INCOMPAS last week signed on to a letter of support for a Petition filed at the FCC by a group of service providers that asks the Commission to clarify the applicability of the broadband labeling requirement to customized services provided in the E-rate and Rural Health Care programs. In the Broadband Label Order, the Commission granted INCOMPAS’ request and clearly exempted customized enterprise services from the label requirements. The Petition asks that the FCC clarify that this exemption extends to these same services offered in the E-rate and Rural Health Care programs.

"INCOMPAS and our members fully support Congress’ and the FCC’s efforts to help consumers comparison shop for better broadband services by requiring providers to offer easy-to-read labels," said INCOMPAS President Angie Kronenberg. "These new labels will help consumers understand price and speed options and to choose the provider and service that best meet their needs."  

"We urge the FCC to clarify that the exemption it applied generally to customized enterprise services also be applied to those same services delivered through the E-rate and Rural Healthcare Programs. Unfortunately, the FCC’s Order is confusing broadband providers, and a clarification is necessary and appropriate as discussed in the letter INCOMPAS joined today. Requiring labels for customized, individually negotiated enterprise services in the E-rate and Rural Healthcare programs would be redundant to competitive bid offerings, confusing to schools and libraries that are the customers, and burdensome to providers. INCOMPAS is concerned that providers may decide not to bid in these programs—resulting in less competition and higher prices being paid by customers and the Universal Service Fund. Such a result would be harmful to competition, which is the opposite intention of Congress and the FCC in requiring labels for mass market customers."

In a new blog posted on Medium, INCOMPAS President Angie Kronenberg looked forward to 2023, discussing how the association has hit the ground running with visits to Congress, the FCC, NTIA and state broadband offices on a variety of issues, including:

• Implementation of Infrastructure Funding and Fast Broadband Deployment
• Access to Spectrum for 5G and Fixed Wireless Service
• Universal Service Fund (USF) Reform
• Encouraging Competition and Innovation in Voice and Messaging Services

To read the full blog, click here. 

The FCC sent Congress a report summarizing the impact of the Broadband Interagency Coordination Act, which directed the FCC, NTIA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take a whole-of-government approach to broadband deployment in the United States. Congress directed the agencies to coordinate specifically on the FCC’s high-cost universal service programs, and programs administered by NTIA and the Rural Utilities Service within USDA.

The FCC's experience with the Interagency Agreement, as well as the record, demonstrate that the Interagency Agreement has significantly facilitated efficient use of federal funds for broadband deployment, and strengthened and improved coordination workstreams, the report said. It also recommended the agencies continue to coordinate, subject to the constraints of the Administrative Procedures Act, to identify and implement standardization in broadband data. Additionally, the report recommends that the agencies enhance the visibility of their coordination efforts under the Interagency Agreement to facilitate greater transparency.

The NARUC board of directors adopted two resolutions on February 15, from the committee on telecommunications at its Winter Policy Summit. TC-1 is a resolution on the disposition of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund proceeds arising from the FCC’s rejection of a bidder’s long-form application in the RDOF auction. The resolution said proceeds won by a bidder for a jurisdiction should remain in that jurisdiction following any FCC decision to reject that bidder’s application. TC-2 is a resolution supporting extension of the FCC’s spectrum auction authority with a portion of auction proceeds to fund both the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program and deployment of state next-generation 911 systems.

The FCC released its 25th universal service monitoring report, prepared by federal and state members of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service and based on information available as of September 2022. The report provides information on industry revenues, universal service program funding requirements, contribution factors and the latest data on the low-income, high-cost, schools and libraries and rural healthcare support mechanisms, among other things.

Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced the Rural Broadband Protection Act, which would require a more thorough vetting and verification process for internet service providers seeking to participate in the FCC’s high-cost programs. They said the bill would provide safeguards to the Universal Service Fund’s high-cost programs by ensuring funding goes to companies with both a proven track record of success and have demonstrated sound judgment in deploying in hard-to-serve areas.