The FCC will host a webinar on the supply chain reimbursement program Sept. 27 at 10:30 a.m. EDT, said a public notice posted Thursday in docket 18-89.
GeoLinks agreed to withdraw support for 546 census blocks in California, Arizona and Nevada that it provisionally won during the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction if the FCC waives associated penalties, said a petition for a waiver posted Wednesday in docket 19-126. It said the census blocks are areas where it believes there are “no ‘locations’ for the purposes of RDOF.”
Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico asked the FCC to reject Puerto Rico Telephone Co.'s application for review of Liberty's being selected as the winning applicant in certain municipios for the Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund Stage 2 competitive process, in opposition comments posted Tuesday in docket 18-143 (see 2108270058). PRTC's contention that its prices were lower is "plainly insufficient to support a claim that the bureau erred in awarding the challenged municipios to Liberty,” it said.
Global Tel*Link must produce information about video calling services even before the California Public Utilities Commission decides if it has jurisdiction over such services, ruled Assigned Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves and Administrative Law Judge Cathleen Fogel Monday in an inmate calling services rulemaking (docket 20-10-002). The CPUC’s independent Public Advocates Office asked the commission to order GTL to respond to its discovery request. The company claimed video calling was outside the CPUC’s jurisdiction, limiting PAO discovery rights. “Like any other tribunal, the Commission has jurisdiction to determine its own jurisdiction, and to develop the facts necessary to make that determination,” the commissioner and ALJ ruled before a Wednesday pre-hearing conference. “Because this is ... a novel issue for the Commission, the information sought by Public Advocates may help us answer the jurisdictional question.” Even if material sought isn’t admissible, GTL hasn’t shown it couldn’t “lead to the discovery of admissible evidence,” they said. GTL declined to comment.
NTCA, Incompas, Public Knowledge and the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition will release a "USForward" report Monday that "highlights the need for USF contribution reform, analyzes options for doing so, and provides recommendations on how best to reform this essential support mechanism," said a news release Friday. Consultant Carol Mattey, who wrote the report, will join the groups for a news briefing at 11 a.m. EDT.
The FCC will issue the first round of Emergency Connectivity Fund funding commitments "in the very near future," said Wireline Bureau Telecom Access Policy Division Attorney-Adviser Molly O'Conor during an FCC Consumer Advisory Committee meeting Friday. The committee also heard updates on the emergency broadband benefit program, COVID-19 telehealth program and the commission's efforts to curb illegal robocalls. CAC expects FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to "assign specific topics" for the working groups to make recommendations about, said Chairman Steve Pociask.
The Q4 USF contribution factor is 29.1%, said an FCC Office of Managing Director public notice Friday. This was expected (see 2109010077).
Households participating in the free and reduced price school lunch or breakfast this school year are now eligible for the emergency broadband benefit, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice. Households with a student enrolled in a school participating in the community eligibility provision are also eligible.
Charter agreed to withdraw support for 161 census blocks in California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin that it provisionally won during the FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction if the agency agrees to waive all penalties, said a petition for waiver posted Wednesday in docket 19-126 (see 2108130061). Charter said it will meet all program requirements for the remaining census blocks listed in an FCC July letter (see 2107260044).
Emergency broadband benefit program providers have until Sept. 15 to certify reimbursement claims for services provided in July if they uploaded their claims but were unable to complete the certification of those claims by Aug. 16, said an FCC Wireline Bureau docket 20-445 order listed in Tuesday's Daily Digest. The bureau previously granted a similar waiver for providers that were unable to certify claims for services provided in May and June (see 2108100063).