Matt Daneman

A small, but steady stream of defaults is hitting the rural deployment opportunity fund program, with many providers citing inflation as the cause, program watchers and participants tell us. A small burst of RDOF defaults occurred in recent days, including Cable One telling the FCC it's dropping 902 census block group projects in Idaho and Missouri (see 2410180033) and Mercury Broadband defaulting in 129 census block groups across four states. Since Sept. 1, Pinpoint Communications announced defaults of three census block groups, RiverStreet Communications had six and Lumen nine. It's unclear whether RDOF default locations will receive connectivity elsewhere, such as with NTIA's broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program.

The fiber industry and proponents of alternative connectivity technologies butted heads Wednesday over the viability of their solutions. During a Broadband Breakfast webinar, Fiber Broadband Association CEO Gary Bolton repeatedly called low earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity, such as SpaceX's Starlink service, "unreliable" -- language that other panelists challenged.

FCC commissioners, along party lines, released a notice of inquiry Wednesday examining how easy -- or not -- it is to cancel cable, broadband, satellite TV and voice services and whether cancellation should be as simple and straightforward as enrolling often is. The NOI, adopted 3-2 Oct. 10, also raises the idea of the FCC requiring live customer service representatives. Comments are due Nov. 22, replies Dec. 9, in docket 24-472.

A staunch opponent of giving FirstNet access to the 4.9 GHz band says the FCC decision to do that will head to court. The approved order, released Tuesday, said its aim is "more robust use" of the band, with FirstNet able to use unassigned spectrum in the band. Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) Chairman Kenneth Corey called the FCC order "unlawful, unnecessary, and an affront to public safety communications professionals across the country." He added, "This decision will be challenged and will be litigated."

In talks with corporate governance lawyers, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington has begun promoting how the FCC's cyber-trust mark could help reduce operations costs, making suppliers from trusted nations more competitive against Chinese suppliers. In an extensive interview with Communications Daily last month, Simington also discussed "smart and targeted" reforms of linear video distribution regulation (see 2409120059), his new practice of dissenting from monetary forfeitures (see 2409060054) and how he sees U.S. industrial policy in the context of China (see 2408200041). In addition, he touched on incentivizing commercial orbital debris removal. The following transcript was edited for length and clarity.

Don't expect major changes soon in the cable franchise fees regime, former cable lawyer Burt Cohen said during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday. During the event, localities lawyer Cheryl Leanza of Best Best argued localities still must maintain public infrastructure while revenue from cable franchise fees dries up and thus need to target broadband service. Conversely, Jenner & Block's Jessica Ring Amunson, who has represented NCTA, said the law is clear that those franchise fees can be levied on cable service only. Cohen, now Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel broadband policy coordinator, said that while a collaborative understanding of cable local franchise authority regarding fees is needed, "I'm not sure we are there yet."

Having received FCC approval for 7,500 of its second-generation satellites in 2022 (see 2212010052), SpaceX is now asking the FCC to green-light 22,488 satellites the agency deferred on. Those additional satellites, plus "several small-but-meaningful updates" to the orbital configuration of the already-approved second-gen low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, would "improve space sustainability, better respond to evolving demand, and more efficiently share spectrum with other spectrum users," it told the FCC Space Bureau in an application posted Tuesday.

States trying to beef up their broadband network-related workforce see a potentially worrisome gap between people graduating from broadband trades training programs and the future delivery of broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) money. Also Friday, during the Broadband Nation Expo, Jonathan Adelstein, TWN Communications chief strategy and external affairs officer and former Wireless Infrastructure Association head, said the investor community is cautiously warming to BEAD-related investments. The Telecommunications Industry Association and Fierce Network staged the event at National Harbor, Maryland.

State broadband officials said Thursday they expect big differences in the level and type of provider participation in the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. Also during the Broadband Nation Expo, numerous speakers bemoaned workforce challenges that could bedevil BEAD-funded broadband network expansions. The Telecommunications Industry Association and Fierce Network staged the event at National Harbor, Maryland.

ISPs in 24 states could face business challenges in the next decade from the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program’s low-cost offering requirement if the FCC further moves the needle on what it defines as broadband, NCTA state affairs lead Rick Cimerman said Wednesday. In addition, Jennifer Fritzsche, Greenhill analyst, said she expects consolidation among rural wireline companies akin to what happened with numerous regional wireless operators. They spoke at the Broadband Nation Expo that the Telecommunications Industry Association and Fierce Network organized.