Today:  FCC release of updated CAF II Census Block list, FCC Commissioner Clyburn on Federal-State Cooperation

FCC Release of Updated CAF II Census Block List

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau released an updated list of census blocks eligible for Connect America Phase II support in states where price cap carriers accepted the statewide offers of model-based Connect America Phase II support.  The FCC is looking for feedback on three categories of census blocks by July 7, 2017:

• A USTelecom list of list of census blocks that were originally included in the Phase II offer list but which none of the price cap carriers claim are in any of their service territories. (These blocks may be available for inclusion in the Phase II auction unless they are identified as within a rate-of-return carrier study area boundary, reclaimed by a price cap carrier, or identified by a state commission as within a carrier’s service territory according to that commission’s records.)
• The extremely high-cost blocks included on the newly released list.  Price cap carriers that intend to meet their obligation to serve a specific number of locations in a state by providing service to extremely high-cost locations in adjacent eligible census blocks must identify those specific blocks. 
• Rate-of-return carriers are requested to identify those census blocks where they do not anticipate being able to extend broadband under the reasonable request standard, so these blocks can be included in the Phase II auction.

FCC Clyburn on Federal-State Cooperation

In a speech before the SEARUC Annual Conference, FCC Commissioner Clyburn discussed several areas where federal and state regulators could operate cooperatively.  Concerning universal service, she noted that while the states and the federal government “have had a long and productive partnership” that partnership is today “in tremendous flux.”  Her primary concern is that the FCC’s efforts to re-classify broadband Internet access service (BIAS) as an information service (TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 6/12/17) undercuts the legal foundation for supporting broadband under the Lifeline and high cost programs and on both the state and federal level. She said: ”Say what you want about net neutrality and its principles, I believe it is a strategic error in the fight to close the digital divide, to take away our strongest legal authority, to use the universal service fund to support broadband services.”  While recognizing states’ concern with the concept of a nationwide broadband Lifeline certification at the federal level, she urged states to work with the FCC to develop multi-state application opportunities or reciprocity arrangements that would facilitate such certification in an efficient manner.  She also discussed how re-classification of BIAS could undercut the pole attachment rights of broadband providers that do not also provide cable or legacy voice service and expressed concern over various proposals to preempt states and localities in the context of both tower siting and rights-of-way.  Turning to one of her signature issues, Clyburn urged the states to work with the FCC to bring down inmate calling service rates, urging them to lower intrastate inmate calling rates.  Clyburn also applauded the fact that many state legislatures have attempted to fill the void left by the repeal of the FCC’s broadband privacy rules by considering broadband privacy bills.

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The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Briefing.