The FCC should act now to ensure the Universal Service Fund remains sustainable once programs funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are fully implemented, panelists said during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday. Some disagreed about whether the FCC should expand the contribution base to include broadband internet access service (BIAS) or wait for Congressional action.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) veto of a broadband grant process bill drew backlash from the California measure’s sponsor Monday. The telecom industry-supported bill (AB-2749) would have put a shot clock on California Public Utilities Commission reviews of California Advanced Services Fund broadband grant applications (see 2209300063). Newsom said the industry-supported bill would have delayed grants. “Without this bill, there is serious concern that the CPUC will fail to award all the funds by applicable federal deadlines, and may need to return funds to the federal government unspent,” said Sharon Quirk-Silva, Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee chairwoman, Monday. “Despite the Governor’s position on this bill, I am committed to maintaining strong oversight of the CPUC to ensure timely progress towards our shared goal of broadband for all.” In the same news release, Quirk-Silva’s office said the veto seemed like a win for the CPUC, “a controversial state agency which many critics have said the administration has been reluctant to reel in.” The CPUC didn’t comment by our deadline.
The FCC Wireline Bureau reminded recipients of rip and replace funding they have until Oct. 13 to file initial status updates. The final rule was effective Friday, said that day's Federal Register notice. “Updates must inform the Commission about the work of the Recipient to permanently remove, replace, and dispose of the covered communications equipment or services, which for the purposes of the Reimbursement Program means all communications equipment or services produced or provided by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation and obtained on or before June 30, 2020,” the notice said.
The FCC extended its disaster information reporting system Friday to cover counties in Georgia and South Carolina hit by Hurricane Ian, which headed north after pummeling Florida. The FCC said it acted in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and FEMA. The FCC also set up a dedicated website on Ian.
Hurricane Ian caused large wireless outages in Florida's southwest where the storm made landfall, the FCC said Thursday. The FCC report covered network outage data submitted by communications providers through the disaster information reporting system (DIRS) as of Thursday at noon. The FCC will monitor the situation and is "committed" to ensuring communications are restored, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel after Thursday’s commissioners' meeting.
House Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., warned the FCC and FTC not to "continue to exceed Congressional authorizations" given the "limitations" on their authority highlighted in the Supreme Court's June West Virginia v. EPA ruling. The high court further clamped down on the ability of agencies like the FCC to regulate without clear direction from Congress (see 2206300066). The committee "will exercise our robust investigative and legislative powers" to ensure federal agencies don't overreach, Rodgers told FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and FTC Chair Lina Khan in Sept. 23 letters released Wednesday. Rodgers appears to be putting federal agencies on notice ahead of the GOP's potential regain of House control in the Nov. 8 midterm election.
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The Regulatory Commission of Alaska will wait for an Oct. 5 proposal from a collection of local exchange carriers before deciding whether to allow Alaska USF to sunset in June, commissioners said in a brief videoconference meeting Wednesday (see 2208240061). The proposal was announced in a notice of consensus submitted to the RCA Tuesday, which didn’t include details but said the plan would extend the AUSF sunset date to June 30, 2026, adjust AUSF distributions “to reallocate support to remote areas,” and “adopt a simple, flat, per-connection rate” for contributions “for sustainability.” By 2026, “the impacts of significant federal infrastructure funding in Alaska will be better known, and the Commission will have more information that it may use to determine the best AUSF policy for the long term,” said the notice. The LEC entities behind the notice include Alaska Communications Systems Group, the Alaska Remote Carrier Coalition and Yukon Telephone. The Office of Alaska Attorney General’s Regulatory Affairs & Public Advocacy Section also supports the proposal “even though the consensus proposal differs from RAPA’s proposal and some points made in RAPA comments,” said a filing from RAPA. “My sense is that when you can get a multitude of people on the same sheet of music, it does perk one’s ears up,” said RCA Chairman Keith Kurber. Commissioner Jan Wilson said the Oct. 5 submission should include an explanation of why continuing the AUSF is in the public interest. “If you’re going to be given other people's money you need to build a record that demonstrates that you need, not just want other people’s money.” Commissioner Robert Pickett had been ready to vote to close the proceeding and allow the AUSF to sunset prior to the submission of the notice of consensus, he said. Under the current law, the RCA doesn’t appear to have any authority over broadband, Pickett said, saying he’s also unsure there’s enough time to create the package of new AUSF rules the notice proposes before the 2023 sunset. “We’re almost too late,” Pickett said. “We don’t really have a whole lot of time to do much of anything.”
Consumer advocacy organizations and inmate calling services (ICS) providers welcomed a draft order expanding access to telecom relay services for deaf or hard of hearing individuals and an FCC Further NPRM that would seek comment on whether the commission should amend its rules for refunds (see 2209080057). Some sought to eliminate the population threshold for facilities to require compliance with the proposed rules. ICS providers raised implementation concerns. Commissioners will consider the item Thursday.
The FTC should avoid injecting new, unsubstantiated liability into potential changes to its ad endorsement guidelines, advertising groups told the agency in comments due this week (see 2207250036). Consumer advocates urged the agency to hold strong on expanded definitions for social media influencers and new protections for children and teens. The FTC collected public comment through Monday on its first substantive update to the guides since 2009.