Universal Service Fund

South Central Connect (SCC) petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for (1) a waiver of the FCC’s Connect America Fund Phase II Auction (“CAF II”) default rules, and buildout obligations that are based on the FCC’s use of Connect America Cost Model (“CAM”) data; and (2) revision of SCC’s defined CAF II deployment obligations and support as identified by the CAM to reflect the number of actual locations on the ground as identified by Fabric data.

The Reason Foundation remarks to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. The Foundation's comments focused on:

The American Library Association submitted remarks to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. ALA's comments focused on addressing the regulatory burdens of the E-Rate Program. Recommended changes include:

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation submitted remarks to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. Some of ITIF's recommendations:

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association submitted remarks to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. NRECA's comments focused on several rules, including transparency and reporting requirements. "Broadband providers that receive high-cost support are currently required not only to file detailed deployment data in the Universal Service Administrative Company High Cost Universal Broadband portal, but also to file coverage data twice each year in the Broadband Data Collection program.

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. TPA made a number of recommendations, including:

The Catasaqua Area School District (PA) wrote to the Federal Communications Commission to withdraw from participating in the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program. Paul Reilly, Network Manager for the school district, wrote, "While we are unable to participate at this moment, we continue to recognize the critical importance of cybersecurity funding and hope that our withdrawal may provide another school the opportunity to highlight the ongoing need for such vital support." 

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society joined Access Humboldt, Common Sense Media, Everyone On, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, and New America's Open Technology Institute (all members of the Lifeline Coalition*) in a filing in the Federal Communications Commission's RE: DELETE, DELETE, DELETE proceeding. With the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program, millions of households lost the support they relied on to access the internet.

Spectrum  announced the launch of Spectrum Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice services to more than 153 homes and small businesses in rural areas of Perry County (IL), west of Coulterville and north of Swanwick and Winkle. Spectrum’s multi-year rural construction initiative is driven by more than $7 billion in private investment from the company and will ultimately add an additional 100,000+ miles of fiber-optic network infrastructure and deliver symmetrical and multi-gigabit speed internet access to more than 1.7 million new locations across the country.

Spectrum announced the launch of Spectrum Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice services to 135 homes and small businesses in rural areas of Washington County (IL), northwest of Beaucoup. Spectrum’s multi-year rural construction initiative is driven by more than $7 billion in private investment from the company and will ultimately add an additional 100,000+ miles of fiber-optic network infrastructure and deliver symmetrical and multi-gigabit speed internet access to more than 1.7 million new locations across the country.