The FCC took “several limited actions” Monday in response to...

universal service support for Alaska. There will be no exemptions for state-designated eligible telecom carriers. “We decline to exempt state-designated ETCs from the reporting requirements,” the order said, explaining that petitioners have neither presented new evidence nor raised new arguments. Several petitioners opposed requiring state-designated ETCs to file section 54.313 annual reports. The FCC clarified that the order did not preempt the states from imposing their own state-specific reporting requirements, “as long as those additional reporting requirements do not create burdens that thwart achievement of the universal service reforms adopted by the Commission.” The commission revised the filing deadline for section 54.313 to July 1. Carriers will be permitted to file mid-year updates when their rates and/or associated fees increase in a way that would reduce or eliminate the amount of any associated support reductions, the order said. The commission sees “no persuasive reason” why it should maintain the identical support rule in Alaska, rejecting a General Communications petition asking to reconsider the decision to transition support away from the identical support rule. The commission also denied a GCI request to reconsider the calculation of the remote Alaska interim cap amount. “GCI has not provided any evidence that would call the Commission’s conclusions on these points into question,” the order said. However, the commission did accept GCI’s proposed revisions of a rule governing the calculation of support for carriers serving remote Alaska to provide that support amounts will not be frozen under the delayed phase down mechanism until June 2014, or the last full month prior to Mobility Fund Phase II implementation, whichever is later.