Today:   FCC Broadcast Incentive Auction Results, FCC April Open Meeting, Connect America Fund, Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment, Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment, Business Data Services, Maine POLR Investigation, New York Pole Attachment Rates

FCC Broadcast Incentive Auction Results

The FCC announced the closing of the broadcast incentive auction, which created a first-of-its kind market for repurposing valuable broadcast airwaves for nationwide wireless mobile use.  At $19.8 billion in gross revenue for 70MHz of spectrum, the incentive auction is among the highest grossing auctions ever conducted by the FCC.  More than $10 billion will go to 175 winning broadcasters that elected to participate in the incentive auction and repurpose their airwaves for mobile use. Among the largest winners are T-Mobile, Dish, Comcast, and US Cellular.  A full list of winners can be found here.  According to the FCC’s Fact Sheet, there were 50 winning bidders, 23 winning bidders seeking rural bidding credits and 15 winning bidders seeking small business bidding credits. The FCC now commences a 39-month transition period to move broadcast stations to new channel assignments. 

FCC Open Meeting - April 20, 2017

The FCC announced the final agenda for its April 20, 2017 Open Meeting.  As anticipated, the agenda includes the following items.  The agenda also includes various Media items and a Consent Agenda.

• Connect America Fund – An Order on Reconsideration that would amend the construction project limitation within §54.303 of the FCC’s rules to permit carriers to report, for universal service purposes, capital expenses per location up to the established per-location per-project limit, rather than disallowing all capital expenses associated with construction projects in excess of the limit.
• Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment – A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Notice of Inquiry, and Request for Comment that proposes to remove regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment, suggest changes to speed the transition from copper networks and legacy services to next-generation networks and services dependent on fiber, and propose to reform FCC regulations that are raising costs and slowing broadband deployment.
• Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment – A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry to examine the regulatory impediments to wireless network infrastructure investment and deployment, and how the FCC may remove or reduce such impediments consistent with the law and the public interest.
• Business Data Services – A Report and Order that recognizes the strong competition present in the business data services market and modernizes the FCC’s regulatory structure accordingly to bring new technologies, products, and services to businesses and consumers.

Maine POLR Investigation

The PUC opened a Notice of Inquiry in order to obtain information from price cap ILECs related to the removal of provider of last resort (POLR) obligations.  The PUC is required to submit its report to the Legislature on or before January 15, 2018.  The report must include the effect of the removal of POLR service on former POLR service customers; the Price Cap ILEC’s workforce; the maintenance and status of the copper line network; public safety; and the cost, features, and availability of telephone service, including service to the hearing impaired; and broadband service.  [Docket No. 2017-00070]

New York Pole Attachment Rates

The PSC is considering the filing of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, made on March 23, 2017, to update its pole attachment rate applicable to Cable System Operators and Telecommunication Carriers.  The proposed annual pole attachment rate is $20.37, per equivalent pole, based on 2016 data.  The current rate is $18.29.  The proposed amendment has an effective date of July 1, 2017.  Public comment will be received until May 28, 2017.