Today's Regulatory Mix:  FCC's Pai Announces Departure Date,  FCC Announces Results of 2021 Urban Rate Survey

FCC’s Pai Announces Departure Date

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced he intends to leave the Federal Communications Commission on January 20, 2021.  He issued a statement thanking his fellow Commissioners, FCC staff and his family, saying, in part: “Together, we’ve delivered for the American people over the past four years: closing the digital divide; promoting innovation and competition, from 5G on the ground to broadband from space; protecting consumers; and advancing public safety.  And this FCC has not shied away from making tough choices.  As a result, our nation’s communications networks are now faster, stronger, and more widely deployed than ever before.

I am proud of how productive this Commission has been, from commencing five spectrum auctions and two rural broadband reverse auctions in four years, to opening 1,245 megahertz of mid-band spectrum for unlicensed use, to adopting more than 25 orders through our Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, to aggressively protecting our communications networks from national security threats at home and abroad, to designating 988 as the three digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and much, much more.  I’m  also proud of the reforms we have instituted to make the agency more accountable to the American people.  In particular, for the first time ever, we’ve made public drafts of the proposals and orders slated for a vote three weeks before the agency’s monthly meetings, making this the most transparent FCC in history.”

In response to the announcement, FCC Commissioners Rosenworcel, Carr, Starks, O’Rielly  issued statements wishing him well and acknowledging his accomplishments as did House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican leaders.  Meanwhile, the Senate Commerce Committee has announced it will  convene an executive session on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 to consider the nomination of Nathan Simington to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission (taking the seat to be vacated by Commissioner O’Rielly).

FCC Announces Results of 2021 Urban Rate Survey

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) and the Office of Economics and Analytics  (Office) announced the 2021 reasonable comparability benchmarks for fixed voice and broadband services for eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that are subject to broadband public interest obligations. These ETCs include ILECs receiving Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II support, Rural Broadband Experiment providers, CAF Phase II Auction (Auction 903) winners, and Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction winners. In addition, they announced the required minimum usage allowance for ETCs subject to public interest obligations for fixed broadband and posted the fixed voice and broadband services data collected in the most recent urban rate survey, and explanatory notes regarding the data here

Specifically:

• Based on the survey results, the 2021 urban average monthly rate is $33.73. Therefore, the reasonable comparability benchmark for voice services, two standard deviations above the urban average, is $54.75.
• The minimum monthly broadband usage allowance is 350 GB.
• The following table provides the 2021 benchmark for a number of different broadband service offerings, though providers will need to determine the benchmark for services with characteristics not shown in the table.

Recent Briefings from Inteserra!

• Colorado Issues New Temporary 9-1-1 Surcharge Related Rules; Amends TRS Rules
• FCC Announces Changes To STIR/SHAKEN Caller ID Authentication Governance Framework
• FCC Announces Effective Date of New Call Authentication Rules 
• FCC Issues ICS Enforcement Advisory
• Maine Orders Carriers to Donate Certain Number Blocks
• New Mexico Revises USF Rules

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s 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 an Inteserra Briefing.