Vol. 18, No. 16
April 18, 2022
Order Adopting Mobile Technical Requirements for Broadband Data Collection Effective May 11
The order adopting technical requirements to implement the mobile challenge, verification and crowdsourcing processes required by the Broadband DATA Act, as part of the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection effort, was published in the Federal Register on April 11. The FCC adopted the proposed processes and methodology set forth in the July 2021 public notice. The order is effective May 11, 2022.
FCC Announces Availability of CAF Phase II Auction Data
The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau, in conjunction with the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force, issued a public notice announcing that USAC posted the total locations deployed to by CAF Phase II auction support recipients, reflecting deployment as of December 31, 2021.

The Bureau said CAF II support recipients are required to deploy to 40% of model locations by December 31, 2022, and some providers already met the initial deployment requirement. The bureau, as part of the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan, sent letters to companies that have not yet reported deployment, and asked them to explain the steps to ensure their deployment compliance. Responses are due May 9, 2022.
Sen. Capito: Reforms Needed to Pole Attachment Rules
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, recently wrote a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel regarding the issue of pole attachments, an issue Sen. Capito has consistently heard about during various Regional County Commissioner meetings. Specifically, Sen. Capito stressed that the high costs and long waits imposed by pole owners when poles need to be replaced are hindering the progress of broadband deployment, which is why reforms are desperately needed.

“Reforms are needed to ensure better, fairer rules, speed up deployment, and more equitably distribute costs between broadband providers and pole owners when poles need to be replaced. The high costs and long waits imposed by pole owners on broadband providers slow down broadband expansion in rural America. Enacting commonsense reforms that promote fair and timely access to poles will ensure broadband access expands into our country's rural and hard-to-reach areas,” Senator Capito wrote.
NTIA to Host Pre-NOFO Technical Assistance Webinars
NTIA is hosting a pre-Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) technical assistance webinar series through May in connection with the five new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program; the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program; and the Digital Equity Act Programs, which include the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, and Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program.

These pre-NOFO technical assistance webinars are designed to help prospective applicants understand NTIA’s IIJA broadband grant programs and to assist applicants to prepare high quality grant applications.

NTIA Webinar Schedule
  • Webinar #4: Wednesday, April 27, 2022, from 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. ET
  • Webinar #5: Wednesday, May 11, 2022, from 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. ET

These webinars will be hosted via NTIA’s virtual platform and conducted as live webinars. NTIA will post the registration information on its BroadbandUSA website as soon as the virtual platform is finalized.