Former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza asked the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois to toss bribery and racketeering charges against him after a trial ended in a hung jury (see 2409200025). La Schiazza was accused two years ago of authorizing monthly payments totaling $22,500 to a close ally of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D). Madigan then pushed through legislation backed by La Schiazza making it easier for AT&T to terminate its costly carrier of last resort obligation to continue providing landline services to Illinois residents, according to an indictment. “The government called only two witnesses with personal knowledge of the events on which the charges are based,” said the latest court pleading: “One of those witnesses, Stephen Selcke, testified that there was no bribe. … Simply put, this was a case the government attempted to prove by speculation and argument rather than evidence.” The case is before Judge Robert Gettleman.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should review the FCC's August order on incarcerated people's communication services because parts of the order are in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, Securus said in a petition filed Wednesday (docket 24-60492). Securus previously filed suit in the same court over the FCC's denial of its clarification and waiver petitions on alternative payment plans (see 2409050034). The new challenge follows publication of the new rules in the Federal Register (see 2409200019).
The next meeting of the FCC’s North American Numbering Council, previously scheduled for Dec. 12, will now take place the following day, the agency said Friday. The meeting is virtual and will start at 10 a.m. EST, the FCC said.
The FCC’s latest next-generation 911 order, approved 5-0 by commissioners in July (see 2407180037), is effective Nov. 25, said a Tuesday notice in the Federal Register. The order is intended to “facilitate the NG911 transition,” the notice said.
OMB approved for three years information collection associated with an FCC order modifying the agency's rural healthcare program rules, the FCC said in a notice for Tuesday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the associated order in December that gives certain healthcare providers the ability to request funding prior to their conditional approval and simplify urban rate calculations (see 2312130019).
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel visited an Arizona elementary school as part of an initiative to promote recent modifications to the E-rate program, said a news release Friday. "Visiting rural Arizona made it clear that if we want our children to succeed in this digital age, then we need to ensure they can get access to the internet," Rosenworcel said. She met with parents, teachers, and school staff to discuss the benefits of the program. The agency noted that the E-rate program "takes on renewed importance following the expiration of the affordable connectivity program," which connected more than 500,000 households in Arizona before it ended. Using hot spots, the FCC is "working to close that digital divide" for schools and libraries, the agency said. Rosenworcel will spend the next few months meeting with national, state, and local school leaders to discuss the program's importance.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia scheduled oral argument on Nov. 5 at 9:30 a.m. for LTD's challenge of the FCC's denial of its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction long-form application, said an order Friday (docket 24-1017). The ISP was the largest winning bidder in the auction (see 2405090056).
Representatives of Somos and the Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee met with aides to all five commissioners about tweaking a draft order on using the do not originate (DNO) list in blocking unwanted and illegal robocalls. The order is set for a vote at the FCC’s Sept. 26 open meeting (see 2409050045). “Somos applauds the Commission for applying a DNO mandate for all carriers in the draft Order” and agrees the commission shouldn’t designate a particular list, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 17-59. But “a reasonable list must (not may) include” all invalid numbers where the area code or central office code begins with a 0 or 1, “all numbers in an area code that is not yet, or can never be assigned” and “all 10,000 and 1,000 blocks of numbers in area codes that are in service, but the blocks are not yet assigned,” the filing said. Somos would also include on the list “numbers for which the subscriber has requested call origination blocking.”
CostQuest will offer NTCA members its broadband fabric data location "at exclusive member pricing" for the FCC's broadband maps and NTIA's broadband, equity, access and deployment program, the group announced Thursday. NTCA members will receive a "10% discount off list pricing," it said. In addition, CostQuest will provide data on network cost, competition and demographics for each broadband serviceable location (see 2211180062). NTCA and CostQuest will host a webinar for the group's members Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. EDT.
The FCC said it has opened the window for filing applications to participate in the agency’s three-year, $200 million cybersecurity pilot program for schools and libraries. It closes Nov. 1. “School districts and libraries across the country have proven to be prime targets for cyber criminals” and “vulnerabilities in the networks are real -- and growing," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Tuesday. “Through this pilot program, we’ll have a chance to better understand what equipment, services, and tools will help protect school and library broadband networks from cyberthreats,” she said. Commissioners approved the program 3-2 in June with Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington dissenting (see 2406060043).