Group Seeks Clarification of Rural Healthcare Program Consultant Rules

The Technology Channel Sales Professionals Association met with FCC Wireline Bureau staff on its petition for declaratory ruling seeking clarification on rural healthcare program rules that prohibit participants and service providers from hiring consultants that have a "sales commission arrangement or other financial stake" in a chosen provider, per an ex parte filing Thursday in docket 17-310. The group sought clarifying language that "more narrowly tailors the prohibition against 3rd party consultants" and excludes from the prohibition sales agents that aren't associated with a funding request but receive commission-based compensation from a participating service provider.