House Commerce Committee leaders urged nine ISPs and as many associations Wednesday to “raise awareness” of the FCC’s $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program. The FCC said Wednesday more than 200 providers say they want to participate. “It is critical that eligible customers know about the benefit, which providers are participating in the program, and how they can access the benefit,” said House Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J. Also signing: House Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa.; and Communications ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio. The letters went to: ACA Connects, Altice, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, the Competitive Carriers Association, Cox, CTIA, Frontier, Incompas, Lumen, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, NCTA, NTCA, T-Mobile, USTelecom, Verizon and the Wireless ISP Association. For EBB “to help the greatest number of people, it will require the cooperation and support" of ISPs. While “the FCC is working to establish the start date of the program, your company can play an important role in its success by proactively raising awareness of the program to your customers and the public, including households likely to be eligible,” they said. The agency is reviewing applications and “will eventually share the names of accepted providers,” emailed a spokesperson.

AT&T urged the FCC to act on a June CTIA and USTelecom petition seeking relief on pro forma filings (see 2006050039), said a posting Thursday in docket 20-186. AT&T said it reviewed the data on all pro forma applications filed in the universal licensing system in 2020. It found the three major national wireless carriers generated 17% and “the remaining unique file numbers included other communications businesses, but also state/local governments, individuals, educational institutions, healthcare providers and public safety.”

An NPRM on emergency alerting and an order on sharing outage report information with state and local agencies are expected to be approved with few changes at the FCC commissioners' meeting Wednesday, likely unanimously, according to industry officials.

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., refiled their Modern Television Act Thursday. The bill, first filed in the last Congress, would repeal parts of the 1992 Cable Act, including retransmission rules (see 1907290053). “Until we modernize outdated video laws, blackouts will continue to happen while market prices surge,” Eshoo said. “Congress needs to finally modernize the outdated 1992 video laws that no longer fit today’s technology,” Scalise said. “Our bill brings back basic copyright protection laws, so that everyone gets paid for their products, and consumers get to choose whatever they want to buy, wherever they want to buy it, and watch whatever they want on any device they choose.” The American Television Alliance, AT&T and USTelecom praised the bill’s refiling. NAB opposed it.

Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is "anxious" to develop new broadband data maps, said Jean Kiddoo, who will head the commission's new broadband data task force (see 2102170052), during an FCBA event Thursday. The agency has identified a vendor to assist in the data collection and database for serviceable location fabric, and "it will be an FCC system," Kiddoo said. The fabric will combine all locations where fixed broadband is available and where it can be installed. "That is beneficial for everybody," said Lynn Follansbee, USTelecom vice president-policy and advocacy, because it will be a "living, breathing database" that providers and consumers can access. "This can be transformative in ways that you can't imagine," said AT&T Assistant Vice President-Federal Regulatory Mary Henze. Questions on how to file data can be sent to broadbanddatainquiries@fcc.gov. The Office of Economics and Analytics will issue a public notice announcing the initial filing deadline at least six months in advance, said Chelsea Fallon, broadband data task force chief implementation officer. Providers must have a corporate officer and qualified engineer certify accuracy. If one person is designated as both roles, one certification is needed, Fallon said. Fixed wired and satellite providers must submit polygons or lists of locations where they have service and where they could provide service within 10 business days of a request, with no charges or delays resulting from extending their network. Wireless providers must submit coverage maps for 3G, 4G LTE and 5G-NR data and voice coverage. The task force will accept third-party submissions. Those challenging a provider's availability data must include a certified submission of key information about locations and a basis for the challenge. Providers have 60 days to respond, either by agreeing within 30 days to remove a location or by resolving with the challenger. Providers responding to challenges must show availability by a preponderance of evidence. Nonconsumer challenges must show lack of availability by clear and convincing evidence. The goal is to resolve any challenges within 60 days, said Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force Deputy Chief Kirk Burgee.

Congressional Democrats refiled a pair of multibillion-dollar broadband funding proposals Thursday -- the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (HR-1783) and Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act amid a rising push for infrastructure spending legislation, as expected (see 2103030063). The proposals' return came ahead of President Joe Biden’s Thursday night speech marking the one-year anniversary of widespread pandemic-related shutdowns, which some expect will include an unveiling of his plans for an infrastructure spending package. Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act package (HR-1319) earlier in the day, with emergency broadband money (see 2103110037).

ISP associations appealed last month's court ruling denying their preliminary injunction against California's net neutrality law to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday (in Pacer and see 2102230073), as expected. ACA Connects, CTIA, NCTA and USTelecom told U.S. District Court in Sacramento of their plans. "As the district court has already recognized, California has the authority to protect and enforce net neutrality during ongoing litigation," said a state DOJ spokesperson. "We will continue to fight for net neutrality in court and oppose all efforts to stop enforcement of the law.”

Remove the word "written" from the consent requirement to receive more than three prerecorded telemarketing informational calls to residential lines per 30 days, USTelecom asked the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 02-278. The group backed the American Bankers Association's calls for changing the FCC December order related to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (see 2101280027).

State and local officials backed Connecticut broadband regulations proposed by Gov. Ned Lamont (D) that would require universal buildout while updating infrastructure rules. But telecom industry officials opposed HB-6442 as regressive overreach, at the livestreamed Joint Energy and Technology Committee hearing Tuesday. Anticipating federal net neutrality action, some Connecticut lawmakers questioned the need for SB-4. Telecom lawyers disagreed in recent interviews on how other states will be affected by last month’s ruling by U.S. District Court in Sacramento allowing California’s law to take effect.

FCC staff is struggling to work through the information submitted by winners of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction, which closed in December, and it could take a year or longer for money to start flowing through the program, industry and FCC officials said in interviews. The FCC said 417 applicants filed long-form applications after winning bids. Long-form application reviews are complicated and take time to process, officials said.