Related to FCC changes announced at commissioners' meeting Thursday and according to various officials: NCTA hires Amy Bender, departing wireline legal adviser to Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, as vice president-legislative counsel, Government Relations department; Facebook hires Deputy Media Bureau Chief Mary Beth Murphy; Betsy McIntyre, deputy chief of Wireless Bureau Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division, named acting wireline adviser to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel during Travis Litman's paternity leave; Wireline Bureau Deputy Chief Madeleine Findley departing and is relocating; office of Commissioner Brendan Carr adds from Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Dana Howell as staff assistant; Office of Engineering and Technology Physical Scientist Ed Mantiply retiring.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the commission is still determining “the best path forward” on revamping elements of the Lifeline USF program. His responded to letters from House Democrats that raised concerns that his preferred plan would mean major cuts to the program’s subsidization of phone and internet services to low-income people. The revamp NPRM adopted in November seeks comment on creating a self-enforcing budget cap, setting a maximum subscriber discount level and ending both federal designation of Lifeline broadband providers and pre-emption of states' role in designating some eligible telecom carriers (see 1711160021). House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., led one letter in January. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and 67 other House members sent a separate letter in March (see 1803210061). Senate Aging Committee Chairman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and ranking member Bob Casey, D-Pa., more recently also raised concerns (see 1805180043). “I am deeply committed to ensuring that the Commission fulfills its obligation to be a responsible steward of” USF, Pai said, posted Monday. “It is critical to strengthen the Lifeline program's efficacy and integrity by reducing the waste, fraud, and abuse that has run rampant in this program for the better part of a decade.” The national verifier of consumer eligibility for the program the FCC is implementing “will be one important tool in eliminating this waste, fraud, and abuse,” but “it simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake,” Pai said. “That's why the Commission last year sought comment on a wide variety of measures to improve the administration of the Lifeline program.” Pai disputed suggestions that an accompanying November order will cut off Lifeline support to tribal members. He said the changes were designed to "incentivize providers" to deploy broadband networks on tribal lands. "All eligible Americans who apply will continue to receive support, but that enhanced support will now be tailored to better target those in need," he responded to Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., and 31 colleagues. "Similarly false are suggestions that the Commission did not consult with Tribes before adopting the 2017 Lifeline Reform Order," he added, citing comments from, and consultations with, various tribal parties: "As Chairman, I have participated in three official Tribal consultations, made numerous visits to Tribal communities, and met with Tribal representatives, including the Navajo Nation."
Lifeline USF providers endorsed a request that program providers be reimbursed during a subscriber non-usage grace period. The National Lifeline Association recently petitioned the FCC to rule that Lifeline eligible telecom carriers (ETCs) be "permitted to seek reimbursement for all Lifeline eligible subscribers served as of the first day of the month ... including those subscribers that are in an applicable 15-day cure period following 30 days of non-usage." Universal Service Administrative Co. had reversed guidance that let Lifeline ETCs be reimbursed during the cure (grace) period, providers said in comments posted Monday and Tuesday in docket 11-42. "FCC rules require ETCs to provide Lifeline customers with service during the cure period (Section 54.405(e)(3)), and mandate provision of Lifeline support to eligible Lifeline subscribers served on the first day of the month (Section 54.407(a))," Sprint said. "The reasonable and logical import of these rules is that Lifeline support is due for Lifeline customers who are in the cure period as of the first of the month." It said providers incur "significant" costs for accounts during the cure period, and said if USAC's reversal is upheld, it should be applied only prospectively. Q Link Wireless and Smith Bagley filed supportive comments (here and here). Smith Bagley discussed with FCC staffers an upcoming transition to a national verifier of Lifeline eligibility and "ways to mitigate potential impacts on Tribal areas," said another filing. Tribal representatives affiliated with the National Congress of American Indians also voiced support for Lifeline on tribal lands, in discussions with Chairman Ajit Pai, other commissioners and staffers in conjunction with NCAI's meeting Feb. 15 (see 1803130057). Chickasaw Nation Lt. Gov. Jefferson Keel "expressed concern about changes to the geographic scope of the enhanced Tribal subsidy," filed Barbara Esbin, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau deputy chief. "Teresa Hopkins, Navajo Nation Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, expressed concern about the loss of one-on-one relationships between providers and Lifeline recipients in the move to the National Eligibility Verifier, which have proven particularly important to those serving and living on Tribal lands, where many rely on mobile wireless and Smartphones as their only source of communications services." It said tribal leaders urged the FCC to act on a February 2017 draft order to exempt carriers primarily serving tribal lands from operating-expense limitations (see 1802020058), and supported a tribal broadband factor proposed by a recently circulated draft NPRM and order (see 1801160040).
