ACAM Broadband Coalition Seeks Enhanced Program Location Challenge Extension

The Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM) Broadband Coalition asked the FCC for an extension until June 1 on the deadline for challenging broadband location data as part of the enhanced ACAM program. The group said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 10-90 that the current March 8 deadline was concerning because it doesn't give participating carriers "enough time to fully review and analyze the current dataset and to prepare and file challenges that contain the evidentiary support required by the commission." Meeting with Wireline Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics staff, the coalition also expressed concern about the use of service availability data through Dec. 31, saying providers "could be incentivized to overstate their available broadband speeds" because the commission's guidance on the program "made them aware that by doing so they could potentially deny support to E-ACAM companies." Instead, it asked that the commission use data as of June 30, or "not penalize proactive E-ACAM companies" that deployed speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps between June 30 and Dec. 31.