Broaden the definition of healthcare providers, allow funding for remote monitoring and medical body area network devices (MBAN), and make the program available in a wide geographic area. Those are among recommendations for the FCC pilot USF pilot to support connected care for the poor and veterans. Comments posted through Friday docket 18-213 for the three-year, $100 million program (see 1907100073).

Broaden the definition of healthcare providers, allow funding for remote monitoring and medical body area network devices (MBAN), and make the program available in a wide geographic area. Those are among recommendations for the FCC pilot USF pilot to support connected care for the poor and veterans. Comments posted through Friday docket 18-213 for the three-year, $100 million program (see 1907100073).

Don’t cap the overall budget for the various USF programs or alter the USF funding mechanism, asked many replies, worried about prioritizing funds over one another. At least one reply favored halting the fund’s growth at 2018 levels. Replies posted through Tuesday in FCC docket 06-122.

Don’t cap the overall budget for the various USF programs or alter the USF funding mechanism, asked many replies, worried about prioritizing funds over one another. At least one reply favored halting the fund’s growth at 2018 levels. Replies posted through Tuesday in FCC docket 06-122.

The FCC authorized $4.9 billion in federal subsidies over the next decade to maintain, improve and expand rural broadband for 455,334 homes and businesses as part of the alternative Connect America cost model (A-CAM) program. A report attached to Thursday's public notice details the annual support authorized for the 171 participating rate-of-return carriers in 39 states and American Somoa. At the high end, Golden West Telecommunications is authorized for $32.5 million in annual A-CAM support in South Dakota; Nemont Telephone, $13.6 million for Montana; and Hill Country Telephone Cooperative, $11.5 million in Texas. At the low end, North State Telephone is authorized to receive $6,800 yearly to provide broadband to all 36 locations within its designated North Carolina census block. The agency authorized broadband support to 44,232 homes and businesses in tribal lands.

The FCC authorized $4.9 billion in federal subsidies over the next decade to maintain, improve and expand rural broadband for 455,334 homes and businesses as part of the alternative Connect America cost model (A-CAM) program. A report attached to Thursday's public notice details the annual support authorized for the 171 participating rate-of-return carriers in 39 states and American Somoa. At the high end, Golden West Telecommunications is authorized for $32.5 million in annual A-CAM support in South Dakota; Nemont Telephone, $13.6 million for Montana; and Hill Country Telephone Cooperative, $11.5 million in Texas. At the low end, North State Telephone is authorized to receive $6,800 yearly to provide broadband to all 36 locations within its designated North Carolina census block. The agency authorized broadband support to 44,232 homes and businesses in tribal lands.

FCC use of census block and Form 477 data designating which households are served "misses many unserved tribal homes in its calculation of broadband support needed," said Sacred Wind Communications, posted Wednesday in docket 10-90. "A major part of the undercounting of tribal homes is the failure to recognize certain structures as domiciles, inhabitable by Western standards." Tuesday, a participant in a USTelecom location fabric broadband mapping pilot recommended the FCC better define serviceable locations for broadband mapping (see 1908200055). Sacred Wind identified all structures within a service area eligible for alternative Connect America cost model (A-CAM) support "and found that the FCC undercounted the locations in those census blocks by over 4,000 locations." It said undercounting those homes would have meant "a loss of nearly $4 million annually in funding needed to provide broadband to those locations" if Sacred Wind had accepted A-CAM support: Undercounted households are rendered "invisible to the Commission for purposes of bridging the digital divide in rural and Tribal areas." Comments on broadband mapping are due to FCC Sept. 23 (see 1908210008).

FCC use of census block and Form 477 data designating which households are served "misses many unserved tribal homes in its calculation of broadband support needed," said Sacred Wind Communications, posted Wednesday in docket 10-90. "A major part of the undercounting of tribal homes is the failure to recognize certain structures as domiciles, inhabitable by Western standards." Tuesday, a participant in a USTelecom location fabric broadband mapping pilot recommended the FCC better define serviceable locations for broadband mapping (see 1908200055). Sacred Wind identified all structures within a service area eligible for alternative Connect America cost model (A-CAM) support "and found that the FCC undercounted the locations in those census blocks by over 4,000 locations." It said undercounting those homes would have meant "a loss of nearly $4 million annually in funding needed to provide broadband to those locations" if Sacred Wind had accepted A-CAM support: Undercounted households are rendered "invisible to the Commission for purposes of bridging the digital divide in rural and Tribal areas." Comments on broadband mapping are due to FCC Sept. 23 (see 1908210008).

2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee proposed requiring “Big Tech companies to pay into" USF as part of a rural economic policy plan Wednesday. “Big Tech companies have benefited from USF-financed broadband networks but have not been legally obligated to pay into the fund.” Democratic FCC members have been pushing the commission to advance discussions on USF contribution revisions (see 1907110020). FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mike O'Rielly don’t support including a fee on broadband access or usage in the USF contribution factor (see 1906250011). Adding major tech companies to the USF contribution pool will help fund “massive new investments in rural broadband connectivity,” said the plan. Inslee proposes $80 billion in direct federal broadband deployment funding, including $5 billion in “subsidies to low-income rural Americans to make sure internet is affordable even in these hard-to-serve areas.” Five other Democratic presidential candidates have proposed substantial broadband funding plans. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts seeks $85 billion, while South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg wants $80 billion (see 1908070070). Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York proposed $60 billion, and former Vice President Joe Biden seeks $20 billion. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has plans for $1 trillion in overall infrastructure funding, including rural broadband. Inslee backed increased funding for the USF E-rate program, additional funding for local 911 call center upgrades in association with FirstNet and “billions” of dollars “to guarantee that every tribal nation has access to quality internet.” He'd only appoint "FCC commissioners that support” restoring the commission’s rescinded 2015 net neutrality rules, noting his support for the Washington state law that restored protections there (see 1802280027).

2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee proposed requiring “Big Tech companies to pay into" USF as part of a rural economic policy plan Wednesday. “Big Tech companies have benefited from USF-financed broadband networks but have not been legally obligated to pay into the fund.” Democratic FCC members have been pushing the commission to advance discussions on USF contribution revisions (see 1907110020). FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mike O'Rielly don’t support including a fee on broadband access or usage in the USF contribution factor (see 1906250011). Adding major tech companies to the USF contribution pool will help fund “massive new investments in rural broadband connectivity,” said the plan. Inslee proposes $80 billion in direct federal broadband deployment funding, including $5 billion in “subsidies to low-income rural Americans to make sure internet is affordable even in these hard-to-serve areas.” Five other Democratic presidential candidates have proposed substantial broadband funding plans. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts seeks $85 billion, while South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg wants $80 billion (see 1908070070). Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York proposed $60 billion, and former Vice President Joe Biden seeks $20 billion. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has plans for $1 trillion in overall infrastructure funding, including rural broadband. Inslee backed increased funding for the USF E-rate program, additional funding for local 911 call center upgrades in association with FirstNet and “billions” of dollars “to guarantee that every tribal nation has access to quality internet.” He'd only appoint "FCC commissioners that support” restoring the commission’s rescinded 2015 net neutrality rules, noting his support for the Washington state law that restored protections there (see 1802280027).