Representatives of the Edison Electric Institute met with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel about the group’s stance on pole attachment rules. “EEI emphasized the need for a flexible approach to timelines for ‘Large Orders,’ as a one-size-fits-all approach would be impractical,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 17-84: “Any make-ready timeline for Large Orders must account for unpredictable and unavoidable operational issues outside the pole owner’s control.”

There's "no viable proposed timeline" for larger make-ready pole orders that account for "the fundamental realities of broadband deployment," USTelecom told the FCC in a letter Friday in docket 17-84. The commission sought comment on the item in a December Further NPRM (see 2312130044). USTelecom noted such orders are "more complicated and time-consuming," making it "impossible" to determine how long an order for more than 3,000 poles will take (see 2408210034). Timelines for larger pole orders must account for "workforce limitations," workflow management, and coordination between pole owners and attachers, USTelecom said, adding it's "impossible to predict solely from the number of poles involved" how long a make-ready request for more than 3,000 poles will take, it said. "That there are real-world obstacles to deployment is a reason to ensure that any timeline includes a robust good faith exception capturing all situations where the pole owner cannot meet the timeline due to circumstances beyond its control," USTelecom said. The group also opposed several proposals from other groups on cost-allocations for pole replacements, one-touch, make-ready mandates and professional engineer certification requirements.

The Alaska Remote Carrier Coalition (ARCC) recommended that the FCC reject GCI's proposal that addresses revisions in the Alaska Plan for the Alaska Connect Fund (see 2408140040). In a meeting with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, ARCC defended its proposed adjustment factors associated with performance testing results, said an ex parte filing Friday in docket 23-328. "To suggest that no changes should be made to the original Alaska Plan format deviates from the intent of the first paragraph" of the commission's NPRM seeking comment on "innovative solutions" to connect Alaska's communities, the group said. It also urged that the FCC refrain from allowing "constant waivers of its performance testing guidelines with limited consequences," warning that the "regulatory compliance basis" the commission laid out in its plans is "flawed at best."

The FCC wants comments by Oct. 15, replies by Nov. 12, in docket 24-213 on proposed revisions to the robocall mitigation database, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the item in August (see 2408070047).

The FCC Wireline Bureau announced Monday that some census block groups are now available for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and other program support following Lumen defaults in four states. The bureau said Lumen will be subject to penalties as a result, including loss of further RDOF auction support payments in New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming for defaulting on its service milestones. Lumen remains subject to program rules for the census blocks it defaulted on in Colorado. The bureau also referred Lumen's defaults to the Enforcement Bureau for further consideration.

A total of 68% of NTCA members said in a recent survey they would need to cancel deployment projects next year, equaling more than $1 billion, if the USF program goes away following the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' recent ruling (see 2408140055), which found that the USF contribution factor is a "misbegotten tax.” Also, 71% said “they would need to cancel 2026 deployment projects, equaling nearly $900 million and representing nearly 83% of these companies’ planned investments for 2026,” without USF support, NTCA said. “If USF support were eliminated, there is substantial potential for default on outstanding network construction loans, including many held by the federal government,” the group said. NTCA members reported receiving an average of $72 monthly per broadband subscriber in USF support. The survey results were released last week. “As this survey highlights, without USF support, not only could consumers who currently have broadband see the cost of their bills skyrocket, but rural providers will find it harder or even impossible to make the further investments needed to connect those still waiting for service or to repay loans for deployments already made,” said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield.

The National Association of Surety Bond Producers urged the FCC to allow performance bonds to be used as an alternative to letters of credit for USF high-cost program recipients (see 2408200021). The FCC in July sought comment on whether it should amend its letter of credit rules. In separate meetings with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Wireline Bureau staff, the group noted that performance bonds "guarantee the funding recipient's performance of the construction and installation of the broadband network needed" to provide broadband services "even in bankruptcy" for the amount of the bond, per an ex parte filing Friday in docket 10-90. It's also "in the public interest" to let performance bonds be used as NTIA did for the broadband, equity, access and deployment program.

The FCC's new five-year compensation plan for IP-captioned telephone services takes effect Oct. 4, said a notice for Wednesday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the new plan last month, with Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington concurring in part (see 2408010025).

The Edison Electric Institute urged the FCC to maintain its rules on contractor qualifications for electric utility pole work and large pole orders (see 2408190053). EEI said in a meeting with Wireline Bureau staff that the record "demonstrates the need for a flexible approach to timelines" for larger pole orders, per an ex parte filing Friday in docket 17-84. A "one-size-fits-all timeline would be impractical," EEI said. Utilities also "have a legitimate interest in ensuring that contractors who work on their poles meet certain safety and reliability standards," the group said: "Allowing contractors to unilaterally select their own contractors to work above the communications space bypassing utility vetting and training through a utility’s onboarding process could compromise these standards."

The FCC Wireline Bureau granted Alaska's Lower Yukon School District's request that broadband services "to and within on-campus teacher housing owned by the school district is eligible for E-rate funding." In a declaratory ruling Thursday in docket 02-6, the bureau said the district "serves a unique population of students who reside in 10 remote, impoverished villages in a part of rural Alaska with an extremely harsh climate." It determined that the district-owned on-campus housing provided for Lower Yukon teachers "is a non-instructional facility in which the use of broadband service meets the definition of an educational purpose, and thus such service is eligible for category one and category two E-Rate support." In addition, it noted the ruling is limited to the Lower Yukon school district. The on-campus teacher housing is necessary for the district's "unique student population" because Lower Yukon’s "severe weather conditions and remote geography prevents students from having their educational needs met during the unusually frequent on-campus school closures."