Vol. 22, No. 31

August 3, 2026

UPCOMING EVENTS


September 8-11

The Connected World Live

Chicago


September 15-17

SIPNOC 2026

Herndon, Va.


November 1-3

The 2026 INCOMPAS Show

Nashville, Tenn.

MEMBER NEWS


C Spire Achieves Triple ISO Certification, Strengthening Managed Services Capabilities


LiveOak Fiber Selects Connectbase to Accelerate Wholesale Growth and Guide Network Expansion


Granite Named Preferred Communications Infrastructure Provider for Simon


Greenlight Networks Celebrates 15 Years of Growth, Community Investment and Fiber Expansion


IdeaTek Expands Fiber Network to Tucson, Arizona


Spectrotel Awarded 2026 SD-WAN Product of the Year Award by INTERNET TELEPHONY for the Sixth Consecutive Year


Signed, Sealed but Not Necessarily Secure: TNS 2026 Half-Year Report Warns Voice Communications Still Vulnerable


X-energy Joins Project Prometheus for AI-Accelerated Advanced Nuclear Deploymenteaks New Record to Advance America’s High-Gain Fusion Capability


Organizations That Treat Networks as an AI Afterthought Will Struggle to Keep Pace, New Zayo Report Finds

COMMENT DEADLINES


August 4

Comments Due on High-Cost Modernization Initiative NPRM


August 10

Comments Due on Know-Your-Upstream-Provider Requirements


Comments Due on Next-Gen 911 Second FNPRM


August 14

Reply Comments Due on Proposed 2027 E-Rate Eligible Services List


September 3

Reply Comments Due on High-Cost Modernization Initiative NPRM


September 8

Reply Comments Due on Know-Your-Upstream-Provider Requirements


Reply Comments Due on Next-Gen 911 Second FNPRM

One Month Left to Lock in Your INCOMPAS Show Discounts

Labor Day — the unofficial end of summer — is just about a month away. And so is your chance to take advantage of early-bird registration discounts for The 2026 INCOMPAS Show.


If you want the lowest rate, act now.


Registering by September 3 isn’t just about saving money. It’s about locking in:


Summer doesn't last...and neither do our registration discounts.


Register before you head out for Labor Day weekend and save $250 — and even more with group discounts to bring your whole team.


Once registered, you'll receive the link to book you room at the Omni Nashville Hotel, so you can be at the center of the action.


With your registration confirmed and your hotel booked, you’ll be able to roll into Nashville, November 1-3 with savings secured and momentum on your side.

INCOMPAS Urges the FCC to Eliminate Regulatory Barriers Created by Ineffective State 
Pole Attachment Regimes

INCOMPAS filed reply comments urging the FCC to establish a clear process for determining whether states that have certified jurisdiction over pole attachments continue to meet the regulatory requirements Congress set out in Section 224 of the Communications Act.


"INCOMPAS commends the Commission for examining this issue as part of its Build America agenda. Pole attachment access is a critical bottleneck for broadband deployment, and it deserves the same scrutiny as permitting delays and unreasonable fees. Unclear state regulation and complaint processes can mean years-long delays, abandoned projects, and rising costs for consumers," said Staci L. Pies, senior vice president of Government Relations and Policy at INCOMPAS.


"We applaud the Commission for recognizing the importance of this issue to easing deployment nationwide, and we urge the agency to move forward with a fair, limited process that preserves effective state regulation while ensuring that reverse preemption remains tied to the conditions Congress enacted."

FCC Issues Agenda for

August 6 Open Meeting

The FCC issued the agenda for its August 6 open meeting, where it will consider:


  • Maximizing Efficiencies in Universal Service Administration – An NPRM that would focus on proposed measures aimed at strengthening the FCC’s management and administration of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and oversight of Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). The NPRM would seek comment on current USF administration processes, the structure of USF administration, operating costs associated with USF administration, and the impact of USAC’s board of directors on USF administration.
  • Promoting Telehealth in Rural America – A third FNPRM and order that would focus on several program improvements intended to reduce administrative burdens and costs on Rural Health Care Program participants, and better administer limited funding given increased program participation and service costs.
  • Replacing the National Television Multiple Ownership Rule – A report and order that would remove restrictions on multiple ownership of broadcast television stations based on the stations’ national audience reach.
  • Opening Up More Than 200 Megahertz of Unlicensed Spectrum for D2D Offerings – An NPRM that would unleash unlicensed spectrum for direct-to-device satellite communication services.

Reconsideration for Petitions of E-Rate Bidding Portal Order Filed

The FCC issued a public notice announcing petitions for reconsideration of the May 2026 E-Rate bidding portal report and order were filed by the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition and CRW Consulting.


Oppositions to the petitions are due 15 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register; replies are due 10 days after publication.

FCC Updates Lifeline Minimum Service Standards, Budget Amount

The Wireline Competition Bureau issued a public notice announcing updated minimum service standards for Lifeline-supported services as required by the 2016 Lifeline order.


On July 1, 2026, the bureau extended the waiver pausing the increases in the Lifeline minimum standards for fixed and mobile broadband data usage allowance, which will remain 1280 GB per month for fixed broadband and 4.5 GB per month for mobile broadband until December 1, 2027. Beginning December 1, 2026, the Lifeline minimum service standard for mobile voice service will remain unchanged at 1,000 minutes per month. Additionally, the bureau announced the budget for federal universal service support for the Lifeline Program for calendar year 2027 will be $3,053,892,630.

GAO Report on Combatting Fraud in Federally Funded Programs

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on combating fraud in 20 federally funded, state-administered programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.


The GAO said fraud in BEAD could be carried out by grantees, subgrantees and internal parties. The report said while fraud risk management for BEAD has not been reviewed by the GAO, it previously reviewed fraud risk management for other NTIA broadband programs and found NTIA’s approach did not align with leading practices. The GAO said it made recommendations for NTIA to strengthen its fraud risk management of the broadband programs, and NTIA has fully implemented them.

Senate Committee Holds Hearing on AI, Communications Networks

On July 30, 2026, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media held a hearing examining the two-way relationship between artificial intelligence and communications networks. Discussion centered on fiber deployment, rural broadband access, Universal Service Fund (USF) modernization, BEAD program implementation, permitting delays, spectrum policy, and the need for networks to accommodate more upstream and persistent AI traffic.


Watch the hearing on-demand.

INCOMPAS | www.incompas.org
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