January 2022

Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Early Reporting Highlights

The US Department of the Treasury started disbursing State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to state, local, territorial, and Tribal government recipients on May 10, 2021. A subset of these recipients were required to submit initial reports on August 31, 2021. Treasury is processing these reports and will make them publicly available soon. In the meantime, highlights from the Recovery Plan Performance Reports submitted by recipients include both immediate and long-term plans across eligible use categories.

FCC Modifies Ex Parte Rules in Affordable Connectivity Fund Proceeding

In November 2021, the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau sought comment on a range of issues related to modifications and changes in transitioning the EBB Program to the Affordable Connectivity Program established by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. To create a record that would allow the FCC to promulgate rules by the statutory deadline of January 14, 2022, and consistent with congressional directive, the Bureau established a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding with comments due December 8, 2021, and reply comments due December 28, 2021.

Lumen Plans Fiber Deployment Rate of 5 Times its Historical Rate

Lumen plans to increase locations reached by fiber from the current 2.5 million to 12 million, representing a five-times increase over the company’s traditional deployment rate according to President and CEO Jeff Storey. Those deployments target the 16 states that Lumen will retain after plans to sell its local exchange business in 20 states to Apollo Funds are completed.

Treasury Issues Final Rule for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program to Support the Ongoing COVID Response

The US Department of the Treasury issued the Final Rule for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program, enacted as a part of the American Rescue Plan, which delivers $350 billion to state, local, and Tribal governments to support their response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.