Spreading high-speed internet will remain a key focus for the California Public Utilities Commission in the years ahead, CPUC President Alice Reynolds told Communications Daily during a wide-ranging Q&A. Reynolds addresses broadband funding, affordability issues, state USF and the FCC’s net neutrality rulemaking in written answers to our questions, lightly edited for length and clarity.

Sen. Joe Manchin told us Tuesday he supports Congress allocating funding for the FCC's affordable connectivity program (ACP). "The money's there," but congressional leaders must "get the bill on the floor," the West Virginia Democrat said after a speech at the NARUC meeting in Washington. Later, a NARUC panel said states should learn from Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) problems when setting rules for internet service providers to participate in the broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program.

ISPs and industry groups generally supported the FCC's proposal that builds on its Alaska Plan high-cost USF program by transforming it into an Alaska Connect Fund. Reply comments were posted Friday in docket 23-328 (see 2310190056). Some urged that the commission reconsider its eligible telecom carrier (ETC) designation requirement for support recipients and sought a technology-neutral approach.

NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson and FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez used speaking slots at the State of the Net conference Monday to press Congress to allocate additional money for the commission’s affordable connectivity program. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, also at the conference, urged that the commission investigate Apple’s purported blocking of cross-platform messaging service Beeper Mini “to see if it complies” with the agency’s Part 14 accessibility rules under the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act.

A cable industry priority for the new year is opposing the FCC's proposal that requires MVPDs to refund subscribers for programming blackouts due to failed retransmission consent talks with broadcasters, ACA Connects President Grant Spellmeyer told Communications Daily. In an interview, Spellmeyer discussed his 18 months as ACA head (see 2205170043), video's declining -- but not negligible -- importance to his members, and cable's broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program concerns. The following transcript was edited for length and clarity.

Leaders of the 12 GHz for 5G Coalition told us they expect an order opening use of the lower 12 GHz band for fixed-wireless in Q1 2024. The group's leaders had hoped for action by the end of this year, after commissioners approved a Further NPRM in May examining the band's future (see 2309110061).

NTIA "directionally aligned" its approach to the broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program in a policy notice released Tuesday. The notice signaled NTIA's BEAD approach is generally in line with the Treasury Department's broadband infrastructure projects and the FCC's USF policies. The notice comes after NTIA received more than 60 comments from a range of stakeholders seeking exceptions and program adjustments.

SpaceX is "pretty happy" with the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference action on higher power levels for non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellites, David Goldman, vice president-space policy, said Wednesday at a Broadband Breakfast event. WRC-23 wrapped up last week in Dubai (see 2312150012). Current ITU equivalent power flux density restraints are "very, very constraining for next-generation systems," he said. Higher power levels for NGSOs would be "a force multiplier," allowing them to serve more customers while remaining below the noise floor for geostationary orbit satellite systems, he said. While there was "lively debate" about higher power levels, including concerns from some nations that rely on GSOs, the outcome -- ITU asking for studies ahead of WRC-27, leaving the door open to updating rules then -- is a big positive, he said. Asked about the FCC's net neutrality proceeding, Kalpak Gude, domestic regulatory affairs head for Amazon's Kuiper, said the company is a net neutrality supporter and operating within the agency's proposed rules should not pose a problem. Gude and SpaceX's Goldman expressed concerns that FCC rules must recognize legitimate network management capabilities for NGSOs. While NTIA's broadband equity, access and deployment program is not technology neutral, with its thumb on the scale in favor of fiber, the agency has indicated NGSO systems can participate and some states are taking a close look at that, Goldman said. He said BEAD cannot reach 100% coverage without a satellite component. He said Starlink qualifies for and will participate in the affordable connectivity program. SpaceX's Starlink has more than 2 million subscribers globally and is operating in more than 80 nations, with Africa its fastest-growing region, he said. Goldman said Starlink has worked through its U.S. backlog and service kits including the antenna are sent within a couple of days of someone signing up online. He said SpaceX will "come close" to hitting its goal of 100 launches this year. Gude said Amazon is "incredibly thrilled" with test results of its two experimental Kuipers in orbit. He said launch of the constellation should start "around the second quarter [of 2024] or so," adding commercial Kuiper service will start in late 2024, but more broad delivery will ramp up in the subsequent couple of years.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities unanimously agreed Wednesday to submit to NTIA both volumes of the state’s initial proposal for the broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. Meanwhile, with the filing deadline one week away, Wisconsin submitted its plan Wednesday and California signaled it will follow soon. Also, at the livestreamed New Jersey BPU meeting, commissioners voted 4-0 to kick off the statewide franchise renewal process for Altice’s Cablevision.

House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Communications Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta of Ohio and 14 other panel Republicans are charging NTIA with ignoring Congress’ intent in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by allowing states to regulate broadband rates via rules for participation in the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. Rodgers and Latta were among GOP leaders who criticized the FCC Friday for giving Congress “deeply misleading” information about its implementation of IIJA’s affordable connectivity program (see Ref:2312150068]).