NARUC President Wants Wicker to File Bill to Speed RDOF Phase I

NARUC President Brandon Presley believes a letter Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., sent the FCC seeking information on options for speeding distribution of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund phase I funding (see 2006020036) “is helpful,” but “legislation would be the strongest signal to get this done,” Presley tweeted Wednesday. The FCC “will write back with every possible bureaucratic delay that they can come up with,” said Presley, a Democratic Mississippi public service commissioner. “Congress holds the power to override them” and Wicker “should file a bill to do so.” Presley earlier endorsed (see 2005280048) the Rural Broadband Acceleration Act (HR-7022), which Wicker referenced in his letter. That bill would require the FCC award funding by Sept. 30 to some Phase I applicants.