The Federal Communications Commission's monthly meetings showcase the agency’s highest-profile work. And by any metric, we have been more productive, more collaborative, and more transparent since January 2017 than at any time in recent history. At the 48 meetings held under my leadership, we’ve voted on a total of 286 items — an average of six (5.96, to be precise) items per meeting. That compares to a recent historical average of well under three. Of the votes on those 286 items, 205 (71.7%) featured no dissents and 253 (88.5%) were bipartisan. These figures are far higher than comparable figures from the four preceding years. On top of all this, we’ve introduced unprecedented transparency into the process. As a Commissioner, I’d long called for the agency to “show its work” — to share with the American public what the FCC would be voting on before we actually voted. In my second week in office, I made this good-government reform happen. It’s now routine for the agency to publish the exact text of Commission meeting items three weeks in advance of any votes being cast; to include a one-page fact sheet describing in plain English what each item does; and to post a monthly blog from yours truly introducing the agenda in a hopefully-engaging way. Bottom line: This FCC has been working hard, working collaboratively, and working openly to deliver results for the American people.

The National Lifeline Association challenged the Federal Communications Commission's November 2019 Lifeline order which restored the role of states in designating eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) to participate in the Lifeline program, clarified the obligations of participating carriers, and took steps to improve compliance by Lifeline ETCs and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the program. The issue in this case concerns support payments to ETCs for prepaid Lifeline subscribers in cure periods because of their non-usage of the service. The National Lifeline Association requested a declaratory ruling that Lifeline ETCs are permitted to seek reimbursement for all Lifeline-eligible subscribers served as of the first day of the month, including those subscribers in an applicable 15-day cure period following 30 days of non-usage. The court ruled: "Petitioner’s statutory argument – that the Commission’s interpretation of its applicable rules violates 47 U.S.C. § 214(e) – is foreclosed because Petitioner did not raise this claim with the FCC in the first instance. We also reject Petitioner’s challenge to the FCC’s interpretation of § 54.407. The Commission’s position is compelled by the unambiguous terms of the rules. We therefore find no merit in Petitioner’s claim because it rests on an untenable construction of the disputed rules. Finally, we find no merit in any of the other claims before the court. We therefore dismiss the Petition for Review as to Petitioner’s statutory argument and deny all other claims."

The Federal Communications Commission announced a settlement with IBM for alleged violations of the FCC’s E-Rate program rules in connection with the New York City and El Paso school districts. IBM agreed to return $24.25 million to the Universal Service Fund. In past years, IBM provided communications services to the New York City Department of Education and the El Paso Independent School District in Texas using E-Rate subsidies. FCC investigations found that IBM had not satisfied the FCC's competitive bidding rules in New York for Funding Years 2005-2008 and had provided ineligible equipment and services in El Paso for Funding Year 2001. E-Rate program rules require applicants to seek competitive bids from prospective service providers and to treat prices for eligible products and services as the primary factor when selecting among competing service providers. These competitive bidding and eligibility rules are in place to ensure that federal funds are used efficiently and distributed in a fair and transparent manner. In addition to the $24.25 million payment, IBM has agreed to provide training to its employees concerning the Commission’s competitive bidding and eligibility requirements prior to submitting future bids in connection with the E-Rate program.

The broadband and telecom industry managed not only to meet increased demand during the pandemic but also to make progress on broader initiatives, as we note in our roundup of 2020 telecom trends.

1. Telco/ Electric Partnerships are a Real Thing Now.
2. Broadband Industry Unscathed by Pandemic.
3. Rural Broadband Finally Gets Policymakers’ Attention. 
4. Broadband Gets Faster – in Lots of Different Ways. 
5. Fixed Wireless Sees Broad Adoption.
6. Fierce Competition in 5G.
7. Spectrum Never Goes Out of Style.
8. Video Business Gets More Splintered. 
9. Telecom Bankruptcies Prove to be No Big Deal.
10. Broadband M&A Remains Hot.