Commissioners OK'd rules 4-0 for round two of the COVID-19 telehealth program, the FCC announced Tuesday. They denied an American Hospital Association petition for reconsideration to include for-profit hospitals as eligible providers. Nearly $250 million will be awarded during the second round. The commission created an application filing window rather than a rolling basis for accepting applications because "smaller providers with more limited resources may have faced difficulties quickly compiling their applications." The filing window is expected to open within 30 days. The FCC will announce this start date "very shortly," said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Round one applicants that didn't receive funding must submit a new application for round two and "will receive an increase in points in Round 2 which are not available to other Round 2 applicants," the order said. Universal Service Administrative Co. will administer funds again, prioritizing applications from the hardest-hit and low-income areas, unfunded round one applicants, tribal communities, critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers, healthcare provider shortage areas, new round two applicants and rural counties. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the rules give "significant weight to applications proposing to serve low-income communities" and included some of his proposed edits. Rules "strike the right balance between ensuring a wide and equitable distribution of funding and promoting the widest possible participation of health care providers," said Commissioner Brendan Carr. Commissioner Nathan Simington didn't release a statement. The FCC extended from six to 12 months the time applicants may receive funding, saying "providers will likely continue to rely on telehealth and connected care services as a critical means of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic through at least a good portion of 2022." Funds will be awarded in two phases, as expected (see 2103170047). The first $150 million goes to highest-scoring applicants. After a 10-day period, USAC will re-rank the remaining applicants and disburse the remaining funds. The commission kept in place eligibility requirements for providers from round one, and applicants needing to obtain approved eligibility determination must do so only for the "lead health care provider" listed on the application. If an applicant has multiple sites on their application, they must certify only that all sites listed are eligible. The order said its eligible services list is broad enough to provide "the flexibility needed to respond to rapidly evolving situations" and includes guidance on ineligible services.

Commissioners OK'd rules 4-0 for round two of the COVID-19 telehealth program, the FCC announced Tuesday. They denied an American Hospital Association petition for reconsideration to include for-profit hospitals as eligible providers. Nearly $250 million will be awarded during the second round. The commission created an application filing window rather than a rolling basis for accepting applications because "smaller providers with more limited resources may have faced difficulties quickly compiling their applications." The filing window is expected to open within 30 days. The FCC will announce this start date "very shortly," said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Round one applicants that didn't receive funding must submit a new application for round two and "will receive an increase in points in Round 2 which are not available to other Round 2 applicants," the order said. Universal Service Administrative Co. will administer funds again, prioritizing applications from the hardest-hit and low-income areas, unfunded round one applicants, tribal communities, critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers, healthcare provider shortage areas, new round two applicants and rural counties. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the rules give "significant weight to applications proposing to serve low-income communities" and included some of his proposed edits. Rules "strike the right balance between ensuring a wide and equitable distribution of funding and promoting the widest possible participation of health care providers," said Commissioner Brendan Carr. Commissioner Nathan Simington didn't release a statement. The FCC extended from six to 12 months the time applicants may receive funding, saying "providers will likely continue to rely on telehealth and connected care services as a critical means of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic through at least a good portion of 2022." Funds will be awarded in two phases, as expected (see 2103170047). The first $150 million goes to highest-scoring applicants. After a 10-day period, USAC will re-rank the remaining applicants and disburse the remaining funds. The commission kept in place eligibility requirements for providers from round one, and applicants needing to obtain approved eligibility determination must do so only for the "lead health care provider" listed on the application. If an applicant has multiple sites on their application, they must certify only that all sites listed are eligible. The order said its eligible services list is broad enough to provide "the flexibility needed to respond to rapidly evolving situations" and includes guidance on ineligible services.

Solar energy company SunPower hires Discovery’s Peter Faricy as CEO, effective April 19, succeeding the retiring Tom Werner, who remains chairman for a “planned” six months ... Cybersecurity-dedicated investment bank Momentum Cyber promotes Dino Boukouris and Keith Skirbe to managing directors and advances Jeremy Isagon to vice president ... Telehealth company Complia Health taps Rich Berner from MDLive as CEO ... Email optimization platform SparkPost hires Michelle Byrd from Zaloni as chief people officer.

Solar energy company SunPower hires Discovery’s Peter Faricy as CEO, effective April 19, succeeding the retiring Tom Werner, who remains chairman for a “planned” six months ... Cybersecurity-dedicated investment bank Momentum Cyber promotes Dino Boukouris and Keith Skirbe to managing directors and advances Jeremy Isagon to vice president ... Telehealth company Complia Health taps Rich Berner from MDLive as CEO ... Email optimization platform SparkPost hires Michelle Byrd from Zaloni as chief people officer.

NTIA will webinars through July on how to participate in three broadband grant programs, says Friday's Federal Register. Webinars on the Broadband Infrastructure Program will be on the second Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 14; on the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, the third Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 21; and on the Connecting Minority Communities Program, the fourth Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 28. All webinars start at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

NTIA will webinars through July on how to participate in three broadband grant programs, says Friday's Federal Register. Webinars on the Broadband Infrastructure Program will be on the second Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 14; on the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, the third Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 21; and on the Connecting Minority Communities Program, the fourth Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 28. All webinars start at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

Frontier Communications could soon emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after getting final regulatory OK Thursday (see 2103150030). A late change to the proposed decision might cause turbulence. California Public Utilities Commissioners voted 5-0 at their virtual meeting to clear the reorganization -- with conditions. The order is a "critical moment of really ensuring that Frontier be a better company for California,” said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves.

The FCC unanimously approved two Public Safety Bureau items on outage reporting and the emergency alert system Wednesday, as expected (see 2103120057). Though the final versions haven’t been released, industry officials told us they don’t expect either the NPRM on wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) and state emergency alert plans nor the order on outage reporting to have undergone significant changes from their drafts. The FCC “needs to fundamentally refresh its playbook for disaster preparedness and resiliency,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel at Wednesday’s meeting of commissioners.

Frontier Communications got its final regulatory OK to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The California Public Utilities Commission voted 5-0 at its Thursday virtual meeting to clear the proposed reorganization with conditions.

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a waiver allowing the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians to receive licenses to use the 2.5 GHz band on two tracts of trust land in North Dakota. Trust lands were excluded from eligibility for the licenses under FCC rules. “In this instance, we find that strictly applying the Tribal lands definition would be inconsistent with the Tribal Window’s purpose of providing wireless communications services in rural Tribal areas,” the bureau said Thursday.