The FCC should revise must-vote rules, limit participation of bureau staff in advisory committees, allow commissioners to offer amendments during open meetings, establish mandatory sunsets for rules and change many other procedures, Commissioner Mike O’Rielly blogged Thursday listing 61 proposed revisions. “It's now time to publicly release these medium, small, and tiny, mostly non-mutually exclusive ideas, and have each produce feedback on its merits or pitfalls,” O’Rielly said in a brief introductory paragraph to his proposed list, which doesn’t offer detailed explanation of proposals. Though he lists a six items as partially implemented. An aide told us there’s no “concrete timeline” for enacting any of them though they have been raised with the office of Chairman Ajit Pai.
Withdrawal of both holds on Senate confirmation of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to a full five-year term ends the main hurdle to approval of him and Democratic FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks. But dynamics in the Senate continue to cloud their chances for confirmation this year. Senate leaders have been working since June to advance the nominees as a pair (see 1806270065). Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, lifted his hold on Carr (see 1812200033) in concert with the formal end of a separate hold by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. President Donald Trump would need to renominate Carr and Starks for the Senate to reconsider them in 2019.
The FCC approved National Exchange Carrier Association proposals for modifying a USF formula for determining 2019 "average schedule" rate-of-return telco high-cost loop support. The Wireline Bureau said NECA's cost-per-loop calculations appear "accurate and complete," no comments were filed, said an order in Wednesday's Daily Digest and docket 05-337. The current HCLS formula approved Oct. 23, 2017, is expected to provide $6.24 million in payments to 97 average schedule study areas in 2018. NECA’s proposed formula for 2019 projects about $7.01 million in payments to carriers serving 102 average schedule study areas.
The FCC OK'd Hilliary Acquisition's planned buy of Tatum Telephone and Electra Telephone, subject to a USF condition to address cost-shifting concerns. The combining Texas companies receive high-cost support from different mechanisms: cost-based and model-based. "We grant the Applications subject to the condition adopted in the Hargray/ComSouth Order" (see 1805110048), said a Wireline Bureau public notice in Wednesday's Daily Digest and docket 18-301. "The combined operating expense of Tatum, Electra, Medicine Park, and any other rate-of-return affiliates shall be capped at the averaged combined operating expense of the three calendar years preceding the transactions’ closing date for which the operating expense data are available." The cap will last seven years or less, if the combined entity converts all support to one mechanism. The bureau cleared Tofane Global SAS/iBasis, conditioned on compliance with commitments and undertakings they agreed to with DOJ, said a PN in docket 18-136.
Alaska Communications asked the FCC to increase a USF rural healthcare budget to between $800 million and $1 billion for funding year 2019 (up from $581 million), with inflation increases thereafter. "Uncertainty of support under the Telecom Program in [FY] 2016, 2017, and now 2018, has driven healthcare providers out of the program, and wreaked havoc on service providers, all to the detriment of Americans that rely on the program in rural areas," the company told Wireline Bureau staffers, posted Tuesday in docket 17-310. "Demand will soon outstrip the current budget."
TracFone got support both from industry and public interest groups for the FCC to address "serious shortcomings" in the Lifeline national verifier (see 1812030053) being deployed by Universal Service Administrative Co. FCC and industry officials said it’s not clear whether FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will press for further action, especially since the commission is reining in the program as part of a broader series of changes to the USF (see 1806060031). Without FCC action, mass de-enrollments will start Jan. 2, commented the National Lifeline Association in docket 17-287.
Widespread doubts about the likelihood of Senate confirmation this year of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to a full five-year term and Democratic FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks remained Wednesday, despite the likely impending end of one of two holds on Carr. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he's close to lifting his hold. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said he was still maintaining his hold. Senate leaders intend to move Carr and Starks as a pair.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, is lifting his hold on Senate confirmation of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, an aide told us Thursday. The end of Sullivan's hold, in combination with the end of a separate hold on Carr by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., could clear the way for the Senate to approve Carr and Democratic FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks in an end-of-the-year package that may come as soon as Thursday afternoon. Senate leaders have been working since June to advance the nominees as a pair.
The FCC could soon address intercarrier compensation "arbitrage," said two FCBA panelists Tuesday. The commission is taking the issues seriously in a proceeding "ripe" for action, said Matthew Nodine, AT&T assistant vice president-federal regulatory. He's hopeful the commission acts in a "very quick time frame" to curb arbitrage "schemes" that generate carrier payments. Moderator Philip Macres of Klein Law suggested the agency could look to act in Q1. The FCC didn't comment.
A second hold placed last week on Senate confirmation of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to a full five-year term has at least considerably hindered the prospects for the chamber to approve him and Democratic FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks this year, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., placed a hold on Carr because of the FCC's decision to suspend the window for responding to Mobility Fund Phase II challenges (see 1812140047). Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, placed an ongoing hold on Carr earlier this year over concerns about FCC handling of the USF Rural Health Care Program (see 1809130059). Senate leaders intend to move the nominees as a pair.