Public Notice

The Initial Proposal is the “first draft” of an Eligible Entity’s Final Proposal for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant funding, and, among other things, should explain how States and Territories will ensure that every resident has access to a reliable, affordable, and high-speed broadband connection, drawing on all funding available to accomplish this goal, including but not limited to BEAD Program funds.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) extended, for an additional year, the waiver pausing both the phase-out of Lifeline support for voice-only services and the increase in Lifeline minimum service standards for mobile broadband data capacity. Without this decision, support for services that meet only the voice minimum service standard, which currently stands at $5.25 per month, would be eliminated in most areas on December 1, 2023.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) on December 26, 2013, which consolidated eight existing Federal circulars into a single guidance document. The Uniform Guidance streamlined and eased administrative burdens across the Federal Government in the administration of Federal financial assistance programs, thus increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of Federal awards, while also strengthening oversight over Federal funds to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

The Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Task Force announced that entities can begin submitting bulk challenges to the latest, June 2023 version of the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric. Bulk Fabric challenges submitted in advance of September 8, 2023, are most likely to be reviewed and adjudicated in time to be accounted for in the next iteration of the Fabric (December 2023).

The Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Task Force announced that the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) filing window for submitting broadband availability and other data as of June 30, 2023, opened on Monday, July 3, 2023. Facilities-based broadband service providers may begin to file in the BDC system data that reflects where they made mass-market broadband internet access service available as of June 30, 2023. Such entities, as well as providers of fixed voice services, must also submit the subscription data as of June 30, 2023 required under Form 477 in the BDC system.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau announced the counties in which conditional forbearance from the obligation to offer Lifeline-supported voice service applies, pursuant to the Commission’s 2016 Lifeline Order. This forbearance applies only to the Lifeline voice obligation of eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that are designated for purposes of receiving both high-cost and Lifeline support (high-cost/Lifeline ETCs), and not to Lifeline-only ETCs.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)—as the agency responsible for administering the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program—provides additional guidance to inform the submission of Initial Proposals from states, territories, and the District of Columbia including the design and implementation of the BEAD Eligible Entity challenge processes.

Comments on the proposed modification of an existing system of records, FCC/OIG–3, Investigative and Audit Files are due July 26, 2023. The Federal Communications Commission uses the investigative and audit files contained in the records in this system to carry out its duties and responsibilities under the Inspector General Act of 1978. The modification changes the scope of this system of records to add new routine uses, to update the exemptions the FCC claims for this system and to make other changes.

Access to clear, easy-to-understand, and accurate information about the pricing of video services helps consumers make informed choices and encourages competition in the market. It does so by empowering consumers with information to comparison shop and to find the video programming services that best meets their needs and matches their budget. Consumers who choose a video service based on an advertised monthly price may be surprised by unexpected fees related to the cost of video programming that raise the amount of the bill significantly.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) seeks approval to add 65 questions to the November 2023 edition of the US Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).