FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction recipients will undergo more scrutiny in 2022 with increased audits and verifications as part of the agency's "rural broadband accountability plan," said a news release Friday. It's "part of an ongoing effort to increase accountability and to build upon existing audit and verification processes performed by the Universal Service Administrative Co.," said a fact sheet. The FCC also announced that more than $1.2 billion in RDOF support is ready to be authorized for 23 providers, as expected (see 2201270030).
A draft FCC Further NPRM would seek comment on revising the rural healthcare program's telecom program, funding cap rules, and "alternative rate determination mechanisms," if adopted during the commissioners' Feb. 18 meeting (see 2201270072). Changes aim to "improve the accuracy and fairness" of the program's support and "increase the efficiency of program administration," said the item.
Democratic FCC nominee Gigi Sohn’s proposal Thursday to temporarily recuse herself from some retransmission consent and broadcast copyright proceedings if confirmed (see 2201270073) is unlikely to satisfy her most vocal opponents but may be enough to solidify support from the Senate Democratic caucus, communications lobbyists and others told us. The Senate would be able to confirm Sohn if all 50 Democratic caucus members vote for her because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaker role. The additional recusals aren’t likely to significantly affect Sohn’s role as a commissioner since neither retrans nor broadcast copyright items were matters the commission was expected to take up under Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
California’s net neutrality law survived an appeal by ISP associations at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The panel’s Friday opinion that the FCC can’t preempt states after giving up its own broadband authority could affect ISP challenges of Vermont net neutrality and New York state affordable broadband laws, said legal experts.
With its Peacock streaming service growing faster than expected, Comcast plans to ramp up spending on content for it, executives told analysts during a quarterly call Thursday. CEO Brian Roberts said it will look at ways to expand its broadband footprint more aggressively, with government subsidies and new household and business formation potential growth opportunities.
Citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare, the FCC will "bolster the commission's support for digital health solutions" by updating the rural healthcare program during the Feb. 18 commissioners' meeting, blogged Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Thursday. They will vote on changes to "improve the efficiency of this program’s administration" and "make sure its investments are better targeted." The FCC awarded nearly $450 million through the COVID-19 telehealth program, with the final round Wednesday (see 2201260053). "Healthcare has changed permanently over the past two years," Rosenworcel wrote, and telemedicine "is here to stay."
Indiana’s Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved privacy legislation Thursday modeled after Virginia’s new law. Several members said they need more information on a last-minute amendment before they can support the bill on the floor. The House hasn't introduced companion legislation. The law would take effect in January 2024.
Judges wrestled with whether to let state courts handle Altice’s challenge of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities cable prorating rules, at virtual oral argument Thursday in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Cable Act preemption, judges were skeptical about Altice’s argument that the state can’t force it to prorate bills when customers end service early.
The FCC is statutorily required to handle the 2018 and 2022 quadrennial reviews separately, said Media Bureau staff at an FCBA virtual panel Thursday. The law says the FCC “shall” review broadcast ownership rules every four years, and that means “this is something we must do,” said MB Attorney-Adviser William Durdach, saying the law doesn’t allow the agency to “roll a quad into another quad.” Stakeholders speculated the agency could seek to skip the 2018 QR (see 2112200018).
FCC commissioners unanimously approved an NPRM on adoption of broadband consumer labels, as directed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (see 2201260049), during their Thursday meeting. They also approved an order amending the definition of tribal libraries to clarify their eligibility for E-rate, the revocation of China Unicom Americas' Section 214 authority to operate in the U.S., and an order on reconsideration upholding a fine against a Texas company for signal jamming.