The FCC Wireline Bureau OK'd National Exchange Carrier Association-proposed modifications for average schedule interstate settlement disbursements formulas (see 2102120064), said an order Monday. The formulas will be in effect July 1-June 30.

Oppositions are due June 4, replies June 14 on USTelecom's petition for reconsideration in docket 17-59 asking the FCC to clarify a notification requirement, said Thursday's Federal Register. USTelecom asked to "confirm that the notification and blocked call list requirements are only required for analytics-based blocking, whether opt-in or opt-out, and not for contexts in which there would not be any reasonable expectation for them."

Geoffrey Starks was the FCC member the National Tribal Telecommunications Association lobbied (see 2105190067).

The FTC, Arizona, California, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin sued Frontier for allegedly charging customers for DSL speeds it failed to deliver, said a news release Wednesday. They allege Frontier violated the FTC Act by subscribing customers to and charging them for a “higher and more costly level of internet service than Frontier actually provided or was capable of providing.” This “practice of providing slower-than-purchased DSL speeds” is “not limited to those made at or near the point of sale, but continue,” plaintiffs told the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The telco said the lawsuit is “without merit” and it plans a “vigorous defense” against the “baseless allegations.” The service "in some of the country’s most rural areas that often have challenging terrain, are more sparsely populated and are the most difficult to serve" has "many satisfied customers," it said.

The National Tribal Telecommunications Association asked staff of FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks for relief from USF's budget control mechanism, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 10-90. “Negative cash flow brought about by the BCM would make it difficult to serve these tribal communities with viable and affordable communications services.” (Correction: A previous version of this item incorrectly reported the commissioner's first name.)

Global Data Systems agreed to pay $180,000 for not meeting FCC filing requirements as a USF contributor, said an Enforcement Bureau consent decree Wednesday. The VoIP provider admitted to failing to timely file certain reporting worksheets, customer proprietary network information certifications and advanced telecom capability data 2011-20. It admitted it failed to respond to a letter of inquiry. Global Data didn't comment.

The FCC Enforcement Bureau sent cease and desist letters to VaultTel Solutions and Prestige DR VoIP for allegedly transmitting illegal robocall campaigns. “We need to use every tool we have to get these junk calls off of our networks,” said acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Tuesday. VaultTel allegedly transmitted robocalls on Social Security and internet bill imposters. Prestige allegedly transmitted vacation package robocalls. Both providers must mitigate illegal traffic within 48 hours.

Public Knowledge and the United Church of Christ want the FCC to emphasize proposed treatment of site commissions for inmate calling services is interim and to determine whether commissions are legitimate, said filings posted Monday in docket 12-375 (see 2105120031). Site commissions don't belong in ICS rates, PK and UCC told commissioners' staff. They urged preempting site commission payments that would cause ICS rates to exceed the interim cap or "make clear its intention promptly to preempt them and take immediate steps to do so." Wright Petitioners told commissioners' advisers treating "legally-mandated facility rate components" as legitimate costs "creates an incentive for providers to lobby state and local governments to enact statutes that establish unreasonable or open-ended site commissions."

The FCC wants comments by June 14, replies June 29 in docket 21-131 on Sinch US buying Onvoy, said a document in Monday's Daily Digest. The providers also seek a declaratory ruling to allow foreign investment above 25% and increase Sinch's indirect equity in Onvoy "up to a non-controlling 49.99%." Also reported in Monday's Digest, the Wireline Bureau OK'd Everstream buying PEG Bandwidth and a declaratory ruling to allow foreign investment above the 25% benchmark.

Inmate calling services providers asked FCC staff to revise part of a draft order to cut ICS rates ahead of commissioners' meeting Thursday, per filings posted Friday in docket 12-375 (see 2105120031). Securus asked to let providers "establish pilot programs for interstate calls," citing its six ongoing pilots in county jails and one state prison. It asked for different alternative rate structures. NCIC asked to clarify "the transaction fee cap will continue to be $3" for single-service calls or "completely prohibit transaction fees for single calls." Changes to the rate caps should become effective on the same day, Global Tel*Link asked in conversations with commissioners' staff. GTL sought to revise the draft suggesting the company "failed to keep its books and records in a certain manner."