Refer iconectiv's request to confirm it will still meet the local number portability administrator neutrality requirements once parent company Ericsson's pending acquisition of Vonage closes to the North American numbering council, said Somos in comments posted Tuesday in docket 95-116 (see 2201240030). The ownership structure of iconectiv has "materially changed" since it was selected as the local number portability administrator, Somos said, and its request "threatens to push the commission's exceptions to its codified neutrality obligations into dangerous territory." NANC is "well positioned" to consider how to apply its neutrality criteria and provide a formal recommendation, Somos said.

Congress is throwing “an unbelievable amount of money” at closing the digital divide and policymakers need to stay vigilant as the $65 billion is spent, said former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly at the Incompas Policy Summit Tuesday. Just the $48 billion allocated to NTIA is equivalent to 10 years of USF high-cost support “all condensed into probably two or three years,” he said. “Follow the statute, follow the law,” he advised. “Don’t get sidetracked by anything else.” O’Rielly doesn’t expect the same problems as in 2009 in the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (see 2111100081). “People are going to be on top of this ahead of the game,” he said. “Deal with the unserved population, those people who have nothing,” he said. As a commissioner he found talking to people who still had dial-up service “a tough conversation to have,” he said. Broadband maps will get “much, much better,” but “they’re never going to get to 100%,” he said. “We have to accept reality,” he said. He predicted the FCC’s release of maps could slip into the fall. O’Rielly said he remains “a huge fan” of satellite broadband. The key to being a successful FCC commissioner is asking questions and knowing the issues, O’Rielly said. “Dig deep into the subject matter -- it’s really dense,” he said. “If you can be convinced by a one-pager, then you’re in the wrong business. As a policymaker, you need get really deep in the weeds and know what’s going on and be able to challenge someone from the other side.” O’Rielly said he has stayed active and likes life since he left the commission, though he joked that leaving wasn’t his choice (see 2009300022). “You adjust, and you have no choice,” he said. “I don’t miss some of the mundane issues at the commission,” he said: “I made a little bit more last year than I’ve ever made in my career, so that’s a good thing.”

Annual customer proprietary network information compliance certifications for telecom carriers and VoIP providers are due March 1, said an FCC Enforcement Bureau Advisory Monday in docket 06-36.

Conexon withdrew its FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction waiver request "without any tribal consultation" and "cannot access and deploy service to the tribal areas at issue" without tribal consent, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe told Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's aide, Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith and other staff, per a filing Friday in docket 19-126 (see 2201250041). The Colorado tribes disputed Conexon's claim they received "any state or federal broadband stimulus funding" and said Conexon's winning RDOF bid "continues to represent a significant concern." Deny Conexon's pending eligible telecom carrier waiver petition, the tribes asked, noting it's "not in the public interest," partly "given the impact an awarded RDOF grant would have in frustrating the tribes' own broadband deployments."

Arizona will build middle-mile infrastructure along two interstate highways under a plan, the Arizona Commerce Authority said Thursday. By early 2023, the state will string fiber along 141 miles of I-17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix and 60 miles of I-19 between Tucson and Nogales, the authority said. “This next phase of broadband expansion will strengthen Arizonans' connection to educational programs, medical services, public safety and jobs,” said Gov. Doug Ducey (R).

The FCC and the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services sent letters to all 574 tribal leaders raising awareness about E-rate as part of a new partnership aimed at expanding broadband to tribal libraries, said a news release Wednesday. Tribal libraries' access was "often difficult" because of how the rules were written, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, noting that a January order amending the program's definition of a tribal library will let them apply during the current funding application window (see 2201270030). "This recent rule change will have a significant impact on the ability of tribal libraries to help connect their patrons," the letter said, asking tribal leaders to share information about the program.

Deny Lumen's proposed sale of its ILEC assets in 20 states to Apollo's Connect Holding, said Telephone USA Investments in a petition posted Monday in docket 21-350 (see 2108030077). The company said it's one of Lumen's assets that would be transferred, and this would result in Telephone USA losing its status as a minority-controlled business. Lumen is "attempting to seize control over Telephone USA of Wisconsin" and "has been acting to the detriment of Telephone USA Investments," it said. Telephone USA also asked the FCC to consider delaying its decision on the proposed sale until its disputes with Lumen are resolved. Lumen declined to comment.

The USF contribution factor will drop sequentially to 22.2% during Q2 from 25.2%, emailed analyst Billy Jack Gregg Tuesday (see 2111040065). It's the fourth straight drop and would "result in the lowest assessment factor in two years," Gregg said. Projected demand is $1.66 billion.

Extend by one year the June 30 service delivery deadline for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, said the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, the American Library Association, the State Educational Technology Directors Association and the Consortium for School Networking in a letter Monday in FCC docket 21-93. The groups also sought a third funding window "in the spring" to allocate the remaining $800 million in funding and to extend the program's gift rule waiver until June 30, 2023. They also asked the FCC to "reconsider the extensive record-keeping requirements that make it difficult for libraries" and to waive E-rate's cost allocation rule (see 2106140043).

The FCC Enforcement Bureau "formally initiated an investigation" into a broadband provider that "may have been abusing the [community eligible provision] enrollment process" in the emergency broadband benefit program, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D.; House Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; and Communications Subcommittee ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, in a letter posted Friday (see 2112130057). Rosenworcel didn't name the provider. She said staff would provide their offices with "the name of the investigative target" privately because the investigation is "still ongoing."