The Oregon Public Utility Commission faces “a really tight deadline” to update state USF rules, said the Nicola Peterson, PUC senior telecom analyst, at a virtual workshop Thursday. There and in written comments earlier this week, telecom industry groups gave mixed reviews of the PUC’s plan to adopt a CostQuest model to determine the size of the Oregon USF (OUSF) starting Jan. 1.

The Arizona Corporation Commission would like to hear from more than just telecom companies on possible sweeping changes to Arizona USF (AUSF), Chairwoman Lea Marquez Peterson wrote Monday in docket T-00000A-20-0336. Only Cox, Lumen, Frontier Communications and CTIA commented by the original March 18 deadline and nobody else has commented since, Peterson said. Four responses don’t provide “an adequate basis” for the commission to consider what AUSF changes could advance its connectivity and universal service goals, she said. The ACC “must also hear from the communities in Arizona that lack ‘broad connectivity’ as well as from non-traditional service providers,” said Peterson, specifying she wants comment from tribes, municipalities and electric cooperatives. They should comment by April 18, she said. The ACC didn’t get much support in March 18 comments for transitioning the fund to broadband; cable and wireless companies suggested canceling the fund (see 2203210031). The chairwoman's office "is conducting additional outreach," an ACC spokesperson said.

The Interagency Steering Group on Native American Voting Rights said Thursday “more could be done” by the FCC and other policymakers to promote voting on Tribal lands. The FCC auctioned off spectrum licenses and USF support “to build out broadband capacity to millions of unserved locations, but could do more to integrate Tribal governments into the process, to ensure better communication and relationships between the auction winners and the Tribal communities they serve,” the report said. To the extent states deploy federal funding or funding of their own to promote broadband in Tribal areas “it would be advisable to similarly incorporate Tribal governments into the process of assessing needs and selection procedures, as well as bid evaluation and contract approval.” When the FCC issues spectrum licenses to Tribal governments it should offer “the technical and grantmaking assistance necessary for Tribal governments to capitalize effectively on the spectrum availability,” the report said. Information designed for viewing on desktop computers “may not be effective for eligible voters who are primarily online through smartphones, no matter how robust their connectivity or capacity,” it said: State and local officials should ensure “their election-related applications and information are also optimized (and translated) for mobile, in order to reach Native American voters where they are.”

Demand for the FCC’s next round of Emergency Connectivity Fund support will likely exceed the funding that will be available, E-rate stakeholders and public interest organizations told us. The third round will make at least $1 billion available and is expected to be the program’s final round for applications.

Clamping down on unwanted and illegal robocalls remains the top priority of the FCC Enforcement Bureau, bureau officials said during an FCBA webinar Tuesday. “The top priority is robocall, robocall, robocall, robocall,” said Kristi Thompson, chief of the Telecommunications Consumers Division. That’s “not surprising” because unwanted calls “have been the top of the pop charts on the FCC’s compliance databases for several years running now,” she said. “Because it is such a hot consumer issue it’s also one that is politically neutral and therefore bipartisan,” she said. A “collective hatred for all things robocalls and our desire to see more and more done against them” unites Americans, Thompson said. Her division also spends a lot of time on privacy and data security, she said. “I sort of read with dread headlines today suggesting that Russia was talking about increasing cyberattacks” on U.S. infrastructure, she said: “For me, communications networks … seem like a prime target.” The Fraud Division is looking into allegations of fraud in the emergency broadband benefit program, said Chief Rakesh Patel. USF programs are always a focus, he said. The amounts of dollars involved can “be quite significant,” he said. “Where ever the commission’s focus is at any given point in time the Enforcement Bureau tends to follow,” said Jeffrey Gee, chief of the Investigations and Hearings Division.

The Arizona Corporation Commission should cancel state USF, cable and wireless companies said in comments Friday on a March 4 notice of inquiry on possibly sweeping changes. The ACC had asked about expanding Arizona USF support to broadband -- or eliminating the fund altogether (see 2203070031). Wireline companies disagreed with ending AUSF, with Lumen favoring making it a broadband fund.

It might be safest to let Alaska USF die, said Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) Common Carrier Specialist David Parrish at virtual technical conference Friday. Alaska’s public advocate and telecom industry officials disagreed. AUSF, set to sunset mid-2023, "has been really hobbling along for years," said Parrish: If the commission wants to continue the fund, RCA staff thinks the “only equitable solution” is its proposal to target AUSF support to areas where voice remains the primary form of telecom (see 2203140056), especially because much federal infrastructure money is coming and since pursuing state USF reform could increase the likelihood the RCA is sued, Parrish said. Just because it’s easiest to let AUSF die “doesn't mean it's the right thing to do,” responded Alaska Chief Assistant Attorney General Jeff Waller of the Regulatory Affairs & Public Advocacy division. The Matanuska Telephone Association also disagreed with killing AUSF. "This is not the time for AUSF to go away," said MTA counsel Dean Thompson of Kemppel Huffman. "What do you do about access charges?" It would leave "a big hole of lawfully recovered rate recovery,” he said. MTA had submitted an alternative proposal to switch to connections-based contribution. Alaska Communications sees a remaining need for AUSF, said Manager-Regulatory Affairs Lisa Phillips. GCI Senior Director-Regulatory Affairs Juliana Wayman cautioned the RCA that coming federal funding will do nothing for ongoing operating costs.

Industry disagreed whether the FCC should pause some of its high-cost Universal Service Fund programs amid the recent $65 billion federal broadband support from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, in reply comments posted Friday in docket 21-476 (see 2202180046). Others debated whether to expand the fund's contribution base or turn to direct congressional appropriations. The FCC sought comments on USF's future as part of its report to Congress due by Aug. 12.

Industry and advocates asked the FCC for some flexibility in its affordable connectivity program outreach grants and to prioritize nonprofit organizations, in comments posted Thursday in docket 21-450. The FCC also sought comments on its proposed pilot program to boost enrollment among households in public housing communities and on how to determine eligibility for an up to $75 monthly benefit for households living in high-cost areas.

Staff at state commissions pushed forward USF update efforts. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is seeking comment and plans a meeting soon on draft legislation to update Oklahoma USF (OUSF) into a broadband-focused subsidy, the OCC emailed stakeholders Monday. The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) posted a staff proposal Friday to use Alaska USF (AUSF) to close the digital divide in places where voice remains the primary form of telecom access. The Oregon Public Utility Commission plans to post a state USF proposal within a week, it said Monday.