Senate Democrats are signaling that Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s time at the FCC may not be up despite her upcoming forced exit. “I hope she'll be renominated and the Senate lives up to its word,” Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told us in a statement Monday. Members of the upper chamber left town early Saturday without reconfirming her, which means she will have to leave the agency by Jan. 3, as expected (see 1612080056). That would create a 2-2 partisan split among remaining members.
Rural telco groups are pushing the FCC to hike funding for rate-of-return USF mechanisms, but urging the commission to move ahead with a new model-based mechanism, even if the funding comes up short. NTCA stressed to agency officials the importance of providing enough funding for the model-based and nonmodel (revised legacy) USF mechanisms, "and the negative effects on consumer rates and broadband access" absent adequate funding, said a filing from the RLEC group posted Friday in docket 10-90 on a meeting with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly. NTCA noted its recent filing in which it said consumer broadband rates could spike without $260 million in additional annual funding -- $160 million for model-based support and $100 million for nonmodel support (see 1611210042).
Rural telco groups are pushing the FCC to hike funding for rate-of-return USF mechanisms, but urging the commission to move ahead with a new model-based mechanism, even if the funding comes up short. NTCA stressed to agency officials the importance of providing enough funding for the model-based and nonmodel (revised legacy) USF mechanisms, "and the negative effects on consumer rates and broadband access" absent adequate funding, said a filing from the RLEC group posted Friday in docket 10-90 on a meeting with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly. NTCA noted its recent filing in which it said consumer broadband rates could spike without $260 million in additional annual funding -- $160 million for model-based support and $100 million for nonmodel support (see 1611210042).
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., beat out at least two opponents in his quest to chair the House Commerce Committee next Congress. The current head of the Communications Subcommittee, though junior in seniority in the race to succeed outgoing full committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., won the nod from a group of GOP leaders over the more-senior Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill. (see 1611300054). The House leadership steering committee voted Thursday night, with industry officials telling us that Walden got the nod. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, also had been a contender like Shimkus. Walden later confirmed he was tapped.
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., beat out at least two opponents in his quest to chair the House Commerce Committee next Congress. The current head of the Communications Subcommittee, though junior in seniority in the race to succeed outgoing full committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., won the nod from a group of GOP leaders over the more-senior Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill. (see 1611300054). The House leadership steering committee voted Thursday night, with industry officials telling us that Walden got the nod. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, also had been a contender like Shimkus. Walden later confirmed he was tapped.
The latest iteration of net neutrality rules formally kicked off with a 3-2 party-line vote by FCC members in front of a standing-room-only crowd on Feb. 26, 2015. After many twists and turns in a lengthy process with millions of comments submitted, that included a significant course correction by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the final order was released in March 2015. It reclassified broadband as a Title II telecom service subject to some common-carrier regulation under the Communications Act.
CTIA warned the FCC to avoid a “premature schism” between state eligibility programs for Lifeline and the updated federal program as a Dec. 2 implementation deadline nears. The group joined state commissions and industry groups supporting a USTelecom petition to give some states more time to align their Lifeline rules with changes to the federal program that added broadband as a supported service to the low-income program. USTelecom asked for temporary waiver of certain rules so Lifeline providers can continue enrolling consumers in the federal USF low-income subsidy support program based on state-specific criteria in 25 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. State support was expected in comments due Friday in docket 11-42 (see 1610180028).
CTIA warned the FCC to avoid a “premature schism” between state eligibility programs for Lifeline and the updated federal program as a Dec. 2 implementation deadline nears. The group joined state commissions and industry groups supporting a USTelecom petition to give some states more time to align their Lifeline rules with changes to the federal program that added broadband as a supported service to the low-income program. USTelecom asked for temporary waiver of certain rules so Lifeline providers can continue enrolling consumers in the federal USF low-income subsidy support program based on state-specific criteria in 25 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. State support was expected in comments due Friday in docket 11-42 (see 1610180028).
