Alaskan Telcos Eager To Help FCC Act on Proposed Alaskan Broadband Fund
Alaskan telco officials pledged to assist FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on his plan to consider next quarter their "consensus proposal for an Alaska Infrastructure Fund (AIF)" supporting broadband in their state (see 1603110073). The Alaska Telephone Association "is committed to…
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ensuring the Commission has the information it needs to act" on the group's Alaska Plan, said ATA filings in docket 10-90 on meetings it and its members had with FCC Wireline Bureau Chief Matt DelNero and other staffers. "We discussed performance obligations for both fixed and mobile broadband service and how achievement of those obligations would be reported," one filing said. "We provided a schedule detailing the levels of support which would be distributed under the AIF for both rate-of-return and, assuming all mobile [competitive eligible telecom carriers] other than MTA Wireless received support, for mobile voice and broadband service. The schedule also showed the projected amount that would be available to support wireless voice and broadband deployments to unserved areas. We discussed draft rules to ensure the AIF is effective in supporting broadband networks in rural Alaska, particularly underserved and unserved locations." Detailed proposed rules were included in the filing.