The Universal Service Administrative Co. projected USF Q3 revenue will be $8.3 billion (see 2203020058).That's about $466 million less than Q2 and "the lowest quarterly revenue in the history of the USF," emailed analyst Billy Jack Gregg Wednesday, noting the quarterly contribution factor will be 33.0%.

NAB and tech groups are preparing for a battle over the FCC’s upcoming collection of regulatory fees, said attorneys and advocates in interviews. Since regulatory fees must be collected by the fall, attorneys expect the agency to soon issue public notices on the 2022 fee collection. The NPRM on the 2021 fee collection was released in May 2021. NAB has had annual disagreements with the agency’s fee assessments for the past several years (see 2008210053), but broadcast attorneys and tech advocates said they expect the group to press the issue this year. NAB Chief Legal Officer Rick Kaplan at the 2022 NAB Show in April said the item is now “at the top of the list.”

Local officials and E-rate groups asked the FCC to heed calls to abandon its proposed centralized online competitive bidding portal for the program, said reply comments in docket 21-455 (see 2204280051). Many said the record showed such a change would hurt smaller E-rate participants and remains unnecessary. Some advocated for updates to the Universal Service Administrative Co.'s training and how it shares information with participants.

A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last week against the SEC could have implications for FCC enforcement actions and the powers of administrative law judges like the FCC’s ALJ Jane Halprin, but it is too early to be sure how the ruling against the SEC applies to other agencies, said academics and communications attorneys in interviews. Based on that Jarkesy v. SEC decision, U.S. Supreme Court rulings and a pair of cases currently before SCOTUS, the outlook for ALJs at federal agencies -- including the FCC -- “looks a little shaky,” said Jeffrey Lubbers, an administrative law professor at American University. “I’d be surprised if this decision is the final word,” said former FCC General Counsel Tom Johnson, now with Wiley.

House Communications Subcommittee members voiced strong support during a Tuesday hearing for the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) and two NTIA-focused spectrum bills, echoing expected backing from Wiley’s Anna Gomez and CommScope Business Development and Spectrum Policy Director Mark Gibson (see 2205230061). Lawmakers broadly supported elements of the Safe Connections Act (HR-7132), but opinions on the Ensuring Phone and Internet Access for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients Act (HR-4275) divided along party lines.

Dish Network hires Gary Schanman, ex-Common Sense Networks and ex-Comcast, as executive vice president and group president-Sling TV ... Oklahoma Corporation Commission appoints Public Utility Division Director Brandy Wreath, the Oklahoma USF administrator, as the interim director-administration effective June 2; current Director of Administration Tim Rhodes leaving to become executive secretary-University of Oklahoma Board of Regents.

The California Public Utilities Commission shouldn’t investigate T-Mobile’s MetroPCS while related litigation is pending at U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the company said in a motion posted Wednesday in docket I.22-04-005. Metro faces up to $230 million in possible fines for failing to remit California USF payments for prepaid phone service, the CPUC said last month (see 2204250049). The court case “is expected to go to trial by early 2023,” Metro said.

Citing the need to modernize the FCC's high cost USF programs and align them with recent federal broadband investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commissioners on Thursday unanimously adopted an NPRM seeking comment on an Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM) Broadband Coalition proposal extending the program. The proposal would increase deployment obligations in exchange for additional funding, and seeks comment on whether to extend participation to carriers that haven't already been participating in the program.

LTD Broadband’s claim that California wants to take Rural Digital Opportunity Fund money for itself is “100 percent ridiculous and false,” a California Public Utilities Commission spokesperson emailed. Company CEO Corey Hauer alleged that Tuesday after the CPUC rejected reconsideration on denying eligible telecom carrier designation (see 2205170058). “The FCC rules for RDOF mandate that all federal funds allocated to RDOF Phase I, and not awarded in Phase I … will be held by FCC in the RDOF component of its USF funds and allocated only for RDOF Phase II,” the CPUC representative said. “No state or local government may appropriate unawarded RDOF funds for its own use. Any statement suggesting a state may do so demonstrates a fully incorrect understanding of FCC funding practice.”

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska seeks comments on state USF by June 13. The RCA wants feedback in docket R-21-001 on sweeping update proposals by staff and Alaska Remote Carrier Coalition, plus broader policy questions raised by staff at an RCA meeting last month (see 2204130061), the commission ordered Friday. Reply comments will be due July 5.