United Church of Christ and Public Knowledge asked the FCC to reconsider some "legal conclusions" in its order on interim interstate inmate calling services rates (see 2105200044), said a petition for reconsideration in docket 12-375. The groups asked the commission to exclude site commissions from the rates, reconsider allowing contractually negotiated site commissions of up to 2 cents per minute, and preempt state actions allowing site commissions. Don't "allow these anti-ratepayer biases to control rates for even the interim period," the groups said. NCIC sought changes to capping third-party and single-call transactional fees, in a petition for recon also posted Monday. It asked that rates be capped at $3 for automated payments and $5.95 for live-agent services. It asked to reconsider regulating site commissions for prisons and jails with an average daily population of 1,000-plus.
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants opposition comments by Sept. 13, replies Sept. 23, on Puerto Rico Telephone Company's application for review of the selection of Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico as the winning applicant in certain municipios for the Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund Stage 2 competitive process, said a public notice posted Friday in docket 18-143 (see 2106210047).
Edison Electric Institute asked the FCC to extend the reply comments deadline for its petition for declaratory ruling on pole attachment rates, said a motion posted Friday in docket 17-84 (see 2108240079). It asked for replies to be due on Sept. 10 instead of Sept. 7 because of upcoming Labor Day and Jewish holidays.
LTD Broadband asked the FCC Wireline Bureau to reconsider its order denying LTD's waiver request to obtain eligible telecom carrier designation in California for its winning Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction bids, said a petition for partial reconsideration posted Thursday in docket 19-126. The bureau's order "[leaves] out critical facts concerning serious professional misconduct and deception by LTD’s former counsel before the FCC and the CPUC that LTD unknowingly submitted into the record of the waiver proceeding," it said about the timing of its ETC application being filed with the California Public Utilities Commission (see 2106230047). LTD said it shouldn't be held liable for its former counsel's actions because it "innocently hired him to perform legal services and could not have foreseen that he would behave improperly." Kristopher Twomey, LTD's then-counsel, didn't comment.
The FCC approved an initial 62 applications totaling nearly $42 million for round two of the COVID-19 telehealth program, said a public notice Thursday in docket 20-89. Florida's MCR Health, Illinois' Mercy Health System and Massachusetts' St. Luke's Hospital were the biggest winners, each receiving $1 million. The next funding awards will go to the "highest-scoring applications, regardless of geography, until at least $150 million has been committed," the notice said. The FCC is "committed to ensuring that every state and territory in the United States receive funding as part of this program,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. "From a visit to the Mississippi Delta three years ago to now, I am proud of the FCC’s work to support this new trend toward connected care," said Commissioner Brendan Carr in a statement: "The pandemic has only underscored the need for these FCC initiatives."
The FCC Enforcement Bureau redesignated USTelecom as the registered consortium for the industry-led robocall traceback group, said an order posted Wednesday in docket 20-22 (see 2106180056). “This is a vote of confidence from the FCC and a recognition of the value and track record the ITG brings to the robocall wars,” said USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter in a statement.
Industry disagreed whether the FCC should grant Edison Electric Institute's petition for declaratory ruling on pole attachment rate disputes, in comments posted Tuesday in docket 17-84. Comments were due Monday (see 2107230030). The petition "fails to offer any compelling reason for the commission to revisit either of the well-established policies that EEI seeks to overturn," said ACA Connects, which NCTA echoed. USTelecom agreed and said EEI's proposals "would further exacerbate the digital divide by creating additional barriers to broadband deployment by reducing the likelihood that electric utilities will charge just and reasonable rates." EEI's argument is "flawed" and an attempt to "reverse recent commission precedent," said Crown Castle Fiber. The Coalition of Concerned Utilities, which includes the Arizona Public Service, Exelon, FirstEnergy, the Hawaiian Electric companies, Minnesota Power and NorthWestern Energy, said EEI's petition is "simple to implement, practical from a dispute resolution perspective, productive because it encourages collaboration and settlement, and fair in that pole owners would be informed sooner rather than later of any potential disputes." Granting the petition would "[restore] business certainty to the relationships between pole owners and attaching entities," said Duke Energy, which American Electric Power echoed.
The FCC dismissed Telplex's petition for reconsideration of a slamming charge, said an order listed in Thursday's Daily Digest. Telplex "absolved complainant of all charges it assessed" in compliance with commission rules, the order said. The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau also vacated a Consumer Policy Division order finding Telplex changed a consumer's carrier without proper authorization verification after it provided a third-party verification recording that wasn't provided at the time the order was issued.
The FCC should reconsider its decision to phase down Lifeline voice-only support, said stakeholders in reply comments on NASUCA's petition to refresh the record posted Wednesday in docket 11-42. Replies were due Tuesday (see 2106280011). Consumers relying on Lifeline voice services "cannot be ignored," said CTIA. The FCC should pause the phasedown until it can "consider the implementation of [the emergency broadband benefit] program and more fully evaluate additional data concerning how consumers use support for broadband and other services," it said. The FCC has a "social obligation" to assist low-income consumers who rely on voice-only support, said USTelecom, which NTCA, Public Knowledge and Next Century Cities echoed in similar comments. The commission "needs to act now to stop the elimination of voice subsidies to assure a bad situation doesn’t get worse," said NARUC. Some Lifeline-eligible consumers "may be unable to find affordable voice-only services" and are "disproportionately likely" to be consumers of color or with disabilities, said MediaJustice and the Center for Accessibly Technology. The record "shows broad support for retaining voice-only support," said New America's Open Technology Institute, saying voice services "have been crucial" for accessing healthcare services during the pandemic.
The FCC's order adopting 911 fee diversion rules takes effect Oct. 18, said a Public Safety Bureau notice posted Tuesday in docket 20-291. Commissioners approved the order in June (see 2106250049).