A NARUC draft resolution backing reseller participation in the Lifeline program advanced at the state regulators' winter meeting. The consumer committee Sunday endorsed the draft to urge the FCC to continue to allow non-facilities-based Lifeline providers to continue to receive low-income telecom subsidies. Chairman Maida Coleman, a Missouri commissioner who sponsored the draft, told us Monday the action was unanimous. The panel didn't support a conflicting draft resolution that would welcome an FCC proposal to retarget Lifeline support to facilities-based providers but did endorse a nationwide number portability draft resolution, one of four telecom drafts being considered at the meeting (see 1801300023).
NTIA hires Anne Veigle, ex-Communications Daily, as director-Office of Public Affairs ... Arnold & Porter hires from Hogan Lovells Dori Hanswirth and Theresa House as partners, Intellectual Property Group, global Media & Entertainment practice ... Digital education firm 2U, Inc. hires Katie Race Brin, ex-FTC, as chief privacy officer ... Kroll expands job of Managing Director Benedetto Demonte as North America leader, Cyber Security and Investigations Practice ... Coriant hires Vikram Shanbhag, ex-Teya Ventures, as managing director-Asia Pacific south ... President Donald Trump nominates Charles Cook, C. Cook Advisory Services, to be chief financial officer, Department of Homeland Security ... New to Alliance for Women in Media Foundation national board for 2018: Joyce Fitch, Beasley Broadcast Group, and Diane Schwartz, Access Intelligence.
With FCC having hired Matthew Duchesne as chief, Office of Native Affairs and Policy (see 1711130036), acting Chief Lyle Ishida remains for some time in ONAP to assist with transition and then remains in Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau "in another position yet to be announced," spokesman says ... Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission adds Norman Kennard as a commissioner after Senate OK'd 49-0; he succeeds Robert Powelson, resigned upon confirmation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (see 1708040038); Kennard’s term expires March 31, 2019.
Between wildfires in the West and hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the need for FirstNet is clearer than ever, Chair Sue Swenson said Thursday: “It’s not lost on us that what we’re doing is ever so critical.” Swenson opened the authority’s board meeting Thursday, streamed from Boulder, Colorado. Vice Chair Jeff Johnson said board members didn’t go to the storm-hit areas, at Swenson’s direction, because they didn’t want to get in the way. “There’s a time and a place for that,” said Johnson, a former fire chief. “As an incident commander for the majority of my career, I can tell you ‘not now’ is my thinking. We’ll talk later.”
Wireless industry officials welcomed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s outreach to the tribes on siting issues Tuesday. But industry officials also said they fear that without FCC action little progress will be made in curbing what they see as roadblocks to building small cells and other infrastructure on tribal lands. Pai didn’t release a statement about the meeting in Flagstaff, Arizona, but tweeted about it Tuesday, complete with photos from the closed-door meeting. “Excellent exchanges with tribal leaders, from Nez Perce to Pueblo,” Pai tweeted. “Thanks to Navajo Nation Pres. @RussellBegaye for hosting consultation!”
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and new FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr both were on the road Tuesday. Pai was at a tribal consultation at the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort in Flagstaff, Arizona, Tuesday afternoon. The event was closed to the public and the FCC didn’t have an immediate readout on what was said. Wireless carrier officials told us Tuesday that cutting the cost of siting small cells and other wireless facilities on tribal lands remains a challenging area for industry. “Look forward to going west to discuss closing the digital divide with Navajo Nation,” Pai tweeted early in the day. Carr was in North Carolina at the start of a trip focusing on job creation and other economic issues. Carr “will be learning more about the important role that tech and telecom policies can play in creating jobs, spurring investment, and growing the economy for the benefit of all Americans,” a spokesman said. “Great to be in the Tar Heel state today,” Carr tweeted. “Will tour a fiber manufacturing plant & visit a broadband deployment site.” Carr later tweeted: "Visited a Charter call center today in Charlotte. ... Great to hear about the new jobs being added here."
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will visit Arizona and Nevada this week "to discuss bridging the digital divide and extending digital opportunity to all Americans," said an agency release Monday. The trip will include a meeting with leaders of the Navajo Nation and other tribes Tuesday, a business roundtable discussion with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) and others Wednesday, a discussion on the siting of broadband facilities on federal lands with the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management, and a separate infrastructure discussion with Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., and others Thursday. Pai also plans to meet with local broadcasters.