others in the nation," Smith Bagley said. It also asked that "no fundamental changes" be made to the National Lifeline Accountability Database because providers can adjust discounts within NLAD and remove households that no longer qualify.

The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by Dec. 8, replies by Dec. 28, on implementation of the Affordable Connectivity Program, said a public notice Thursday in docket 21-450. The new program provides a $30 monthly broadband subsidy for nontribal households and retains the emergency broadband benefit program's $75 monthly subsidy for tribal households. The bureau proposes to retain EBB rules for a connected device. The effective date of the new program will be Dec. 31 as EBB won't be fully expended beforehand and a 60-day transition period for EBB enrollees begins then. The new program would retain similar rules to EBB, including those for participating providers. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act modified household eligibility to remove those that were eligible for a provider's COVID-19 program or experienced a substantial loss of income in the past year, while adding households that receive Women, Infants and Children benefits. The bureau seeks comment on whether aspects of the EBB application process should be retained or modified, and whether providers should file an election notice to participate if they're already in the EBB program. The PN seeks comment on a statutory requirement that providers "allow an eligible household to apply the affordable connectivity benefit to any internet service offering of the participating provider, at the same rates and terms available to households that are not eligible households." The bureau proposes a 30-day non-usage period requirement with 15 days for households to cure the non-usage. The PN seeks comment on whether modifications to this requirement are warranted. The infrastructure law requires that participating providers let enrollees apply the benefit to any internet service. The bureau is seeking comment on how to implement this. Staff proposes requiring providers seek affirmative consent before enrolling a household in ACP and seeks comment on whether that should be done through written consent (see 2111170066). The bureau also is seeking comments on outreach (see 2111090063). The PN seeks comment on partial reimbursement and provider disputes.