U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer wants the FCC to release money...
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer wants the FCC to release money for broadband deployment quickly and with flexibility. “These [Connect America Fund Phase I] rules are so restrictive that it is difficult for carriers to utilize them to deploy broadband in…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
my home state of New York; but the problem is not localized to our region,” the New York Democrat told FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in a Wednesday letter. “There is clear evidence that more flexibility is needed because the rules have left and will continue to leave significant portions of the money on the table -- and therefore not working on the ground to get broadband to the consumers and businesses who need it.” Frontier Communications has struggled with investing federal money in the Hudson valley but can’t due to “restrictions,” Schumer said in a release (http://xrl.us/boa8xg), referring to how the FCC currently will only “unlock this funding for companies that can provide broadband for less than $775 per household, and only in specific types of areas.” “We agree with Senator Schumer regarding the need for additional funding for providers to deploy more broadband to unserved and underserved Americans,” a Frontier spokeswoman told us. These rules, affecting $185 million of unclaimed Phase I money and $300 million for this year, need to be “restructured,” he told Genachowski. Frontier would bring broadband to Orange and Sullivan counties if it had more flexibility, he said. Schumer cited support from Orange County Executive Ed Diana, Focus Media CEO Josh Sommers, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. President Mike Oates, Sullivan County Legislators Kitty Vetter and Cora Edwards, and Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency Chairman Ira Steingart. He applauded the FCC’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking (http://xrl.us/boa9bv) and its sentiment: “The CAF rules should be refined to enable price cap carriers to bring service to unserved and underserved households as quickly as possible,” the letter said. Comments are due to the FCC Jan. 28 and replies Feb. 11. These comments will be used to further the FCC’s “overarching goal to use available funds to rapidly and efficiently deploy broadband networks throughout America,” the Dec. 28 Federal Register summary said (http://xrl.us/boa9cd). USTelecom is “encouraged” to see Schumer’s support in refining these rules and speeding deployment, President Walter McCormick wrote in a Thursday blog post (http://bit.ly/V8CNIK) that focused on how Schumer’s suggestions reflect Genachowski’s recommendations. McCormick praised the benefits of the FCC potentially “putting these CAF funds to work this spring.” The FCC declined comment.