Senate Communications Subcommittee members from both parties targeted FCC and NTIA implementation of connectivity programs created in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and COVID-19 aid measures Tuesday, as expected (see 2212120064), including concerns about deficient data the commission used to develop its new broadband maps. Lawmakers also touched on other telecom policymaking matters they hope Capitol Hill can address during the lame-duck session or in the next Congress. Senate Commerce Committee leaders saw a potential one-week extension of their talks on one lame-duck priority, a compromise spectrum legislative package (see 2212070068), appear via a proposed continuing resolution to fund the federal government past Friday.

Industry urged the FCC to facilitate the transition to IP networks for caller ID authentication. Many said there's no need to establish rules allowing for caller ID authentication on non-IP networks and cited TDM tandem switches as one of the main obstacles to fully implementing Stir/Shaken technology. Comments were posted Tuesday in docket 17-97 (see 2210270046).

A Tuesday Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing on implementation of broadband funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other recent measures is likely to include a heavy focus on GOP leaders’ concerns about federal agencies’ oversight of those disbursals, lawmakers and other officials told us. There also may be discussion about other pressing issues, including recent pushes to include additional money for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program in a FY 2023 appropriations omnibus package (see 2212070068) and to enact legislation that ensures broadband funding from IIJA and the American Rescue Plan Act doesn’t count as taxable income, observers said.

Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and Mike Kelly, R-Pa., bowed a House version of the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act (S-5021) Wednesday, drawing praise from several communications industry groups. The measure would amend the Internal Revenue Code to ensure that broadband funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and American Rescue Plan Act doesn’t count as taxable income. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., filed S-5021 in September (see 2209290067). “Although Congress recently provided historic investments to build out our nation’s broadband, many of the small businesses and companies that will use that federal funding to construct the networks and connect our homes could face steep taxes,” Panetta said: “This bill would exempt those grants from federal taxation and ensure that those dollars go directly towards our goal of universal broadband. Congress is working together to address the digital divide with investment and incentives and this bipartisan legislation would make it easier and quicker to close that gap with connectivity all across America.” Panetta’s office cited support from CTIA, NTCA, USTelecom and WTA.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency shouldn’t write rules that rush ISPs and network providers reporting cyber incidents, said representatives from Comcast, Oracle and Palo Alto Networks Tuesday.

USTelecom's Industry Traceback Group initiated more than 2,600 tracebacks in 2022 to date, a nearly 20% increase from 2020. The group said its tracebacks "identified 146 providers as U.S.-based originating providers, 682 providers as foreign-based originating providers, and 145 providers as the U.S. point of entry," in a letter posted Monday in docket 20-195. It also began tracing illegal robocall campaigns this year targeting Mandarin and Spanish speakers. The group urged the FCC to "continue its work with federal and state law enforcement partners to bring aggressive enforcement against robocallers" and "voice service providers responsible for the illegal robocall problem."

Industry and broadband experts welcomed the release Friday of the FCC’s draft broadband availability maps. Many said they plan to participate in the challenge process because NTIA is required by Congress to use the FCC’s maps for its broadband, equity, access and deployment program funding allocations.

Industry and state broadband officials emphasized the need for better data on broadband availability and public-private partnerships as NTIA prepares to administer its broadband, equity, access and deployment program, speaking at USTelecom's broadband investment forum Wednesday. Some raised concerns about regulatory requirements in the BEAD program and ensuring state broadband offices are prepared to administer funding to subgrantees.

With an FCC commissioner vote scheduled for Thursday on improving the delivery of outage information to public safety answering points (see 2210270067), a few tweaks remain possible to the FCC’s approach, industry officials said. The 10th floor is still considering filings made at the end of last week seeking a few changes to the draft order, officials said. APCO filed late last week and other filings were expected (see 2211100051).

The FCC Enforcement Bureau issued a cease-and-desist letter to Urth Access Thursday on apparent illegal robocall traffic about student loan forgiveness (see 2211030071). The bureau ordered the company to stop originating such calls, after an investigation with YouMail and the USTelecom Industry Traceback Group identified "upwards of 40%" of related calls originated from the provider, said a news release. The bureau "opened a formal case and is investigating these calls for possible further legal action." Also Thursday, the bureau issued a public notice authorizing all providers carrying traffic originating from Urth Access to stop. Urth Access CEO Fawaz Saleem didn't comment.