The FCC released drafts of rules Tuesday to modernize unbundling and resale requirements for LECs, update suspension and debarment rules for telecom relay services programs, and modify cost recovery rules for IP-captioned telephone service (IP CTS), a form of TRS. Commissioners tentatively will vote at their Nov. 19 meeting (see 1910280054). Deregulating what incumbents must provide rival telecoms would include transition periods.

Stakeholders are debating how Lifeline is regulated after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit remanded to the FCC rules on its authority to make broadband eligible for the program. That ruling came in partly upholding the agency's 2018 net neutrality order reclassifying broadband as a Title I information service (see 1910010018). The 2-1 court decision points up uncertainty with Lifeline, stakeholders agreed in interviews this month.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated an order Monday for the Nov. 19 commissioners’ meeting that would bar providers from using USF support to buy from suppliers deemed a threat to national security. Pai mentioned Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE (see 1910280021). FCC officials said the order singles out those two. Pai proposes to seek comment on rules requiring eligible telecom carriers remove from their networks existing equipment from the suppliers and on how to provide financial assistance to carriers to help them transition to a trusted supplier.

Changes in Commissioner Geoffrey Starks' office: Acting Legal Adviser-Wireline and Public Safety Randy Clarke leaving FCC, effective Friday, and not disclosing plans; FCC Attorney-Adviser Gavin Logan detailed to Starks’ office from Wireline Bureau during paternity leave of Michael Scurato; during that time, Logan working on media issues, which Scurato has been doing; FCC Senior Research Librarian Gloria Thomas retires, Chairman Ajit Pai announced at Friday's meeting ... Dan Margolis, ex-FCC, now Verizon compliance counsel.

Democratic FCC members joined the majority Friday, begrudgingly approving Charter Communications’ effective competition petition based on the existence of vMVPD AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now). Both they and the Republican majority said the Cable Act clearly justifies grant of Charter’s petition. Democrats concurred in their votes, citing the near-certitude customers in parts of Massachusetts and Hawaii will face big jumps in the cost of basic cable.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., predicted Thursday that other Democrats will participate in the working group he and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., formed to write a bipartisan net neutrality measure (see 1903120078) after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit's Mozilla v. FCC ruling. The Oct. 1 decision largely upheld FCC rescission of 2015 net neutrality rules but said the federal agency can’t yet pre-empt states (see 1910010018). Wicker, Sinema and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai were among recipients of USTelecom's first “Broadband Heroes” awards, though Sinema didn't appear at Thursday's event. Wicker said the ruling is generally “good news” and will help improve chances for bipartisan consensus on net neutrality legislation. Lawmakers haven't shifted their views on rescinded rules since the ruling, which many see as a sign that movement toward a legislative deal's unlikely before the 2020 presidential election (see 1910010044). Wicker noted the importance of USTelecom member companies because they “will play a critical role in the deployment of 5G.” Pai emphasized the importance of career staff in shaping commission work, saying he's “simply pushing paper” in a Washington office.

USTelecom and NTCA met with FCC officials on Lifeline minimum service standards set to be implemented Dec. 1, per filings (and here) in docket 11-42 posted Tuesday. The standards would bump up speed and capacity requirements for fixed broadband, which could result in "a forced upgrade," NTCA said, and create "the perverse effect" of pricing some customers out of broadband. Require all Lifeline providers make their minimum advertised speed available to all Lifeline subscribers in that area and give existing Lifeline broadband customers the option of upgrading to the minimum or applying current tiers to Lifeline discounts, NTCA said. It asked the FCC to answer an industry petition to postpone implementing the update (see 1907300076). USTelecom emphasized knowing soon if implementation changes to prevent customer confusion and undoing carriers' preparation. Representatives from USTelecom and members CenturyLink, Consolidated, Verizon, and Windstream met with aides to Commissioners Brendan Carr, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks. They repeated concerns on a Lifeline representative accountability database (see 1907050036). NTCA officials met with an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai.

Facebook and Amazon reported increases in Q3 lobbying spending over the same period in 2018 amid ongoing Capitol Hill antitrust interest in the tech sector. Disney, USTelecom and NetChoice were among those that said earlier Monday they increased spending (see 1910210077). Google reported a 50 percent drop to $2.98 million. Comcast, AT&T and NAB also had declines. Facebook said it spent $4.8 million, up nearly 70 percent. Amazon reported just over $4 million, an 11 percent increase. AT&T laid out $3.24 million, down almost 16 percent. Comcast reported just over $3 million, down more than 11 percent. NAB's dropped more than 12 percent to $2.98 million. NCTA increased expenditures more than 5 percent to $2.94 million. Verizon's spending increased 4 percent to $2.43 million. Charter's decreased 2 percent to $2.23 million. T-Mobile's increased more than 7 percent to $2.21 million. CBS' spending stayed level at $900,000. Fox upped expenditures almost 22 percent to $780,000. Dish Network increased 13 percent to $590,000.

ISPs and state telecom authorities asked the FCC to delay the first-round auction for its $20 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund until it gets better broadband mapping data. In replies posted through Tuesday in docket 19-126, the California Public Utilities Commission, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) and Navajo Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, among others, supported delay.

Trade groups representing Connect America Fund ISP auction participants urged in interviews and filings with the FCC to fine-tune a draft order on reconsideration that would update broadband performance measurements for the rural, high-cost USF program. Commissioners vote on the order, in docket 10-90, Friday (see 1910040053). Interested parties met with officials, sometimes repeatedly, in recent weeks.