Don't replace call blocking notification requirements with session initiation protocol code 603, the American Bankers Association, ACA International, American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management, Credit Union National Association, Mortgage Bankers Association, and National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions told staff of FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-59. ABA, ACA International, AAHAM, CUNA, MBA, the American Financial Services Association, National Council of Higher Education Resources, and Student Loan Servicing Alliance had a similar meeting with staff of Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The groups opposed SIP code 603 because it doesn't "provide sufficient information to alert the caller to the reason for the uncompleted call." They asked the FCC to require that voice service providers implement SIP code 607 and 608 by a specific date while providing "periodic status reports stating the progress that providers have made toward adopting operational standards" if USTelecom's petition for reconsideration is granted (see 2111180078).

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission cleared Apollo to buy Lumen’s northwest Wisconsin ILEC assets Tuesday. The Wisconsin ILEC partly operates in Minnesota. The PUC consent calendar subcommittee issued the decision, which becomes a full commission order unless a party, participant or commissioner objects within ten days. The Georgia Public Service Commission cleared the transaction Nov. 9. Lumen still needs OK from the FCC and six states: Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, said the carrier’s spokesperson. Illinois Commerce Commission staff recommended Tuesday in docket 21-0710 that the agency decide Apollo/Lumen likely won’t diminish the company’s ability to provide adequate, reliable, efficient, safe and affordable service, won’t hurt competition and won’t increase rates to retail customers.

The FCC Wireline Bureau OK'd the National Exchange Carrier Association's average schedule USF high cost loop support formula modifications for 2022, said an order Monday. The bureau said the results and calculations "appear to be accurate and complete." The formula takes effect Jan. 1.

The Q1 USF contribution factor is 25.2%, down from 29.1% in Q4, said an FCC Office of Managing Director public notice in Monday’s Daily Digest (see 2109100069). Program support is projected at $1.78 billion.

Comments are due Jan. 7, replies Jan. 27, in docket 12–375 on Securus' petition for a waiver of sections of FCC per-minute call requirements for inmate calling services, said Friday's Federal Register. Securus said the requirement to offer calls only on a per-minute basis jeopardizes its ICS subscription plan pilot (see 2111220049).

The FCC Wireline Bureau granted Midwest Medical Center's request for review of the Universal Service Administrative Co.'s denial of its FY 2018 funding request, said an order listed in Thursday's Daily Digest. The bureau said MMC's requested wireless equipment is eligible for the healthcare connect fund program. The application for funding was remanded to USAC for further action.

The FCC Wireline Bureau deemed AT&T's request for emergency discontinuance not granted, said a public notice posted Wednesday in docket 21-468. AT&T sought a waiver to suspend interstate telecom services affected by wildfires in northern California. The bureau said it was filed "with no explanation for why it was late-filed and no basis for considering its waiver request." AT&T "[continues] to work on the extensive network restoration effort related to damage caused by the Caldor fire," emailed a spokesperson: "While the vast majority of our network impacted by the fire has already been restored, we continue to work to restore connectivity for customers in the few remaining areas that are still impacted as quickly as possible."

Core Communications’ proposed tariff revisions “violate many of the same rules that the commission found Core’s previous tariff revisions violated,” said an FCC Wireline Bureau order listed in Wednesday’s Daily Digest rejecting the proposed revisions “in their entirety” (see 2110070066). The proposed revisions are “unlawful on their face,” the order said, granting AT&T and Verizon's petition requesting the bureau investigate and reject or suspend the proposed revisions (see 2105070066). Core was ordered to file a supplement within five business days "noting that this proposed transmittal was rejected in its entirety." Core "has again been frustrated from lawful methods to collect fees rightly owed to it," said CEO Bret Mingo in a statement, with italics: "For years, AT&T and Verizon have wrongfully withheld millions in fees from Core on compensable call traffic Core carries -- traffic for which AT&T and Verizon have unapologetically charged their customers tens of millions of dollars." Mingo said the FCC "has not allowed Core to revise its tariff to hold these long distance carrier behemoths’ feet to the fire on paying Core for fees it rightfully charged.”

E-rate advocates asked the FCC to reconsider its draft NPRM on the program’s competitive bidding process, in letters posted Tuesday in docket 21-455 (see 2111300047). The proposed national bidding portal is “most concerning,” said groups including the State E-rate Coordinators’ Alliance, Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and the State Educational Technology Directors Association. “The new bidding requirements would be accompanied by detailed procurement procedures without regard for how overly burdensome they may be on E-rate applicants and service providers,” the groups said, saying the FCC should seek comment on whether the proposal to require applicants to upload all bidding documents is “appropriate and necessary.” The groups asked for a 90-day comment period. California Department of Education’s K-12 High Speed Network and its program manager, the Imperial County Office of Education, echoed similar concerns in a letter Tuesday opposing the proposed portal. It asked the FCC to either withdraw the draft NPRM or consider releasing a public notice to “gain contextual knowledge” on state and local practices.

FCC-proposed mandatory data collection on inmate calling services “fails to recognize that ICS providers are non-dominant competitive carriers that are not required to maintain their records in the same manner required of dominant carriers,” said Global Tel*Link in comments posted Tuesday in docket 12-375. Paperwork Reduction Act comments were due Monday (see 2110180007). GTL said FCC staff “grossly underestimated” how long it would take for ICS providers to respond, saying it would take 1,900 hours if it were to spend one hour per facility it serves. The FCC should also “re-evaluate the potential burden on ICS providers,” it said.