Three million people, 575,000 square miles of area and 750,000 road miles in the U.S. have no 4G LTE coverage or only coverage from a carrier receiving universal service support, said Jon Wilkins, chief of the Wireless Bureau, as the FCC released numbers Friday, based on Form 477 data. “These are the areas where our analysis shows there is a clear need for an ongoing subsidy to either expand 4G LTE coverage or continue coverage on a subsidized basis.” The FCC is starting to work on a new phase of a mobility fund. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler told the Competitive Carriers Association annual meeting recently (see 1609200058) the release was coming and would show a mobility fund is necessary since too many locations remain unserved by LTE. Wilkins said the data is much improved over what was available to the FCC when it launched the initial mobility fund. “Our analysis shows that just under one and a half million people, approximately 470,000 square miles, and 550,000 miles of road in the U.S. do not have 4G LTE coverage," Wilkins said in a blog post. "We can overlay the actual area coverage data with publicly available data on universal service subsidies to determine at a sub-census block level where 4G LTE service is available only from a provider receiving support -- an indication that continuing support for service in those areas is needed.” It’s a positive development that the Wireless Bureau acknowledges the need to support mobile broadband through the USF, said Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry. As the FCC works toward a new mobility fund, it should “prioritize expanding service nationwide without stranding thousands of rural Americans who rely on service that is currently provided through USF support,” he said. “To meet Congress’s mandate of ‘reasonably comparable services in urban and rural areas,’ seamless wireless service must be available from a consumer’s carrier of choice to reach critical public safety services including 911.” The Form 477 data isn’t the “last word” on service availability, with Wheeler and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn urging more-accurate and comprehensive measurements using the latest technologies and methods available, he said. “We appreciate the inclusion of a challenge process to make sure that the data used for any final decisions appropriately reflect the real on-the-ground services available to consumers,” he said. “CCA will continue to work with the FCC to ensure mobile broadband is available for all Americans, especially those in rural areas.” The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) applauded the FCC decision to analyze coverage in a census tract beyond the center point. Meanwhile, the USF program needs to continue to support mobile voice, the group said in a news release. “RWA is also pleased that the Bureau has committed to implementing a challenge process to allow service providers to contest coverage determinations,” RWA said. “RWA encourages the Bureau to ensure that this process is robust, and provides all parties (not just very large entities with nearly unlimited technological and personnel resources) sufficient time and opportunity to participate.”
Three million people, 575,000 square miles of area and 750,000 road miles in the U.S. have no 4G LTE coverage or only coverage from a carrier receiving universal service support, said Jon Wilkins, chief of the Wireless Bureau, as the FCC released numbers Friday, based on Form 477 data. “These are the areas where our analysis shows there is a clear need for an ongoing subsidy to either expand 4G LTE coverage or continue coverage on a subsidized basis.” The FCC is starting to work on a new phase of a mobility fund. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler told the Competitive Carriers Association annual meeting recently (see 1609200058) the release was coming and would show a mobility fund is necessary since too many locations remain unserved by LTE. Wilkins said the data is much improved over what was available to the FCC when it launched the initial mobility fund. “Our analysis shows that just under one and a half million people, approximately 470,000 square miles, and 550,000 miles of road in the U.S. do not have 4G LTE coverage," Wilkins said in a blog post. "We can overlay the actual area coverage data with publicly available data on universal service subsidies to determine at a sub-census block level where 4G LTE service is available only from a provider receiving support -- an indication that continuing support for service in those areas is needed.” It’s a positive development that the Wireless Bureau acknowledges the need to support mobile broadband through the USF, said Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry. As the FCC works toward a new mobility fund, it should “prioritize expanding service nationwide without stranding thousands of rural Americans who rely on service that is currently provided through USF support,” he said. “To meet Congress’s mandate of ‘reasonably comparable services in urban and rural areas,’ seamless wireless service must be available from a consumer’s carrier of choice to reach critical public safety services including 911.” The Form 477 data isn’t the “last word” on service availability, with Wheeler and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn urging more-accurate and comprehensive measurements using the latest technologies and methods available, he said. “We appreciate the inclusion of a challenge process to make sure that the data used for any final decisions appropriately reflect the real on-the-ground services available to consumers,” he said. “CCA will continue to work with the FCC to ensure mobile broadband is available for all Americans, especially those in rural areas.” The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) applauded the FCC decision to analyze coverage in a census tract beyond the center point. Meanwhile, the USF program needs to continue to support mobile voice, the group said in a news release. “RWA is also pleased that the Bureau has committed to implementing a challenge process to allow service providers to contest coverage determinations,” RWA said. “RWA encourages the Bureau to ensure that this process is robust, and provides all parties (not just very large entities with nearly unlimited technological and personnel resources) sufficient time and opportunity to participate.”