NARUC plans to weigh a draft resolution on increasing enrollment in the affordable connectivity program (ACP) at its July 17-20 policy summit in San Diego, said a list of resolutions released Wednesday. Also, NARUC will consider a draft by Virginia State Corporation Commission Judge Jehmal Hudson to commit the state utility regulator association to expanding diversity, equity and inclusion programming. State commissions, the FCC and the Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC) should "work collaboratively with federal and state agencies that implement programs whose target participants are eligible for Lifeline and ACP to promote awareness ... among eligible households,” said the ACP resolution by Nebraska Public Service Commissioner Crystal Rhoades (D). The FCC and USAC should "establish agreements with federal and state departments of agriculture and the health and human services, and other federal and state agencies implementing programs that establish consumers’ eligibility for Lifeline and ACP,” it said. Fewer than 27% of 46.4 million eligible households are enrolled in ACP, compared with 79.9% of eligible people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and 84% in Medicaid, noted the draft. Lifeline national verifier access to state SNAP and federal/state Medicaid databases "greatly improved the National Verifier's efficiency and accuracy in verifying eligibility and the ease of enrollment for low-income consumers,” but SNAP databases in more than half the states still haven't been connected "due to a number of barriers, including lack of funding,” it said.
Lumen received its final state approval for its sale of ILEC assets to Apollo in 20 states. Only FCC approval remains. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities voted 5-0 Wednesday to clear the $7.6 billion deal with fiber buildout, copper maintenance and other conditions. "We're making the lives of thousands of people better by providing them with the opportunity to utilize high-speed internet service," said New Jersey Board President Joseph Fiordaliso at the livestreamed meeting.
The FCC has adopted three Telecommunications Relay Services items circulated for a vote June 6, an FCC official told the FCC’s Disability Advisory Committee at a virtual meeting Tuesday. DAC didn’t act on any reports or take substantial action at the meeting. The FCC acted on T-Mobile Accessibility’s push for more sustainable TRS compensation rates (see 2206240047), said Eliot Greenwald, deputy chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau’s Disability Rights Office. “We hope to be able to release those items very soon,” he said. “One item adopts a new compensation formula for IP relay,” he said: Another “addresses some of the issues that have arisen regarding pandemic waivers related to” the video relay service, including interpreters “working from home and calls from abroad to the United States. The third one addresses the contribution base for VRS and IP relay.” The IP Captioning Files Transmittal Working Group has called in experts to offer insights and is putting together a “drafting subcommittee of the willing” for an upcoming report, said Chair Kyle Dixon, NCTA deputy general counsel-program network policy. The WG was asked to “identify issues and best practices associated with the delivery and receipt of captioning files or full-length programming distributed online” he said. The WG will also “suggest solutions to increase the amount of captioned programming,” he said. The goal is to get the full WG a draft next week, he said. Lyle Ishida, chief of the CGB Consumer Affairs and Outreach Division, updated DAC members on the FCC’s affordable connectivity program. He wants to “deputize all of you to supercharge awareness of the program using your existing contacts and your influence to help low-income households within the disability community,” he said.
The California Public Utilities Commission received much feedback from telecom companies, consumer advocates and local governments on possible changes to California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) broadband infrastructure account rules. The CPUC received comments Monday on changes proposed June 7 to the state-funded last-mile program as part of a wider California broadband effort (see 2205250045). The CPUC adopted rules in April for a last-mile program using federal funding (see 2204210046).
A draft FCC notice of inquiry would seek comment on expanding access to the affordable connectivity program and Lifeline for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, if adopted during the commissioners’ July 14 meeting. It would seek comment on the agency’s authority to adjust both programs to better assist survivors and whether the FCC should adopt certain requirements set in the proposed Safe Connections Act.
Comments are due by July 25, replies Aug. 8, on an FCC NPRM on the affordable connectivity program's annual data collection on prices and subscription plan offerings, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the item earlier this month (see 2206090057).
The FCC will consider how to leverage Lifeline and the affordable connectivity program to better support survivors of domestic and sexual violence, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday, previewing the commissioners' July 14 meeting agenda. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence "uniquely rely on access to private communications" and face "unique challenges securing reliable phone and internet service," Rosenworcel wrote: The item under consideration will look to "ensure that survivors are able to communicate safely with abuse hotlines and shelters."
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by July 18, replies by Aug. 1, in docket 21-450 on the National Lifeline Association's petition for clarification that the Wireline and Enforcement Bureaus' authority to suspend an affordable connectivity program provider's enrollment or hold funding based on the "adequate evidence" standard, said a notice prepared for Friday's Federal Register (see 2203170065). It also wants comments on NaLA's request for clarification that a provider offering a connected device must provide price information for "at least one of the analogous devices from a major retailer."
House Communications Subcommittee leaders said Wednesday they’re eyeing combining the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) and revised versions of the Simplifying Management, Reallocation and Transfer of Spectrum Act (HR-5486) and Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) before a full Commerce Committee vote. The subpanel unanimously advanced HR-5486, HR-7624, HR-7783 and four other telecom bills Wednesday, as expected (see 2206140077).
The FCC Wireline Bureau granted NTCA's and AT&T's requests to waive some non-usage tracking rules for the affordable connectivity program, in an order Tuesday in docket 21-450. The bureau granted NTCA's request to let small providers track usage for households on tribal lands receiving a fully subsidized offering on a rolling 30-day basis until Sept. 15 and a retroactive waiver to Jan. 1 of the Lifeline usage tracking requirement for providers applying the Lifeline and ACP benefit to the same service if it results in a fully subsidized offering (see 2205270043). Providers must inform the Universal Service Administrative Co. of their intent to take advantage of the waiver within 30 days. The bureau also granted AT&T's request to waive the non-usage rules for its customers receiving fully subsidized plans that use asymmetric digital subscriber line technology until Aug. 13 (see 2205090056).