The FCC issued two additional notices of funding opportunity for outreach grants to promote the affordable connectivity program (see 2304100010). Applications for the up to $5 million national competitive outreach program are due by June 30 at 6 p.m. EDT. Applications for the up to $5 million tribal competitive outreach program are due by July 8 at 6 p.m. EDT, said a Thursday news release. “We’ve had great success so far -- with more than 18 million households enrolled," said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, "but we know there are many more households we can reach with help to get online and stay online."
NTIA awarded $4.5 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program grants to nine tribes Wednesday. The new funding will support broadband deployment and planning and feasibility studies, said a news release. “Tribal communities deserve access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson: “These grants will help lower barriers to internet access today and plan for the future high-speed internet infrastructure projects of tomorrow.”
Rural healthcare program (RHC) participants and industry continued to back the FCC's efforts to modify the program's rate methodologies, in reply comments posted Tuesday in docket 17-310 (see 2304250074). Some urged the FCC to facilitate competitive bidding and a copayment structure in the telecom program and Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) rather than revert to the commission's previous rates database.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission "lacks express or implied statutory authority to ban" Q Link Wireless from filing a petition for eligible telecom carrier designation with the state, concluded the New Mexico Supreme Court in an opinion reversing the ban Monday in case S-1-SC-38812. The state commission adopted the ban after Q Link sought ETC designation in 2012 and filed a motion in 2019 to withdraw it after "lengthy and protracted proceedings before the commission's hearing examiner," the opinion said. Q Link initially sought the designation to provide Lifeline services to tribal and non-tribal households in the state. The commission didn't comment.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission "lacks express or implied statutory authority to ban" Q Link Wireless from filing a petition for eligible telecom carrier designation with the state, concluded the New Mexico Supreme Court in an opinion reversing the ban Monday in case S-1-SC-38812. The state commission adopted the ban after Q Link sought ETC designation in 2012 and filed a motion in 2019 to withdraw it after "lengthy and protracted proceedings before the commission's hearing examiner," the opinion said. Q Link initially sought the designation to provide Lifeline services to tribal and non-tribal households in the state. The commission didn't comment.
The FCC’s final order, NPRM and Further NPRM on the 12 GHz band had a number of changes, which were noted Thursday as commissioners approved the item 4-0 (see 2305180052). There were few changes to a 60 GHz order, also approved unanimously last week (see 2305170039), based on a second side-by-side comparison.
NTIA awarded nearly $5 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program grants Wednesday. The latest round of funding will support "planning for future high-speed Internet infrastructure projects or promoting Internet use and adoption," said a news release. The agency said it will release a second notice of funding opportunity for additional program funding "in the next few months."
The California Public Utilities Commission could shut out many wireless providers from participating in a proposed state LifeLine pilot if it proceeds with proposed rules, the National Lifeline Association (NaLA) warned. The CPUC received comments Tuesday on a proposed decision to approve two pilot programs to stack California LifeLine and federal affordable connectivity program (ACP) benefits (docket R.20-02-008). Verizon cautioned the CPUC to allow “reasonable network management.”
The FCC’s multipart draft on the 12 GHz band is expected to be approved Thursday with limited changes, said industry officials tracking the proceeding. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed a draft order, Further NPRM and NPRM on the broader band (see 2304270077) addressing both the lower and upper parts of the band.
NOAA needs to do more to ensure emergency alerts about tsunamis are reaching at-risk populations in Tribal, rural and remote areas, the GAO said Tuesday. NOAA relies primarily on its Weather Radio system to deliver warnings to listeners and the emergency alert system, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (FEMA IPAWS) and its website and social media channels to issue warnings, but the agency should assess the extent of NOAA Weather Radio coverage and ascertain whether those at-risk communities have access, GAO said. It said NOAA should work more with the FCC and FEMA to determine how to use IPAWS to deliver tsunami alert to EAS.