The FCC should delay a 5G Fund auction until broadband equity, access, and deployment program funds ae awarded, ACA Connects said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 20-32. “Though the Commission’s high-cost programs distinguish fixed service from mobile service, 5G networks are capable of, and already provide, both,” ACA said: “5G fixed service providers have signed up millions of customers annually in the past few years, capturing the lion’s share of recent fixed broadband growth and providing intense competition to wireline providers.” The association said “where fixed and mobile broadband services were once distinct segments of the marketplace, 5G blurs the line between the two.” The Competitive Carriers Association raised similar timing concerns in a meeting with aides to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. “It is critical that a 5G Fund auction does not occur prematurely to ensure funds are used most efficiently and are targeted to those areas that need it most,” CCA said: “Fiber deployed through the BEAD program will provide a tremendous resource for future 5G mobile deployments as fiber is needed to connect towers across rural America.” CCA said fiber backhaul can comprise up to 20% of the cost of deploying a tower.

FCC commissioners will vote on restoring net neutrality rules during the agency's April 25 meeting, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced Wednesday (see 2403290057). Commissioners will consider a declaratory ruling, order, report and order, and order on reconsideration. "A return to the FCC’s overwhelmingly popular and court-approved standard of net neutrality will allow the agency to serve once again as a strong consumer advocate of an open internet," Rosenworcel said. Also on April's agenda is a draft NPRM about georouting 988 calls (see 2404030051).

The FCC's proposed $1.8 million proposed forfeiture for Nexstar and sidecar operation Mission Broadcasting (see 2403220067) is "an encouraging sign to everyone that has been urging the Commission to bring an end to this media ownership shell game" that are sidecar agreements, ACA Connects Vice President-External Affairs Zamir Ahmed blogged Thursday. He said broadcasters use sidecars to "circumvent federal rules and squeeze even more money out of pay-TV subscribers." The FCC action "should be just the first step in increased oversight of sidecar agreements that overstep the law," he said.

Several industry groups, state officials and organizations raised concerns about a pending request for the FCC to grant a brief amnesty period for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction and Connect America Fund Phase II auction support recipients that are unable to fulfill their deployment obligations (see 2403060031). Groups urged the FCC in comments posted Wednesday in docket 19-126 to ensure providers that relinquish locations be prohibited from seeking support through NTIA's broadband, equity, access and deployment program for the same locations.

ACA Connects asked the FCC to grant smaller providers additional time to comply with certain requirements in its proposed rules reclassifying broadband as a Communications Act Title II telecom service. During a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, the group sought six months for smaller providers "to analyze the impact" of Title II and any new net neutrality rules, "as well as assess the interaction of Title II and the digital discrimination rules and state requirements." In a separate letter to the commission, CTIA and USTelecom asked the FCC to classify domain name systems (DNS) and caching as information services under the Communications Act. DNS and caching "remain integral parts of providers’ BIAS offerings, making those offerings information services under the Communications Act," the groups said.

Trade groups critical of the FCC’s digital discrimination order disagreed Wednesday with members of its Communications Equity and Diversity Council about the order’s breadth. The order “covers every aspect” of an ISP’s service and could lead to companies slowing the rollout of service in some communities to avoid the appearance of discrimination, said Diana Eisner, USTelecom vice president-policy and advocacy, at an FCBA CLE. “Given the scope of the problem,” it was appropriate for the FCC to create a rule that could tackle multiple forms of discrimination, said Leo Fitzpatrick, policy analyst at The Utility Reform Network and a former CEDC member.

Utility companies and some industry groups urged the FCC to maintain its current rules for pole attachment application processes, noting the commission recently adopted new rules to help facilitate the process to expedite and streamline broadband deployment. Some ISPs said process delays remain and backed FCC-established timelines for larger pole attachment orders. Reply comments were posted Thursday in docket 17-84 (see 2402140048).

FCC commissioners voted 3-2 Thursday, over dissents by Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington, to approve the agency's Telecom Act Section 706 report to Congress. The report concluded that broadband isn't deployed in a "reasonable and timely fashion," with about 24 million Americans lacking access to speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps. The two Republicans also dissented at the commissioners' open meeting on a proposed requirement that cable and satellite TV multichannel programming distributors display prominently the aggregate cost of video programming in ads and customer bills.

Proposed conclusions in the draft of the FCC's annual report to Congress about the state of broadband deployment and competition raised eyebrows among industry groups, with some calling for the commission to consider additional data. The FCC also defended proposing higher broadband speed goals in the draft report. Commissioners will consider the item, required by Section 706 of the Telecom Act, Thursday during their open meeting (see 2402220059).

Pay-TV industry interests are pushing the FCC for more time to implement "all-in" video pricing disclosure rules. FCC commissioners will vote on the proposed rules at Thursday's open meeting (see 2402210057). MVPD interests are lobbying on implementation timelines, according to docket 23-203 filings Friday. DirecTV said it would need more time and asked for at least a 12-month deadline or maintenance of the current nine-month deadline for all-in disclosures in advertisements but allowing an additional six months for customer bills. It said solely regulating cable and satellite TV hurts their competitiveness with online services. At least give operators a 12-month window for compliance, ACA Connects told aides to Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez. It said changing customer bills "is a complex undertaking that can involve many sequential steps," especially if the providers use third-party software platforms. Pricing requirements won't address the "underlying dysfunction" in the video marketplace, and urged the FCC against adoption. Pointing to arguments that the rules just apply to cable and direct broadcast satellite, One Ministries said virtual MVPDs should be regulated along with MVPDs. Without it, virtual MVPDs "will continue to discriminate against local 'mom and pop' independent TV stations by not carrying them and only carrying the major network TV stations in the various TV markets," it said.