Thursday, April 18, 2019
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The New FCC Rural Broadband Fund Would Move Funds From Existing Program
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News from the FCC
At the Federal Communications Commission’s May meeting, we will take action to advance the goal of security.
- We will vote on an Order that would deny China Mobile USA’s application seeking to provide international telecommunications services in the United States.
- We will vote on a proposal to reallocate spectrum in the 1675–1680 MHz band for shared use between incumbent federal operations and new, non-federal fixed or mobile operations.
- We will consider Theia Holdings A, Inc.’s application to construct, launch, and operate a constellation of 112 active non-geostationary-satellite orbit satellites. In addition to supporting broadband connectivity, Theia’s satellites promise to deliver remote sensing analytics, which could enable precision agriculture, first-responder support, and other applications.
- The FCC will vote on streamlining and expediting our current process for resolving broadcast radio interference complaints. Among other things, the order would establish simpler interference remediation procedures, clarify listener complaint requirements, and make it easier for translators causing interference to change channels.
- We’ll also vote on an order to improve Video Relay Services (VRS).
- We’ll vote on a Public Notice to initiate the pre-bidding process for the auction of certain toll-free numbers in the 833 code. Over 17,000 numbers which have been requested by more than one applicant will be available in this first-of-its-kind auction.
- Finally, we'll consider a proposal to fine-tune the FCC’s collection of regulatory fees.
Safeguarding our communications networks is critical to our national security. After reviewing the evidence in this proceeding, including the input provided by other federal agencies, it is clear that China Mobile’s application to provide telecommunications services in our country raises substantial and serious national security and law enforcement risks. Therefore, I do not believe that approving it would be in the public interest. I hope that my colleagues will join me in voting to reject China Mobile’s application.
The rural broadband fund that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai proposed on April 12 would rely on funding from an existing broadband program slated to expire in 2020, while also setting higher standards for internet speeds. Around $2 billion has been available annually in recent years through the Connect America Fund and that same amount would be shifted to the new fund -- dubbed the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund --said Mark Wigfield, a spokesman for the FCC. The new program, as envisioned, would differ from the Connect America Fund in some key ways, Wigfield said. For one, it would also establish a minimum speed threshold of 25 megabits per second for downloads and 3 megabits per second for uploads, as opposed to 10 mbps and 1 mbps. And whereas the current “Phase II” of the Connect America Fund is six years, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund would be a 10-year initiative. The roughly $2 billion annually spread across a decade reflects a $20 billion figure for the fund Chairman Pai referenced. The FCC spokesman also said the new program would be “technology neutral” and “open to all qualified providers,” but specifics about applicants that would be eligible would depend on rulemaking. Deb Socia, executive director of Next Century Cities, characterized the proposal as “more of a rebranding than a new project,” although she was careful to note that details about it are still unclear. “I don't think it's significantly different,” she said. “We're always happy when more money can go into rural communities,” Socia added. “And we're really pleased to see them upping the speed.”
On April 1, Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) CEO Radha Sekar wrote to Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly to respond to his concerns that E-rate funds may be used to potentially overbuild fiber networks. Specifically, Commissioner O'Rielly had written to Sekar in March seeking answers as to whether government broadband subsidies should be used to subsidize wide area networks (WANS) where government subsidies have already been used to lay fiber as well as how many of those were being subsidized. Sekar did not have an answer for the latter, saying USAC did not track whether the money was going to WANS or whether the money for WANS or other special projects was overbuilding. But as to whether "the E-rate rules permit funding for special construction projects, whether self-provisioned networks or networks owned by a commercial provider, that would duplicate, in whole or in part, fiber networks that have been built using federal funds?" The answer from Sekar was yes. "If the cost of applicant ownership over the life of the network is less expensive than the cost of using an existing network, the applicant can be approved for fiber construction funding of their own network," Sekar said.
The Federal Communications Commission released the following statement upon conclusion of bidding in the clock phase of Auction 102, which is auctioning spectrum in the 24 GHz band. The following statement can be attributed to FCC spokesman Neil Grace: “Bidding in the clock phase of the 24 GHz band auction (Auction 102) concluded today following round 91. Gross proceeds in the clock phase reached just over $1.988 billion, and bidders won 2,904 of 2,909, or more than 99.8% of, available licenses. Winning bidders will now have the opportunity to bid for frequency-specific licenses in the assignment phase of Auction 102. The FCC will release a public notice soon announcing further details regarding the assignment phase, including the date and time when bidding in the assignment phase will commence.”
T-Mobile and Comcast announced a partnership to combat the industry’s growing robocall problem. Starting April 17, the companies will begin authenticating calls made between their networks in order to verify for consumers when the caller is an actual human being. Americans received over 26 billion unwanted robocalls in 2018, and after a few light pushes from federal agencies like the Federal Communications Commission, carriers are beginning to deploy an authentication system that’s meant to combat them, known as the SHAKEN/STIR protocol.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org) and Robbie McBeath (rmcbeath AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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