NTCA: Flexibility Needed When Serving Remote Parts of Alaska
NTCA told the FCC that initial comments agree on the need for “a flexible approach to implementation” of the Alaska Connect Fund (ACF), which “accommodates the individualized circumstances faced by operators in a state that the Commission itself has long recognized as presenting unique challenges” for ISPs. Commissioners approved the ACF in November (see 2411050002), along with a Further NPRM on mobile and fixed wireless issues. “The record also supports deferring consideration of several questions raised by the FNPRM until related mapping and other issues are resolved, and avoiding as well Tribal consent rules that may disturb existing, successful engagement practices,” NTCA said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 23-328.
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.
The FCC “should move with purpose but caution in 2025 and 2026,” the Alaska Remote Carrier Coalition said in its filing. “The history of rural and remote Alaska is filled with painful examples of companies who don’t understand operating in Alaska,” it said: “The Commission should require ACF carriers to demonstrate a proven track record in Alaska …. Performance trumps repeated promises.”