A coalition of utility companies asked the FCC to extend until Sept. 26 the deadline for reply comment on its Further NPRM on pole replacement costs (see 2206280066). The American Public Power Association, Edison Electric Institute, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Utilities Technology Council cited a "significant number of comments, the complexity of the issues raised and the sheer volume of the filings, significant number of comments, [and] the complexity of the issues raised and the sheer volume of the filings," in a motion posted Tuesday in docket 17-84. Many comments "raise new issues and propose new rules that were not considered in the FNPRM or elsewhere in the record," the companies said.

A coalition of consumer advocacy organizations told the FCC it was concerned about ISPs "refuting the existence of digital discrimination" in the commission's proceeding addressing the issue (see 2207050057). Said Common Cause, Communications Workers of America, Engine, The Greenlining Institute, MediaJustice, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Next Century Cities, Public Knowledge and the Utility Reform Network: the FCC "must use a discriminatory impact standard" to "rectify current and past discrimination," in a meeting with aides to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, per an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 22-69. The groups also asked the FCC to define the term "given area" as a "wide service area" and "granular enforcement area so that all instances of discrimination can be found." The FCC should update its consumer complaint process and "complaints must be acted upon," the groups said, suggesting the commission also engage in "proactive" outreach to determine if discrimination exists in certain areas.

The FCC Wireline Bureau denied petitions by small carriers to extend the June 30 deadline to implement Stir/Shaken for small non-facilities-based providers, in an order posted Monday in docket 17-97 (see 2111150042). A delay "unavoidably undermines the success of Stir/Shaken and would not be in the public interest," the order said. The petitioners, WWT, Miron, Vumber, Avaya, Yardi, DigitalPath, KDDI, Hypercore and CDN, "had two years to complete the work necessary" and "nothing in their petitions persuades us that was an insufficient amount of time for them to complete the tasks they state are still outstanding."

The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by July 25 on Core Communications' proposed tariff refunds, said a public notice Friday in docket 21-191. Core submitted its revisions in June after the bureau rejected its previous revisions (see 2112080051).

A coalition of consumer advocacy groups sought FCC guidance on the fixed service challenge process for the new broadband availability maps. The FCC "must take a leadership role that coordinates the fragmented policies within the federal government and ongoing broadband data gathering efforts that are well underway in many communities across the country," the groups, which include Next Century Cities, Access Humboldt, the National Association of Counties, the National Broadband Mapping Coalition and the California Community Foundation, said in a letter posted Thursday in docket 19-195. They asked for local officials and consumers to have access to information on the "types of evidence and details allowable in a challenge submission" and on how the FCC will evaluate evidence when "the challenger’s evidence and provider’s evidence rely on different methodologies."

ZipDX told FCC Enforcement Bureau staff it should be chosen as the registered consortium to head industry efforts to trace unlawful robocalls because it can do so "more nimbly and more dynamically" than USTelecom's industry traceback group (see 2206230055). "We will more readily and fully meet the objectives of the Traced Act and the FCC," said an ex parte filing Wednesday in docket 20-22. ZipDX said Congress "would not have directed the FCC to annually revisit the selection" if it "intended to anoint USTelecom as the gatekeeper of traceback always and forever." USTelecom hasn't "cited any specific or general flaw in our efforts," ZipDX said: "If anybody has misgivings about ZipDX, it would and should be those parties that play an outsize role in the initiation and facilitation of illegal robocalls." USTelecom didn't comment.

The FCC proposed a $220,210 fine against Cleo Communications and its CEO Kyle Traxler for "engaging in conduct that violated the federal wire fraud statute" through its participation in the emergency broadband benefit program between May and August 2021, said a notice of apparent liability posted Friday. Cleo "made apparent misrepresentations" to receive authorization to participate in the program, including that it "had been providing broadband services in 54 states and territories" on Dec. 1, 2020, and "apparently used that authorization to defraud consumers using interstate wires," the notice said. The company "promised consumers that they would receive EBB program-discounted broadband services and devices in exchange for online electronic payments to Cleo, but the company never delivered the broadband services or devices."

The FCC Wireline Bureau extended until Dec.1, 2023, its waiver pausing the phasedown of Lifeline voice-only support and increase in minimum service standards, in an order posted Friday in docket 11-42 (see 2111050058). The bureau cited a "continued preference for voice-only services and the enduring nature" of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FCC committed nearly $159 million in additional Emergency Connectivity Fund support, bringing total to nearly $5.3 billion so far, said a news release Thursday (see 2206090070). The new funding supports applications from all three filing windows and will go to more than 350 schools, 50 libraries and four consortiums. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said she's "grateful that Congress has provided this funding to help close this homework gap, so students all over the country can connect with their teachers and online assignments when they are away from school.”

The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau announced Telecom Relay Service Fund per minute compensation rates Friday through June 30, said an order Thursday in docket 03-123. The per-minute rate for traditional TTY-based TRS is $4.5098; speech-to-speech relay is $5.6408; captioned telephone service is $2.3419; and IP relay is $1.9576. The bureau also extended its waiver of compensation formulas for IP CTS and video relay service until June 30 or the effective date of commission action (see 2111150057).