Regulatory fees for unlicensed use will stifle innovation and contradict the FCC’s past efforts to increase connectivity, a collection of trade groups representing industries “heavily invested” in the industry, scientific and medical (ISM) unlicensed bands told Wireline Bureau staff in a call Nov. 17, according to an ex parte filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-190. Representatives of ACT|The App Association, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, CTA, the Information Technology Industry Council and others said in the filing that ISM band equipment is important for precision agriculture, home energy management, and industrial automation. “Restricting innovation by increasing the costs for these services and the underlying research that leads to such innovations, via fees, would contradict the FCC’s investments,” the filing said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau waived certain emergency broadband benefit program rules requiring an enrollment freeze and consumer notifications as the commission transitions to the affordable connectivity program, said an order posted Friday in docket 20-445 (see 2111230058). The rule, originally intended to "avoid claims volatility and to allow for more certain financial projections in the final months," required a freeze in EBB enrollments once the program's end date was announced. Waiving the rule "maximizes the time period" for enrollment during EBB's final weeks and "avoids unnecessarily limiting participation," the order said. The bureau also waived the 15- and 30-day consumer notice requirement that EBB is ending, given that enrolled households will continue receiving up to $50 monthly broadband subsidies during the 60-day transition to ACP, it said.
The FCC committed more than $169 million in additional Emergency Connectivity Fund support, bringing the total to more than $3.2 billion so far, said a news release Tuesday. The latest round of funding commitments will support 492 schools, 70 libraries and 10 consortiums to purchase more than 380,000 connected devices and 135,000 broadband services (see 2111080060).
Embarq Florida, now CenturyLink/Lumen, withdrew its petition to discontinue its legacy phone service on Little Gasparilla Island, Florida (see 2110220045). This per a letter posted Tuesday in FCC docket 21-298.
LTD Broadband petitioned the FCC Wireline Bureau Monday for reconsideration of its October order denying the company additional time to obtain eligible telecom carrier designation in Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota to participate in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction (see 2110200054). The bureau "was incorrect to impute to LTD complete responsibility" for its former attorney's "entirely unexpected gross misconduct," the petition said in docket 19-126. The bureau "cannot play 'pick and choose' in how stringently the ETC designation deadline is applied, deciding 'winners' and 'losers' based potentially on factors other than the specific facts in the record before it," LTD said.
Securus intends to offer subscription plans in addition to per-minute calls if granted its petition for a waiver of FCC per-minute call requirements for inmate calling services, the ICS provider told us Monday after others said the petition appeared to be a request to offer subscription plans only (see 2111180059). “We developed our subscription model as a result of many meetings with justice-impacted families, all of whom expressed a clear desire to see a new, innovative approach to pricing," emailed a spokesperson: "Our goal is to make communications more accessible and affordable while balancing the needs of public safety, which is why we are surprised and disappointed to see opposition about conducting a pilot program designed to learn more about different ways to better serve loved ones.” The subscription pricing model has "options within itself," she said: "We hope to work with the FCC to make this a viable option across the country.”
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a motion to intervene in Consumers Research's challenge of the FCC's USF Q4 contribution factor, in an order posted Thursday in case 21-3886 (see 2111010070). Filing the petition were the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Center for Media Justice, Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, USTelcom, NTCA and the Competitive Carriers Association. The groups are allowed to file intervener briefs and "any determination regarding oral argument, including time allotted, if any, to the intervenors are reserved to the ultimate merits panel," the order said.
Comments are due Dec. 20, replies Jan. 18, in docket 03-123 on an FCC NPRM on modifying the compensation methodology for IP relay service supported by the Telecom Relay Service Fund, says Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the item in August (see 2108050038).
Tata Communications sought an extension of its limited waiver for 2022 of FCC rules for revenue reporting, said a petition Tuesday in docket 06-122. The Wireline Bureau previously granted a waiver for reporting years 2020 and 2021 of the 12% limited international revenue exemption-qualifying threshold (see 2103250039).
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau extended until June 30 the current tiered compensation rates for video relay service supported by the Telecom Relay Services Fund, absent additional action by the commission before then, said an order listed in Monday's Daily Digest. Commissioners previously extended the rates until Dec. 31 (see Notebook 2105200044). The bureau cited the "inherently complex" nature of setting VRS rates and the COVID-19 pandemic.