The FCC extended temporary waivers another two months through Aug. 31 for telecom relay service providers, again citing COVID-19 uncertainty (see 2005140056), staff ordered Monday. This lets more employees work from home and expands the pool of contractors qualified to provide American Sign Language interpretation.
OMB approved for three years information collection for an FCC rural telehealth program, says Friday's Federal Register. Commissioners OK'd new compensation rules 3-2 last August (see 1908010041).
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., appeared to pivot toward supporting accelerating distribution of money from the upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction once it happens. He previously eyed accelerating the Phase I auction’s start from its current late October date (see 2005070055) but agreed with Commissioner Mike O’Rielly Tuesday that’s not possible. “I may have a proposal,” Wicker said during a hearing on O’Rielly’s reconfirmation (see 2006160062): After the auction happens, “I think we can help you with some extra funds and some incentive from the administration, on a bipartisan basis, to move this ahead.” House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., filed the Rural Broadband Acceleration Act last month. HR-7022 is aimed at allowing disbursal of some Phase I funding before the auction’s start (see 2005280048).
The FCC Wireline Bureau granted the transfer of Jaguar Communications from Provincial Real Estate Holdings to MetroNet Holdings, said a public notice Tuesday in docket 20-37.
The FCC Wireline Bureau approved transfer of control of PrimeLink from K&S Communications to FirstLight Fiber, after DOJ withdrew its request to defer action, said a public notice Monday.
The FCC Wireline Bureau seeks comment by June 29, replies July 7, on a Connect America Fund Phase II Coalition petition to waive reduction in support on a per location basis when qualifying locations in a state is within 35% of a carrier's obligation, said a public notice Monday for docket 10-90.
Broadband providers Redwire and Fond du Lac Communications can receive Connect America Fund Phase II auction support, after they got letter of credit waivers, via an FCC staff order Friday.
Windstream asked the FCC Wireline Bureau to waive foreign-ownership rules to allow it to transfer holdings through a two-step process to a "New Windstream" and emerge from Chapter 11 protection, in a petition posted Friday in docket 20-151. Windstream filed for bankruptcy in February 2019 (see 1902250058).
Commissioners 5-0 found tariff revisions filed by Northern Valley Communications unlawful, in an order Thursday. Northern Valley must remove its tariff revisions and submit new revisions consistent with rules within 30 days of the order's release. Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said the FCC's "time and resources would be better spent transitioning the entire intercarrier compensation system to bill-and-keep, rather than establishing temporary and partial fixes against inefficient routing schemes that take advantage of high access charges." He hoped "comprehensive reform will happen sooner rather than later." The company didn't comment Friday.
The FCC denied Aureon's petition to revisit intercarrier rules eliminating access arbitrage, in an order on reconsideration Thursday. Commissioners voted 5-0 on a Wireline Bureau recommendation to dismiss the petition "as procedurally defective, and independently, and in the alternative, deny it on substantive grounds."