THE REGULATORY MIX AND BLOG ARTICLES

Posted by Amy Gross on 10/20/20 2:31 PM

Today's Regulatory Mix:  USDA Announces Additional Broadband Funding In Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming,  FCC Eliminates Caps On FY 2020 RHC Upfront Payments and Multi-year Commitments, FCC Announces Virtual Tech Supplier Diversity Showcase

 

USDA LogoUSDA Announces Additional Broadband Funding in Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming

The USDA announced new Reconnect broadband funding in four states.

In Illinois, Jo-Carroll Energy Inc. will use a $14 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 7,629 people, 378 farms, 150 businesses, eight public schools, three fire stations, two post offices and two museums to high-speed broadband internet in Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside and Stephenson counties in Illinois.

In Pennsylvania, Youngsville Television Corporation, doing business as Blue Fiber Corp., will use a $750,000 ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 685 people, 34 usinesses, eight farms, two educational facilities, two town halls, a post office and a fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

In West Virginia, Citynet, LLC will use a $7.6 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 6,054 people, 58 farms, 41 businesses, three fire stations, two public schools and two post offices to high-speed broadband internet in Barbour, Randolph, Webster and Doddridge counties in West Virginia.

In Wyoming, Union Telephone company will use a $252,000 ReConnect grant to deploy a fixed-wireless network to connect 106 people, seven businesses, a post office, a fire station and a farm to high-speed broadband internet in Carbon, Sweetwater and Fremont counties in Wyoming.

Rural Broadband w tablet image-1

 

FCC Eliminates Caps On FY 2020 RHC Upfront Payments and Multi-year Commitments

FCC entrance shutterstock-1The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) has waived the FCC’s rules to eliminate the cap on upfront payments and multiyear commitments for fiscal year 2020 support under the agency's Rural Health Care (RHC) Program.  The waivers are intended to ensure that all RHC Program requests for support can be funded in full.  The waiver was issued in response to the unique circumstances presented by COVID-19.

The total RHC Program demand for FY 2020 is $670.14 million, which includes $648.24 million in gross demand for all program funding requests during the funding year’s single application filing window. Thus, the available RHC Program funding of $802.74 million exceeds total demand by $132.6 million for FY 2020. Of the $648.24 million in requested support, $195.46 million represents applications seeking support for upfront payments and multi-year commitments in the Healthcare Connect Fund. This amount exceeds the upfront and multi-year payment cap of $152.7 million by $42.76 million.  However, given the COVID-19 emergency and because all eligible recurring services requested by health care providers can be fully funded given the current year’s surplus of funding over demand, the FCC waived the rule that would have normally capped the upfront payments and multiyear commitments.

DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE FCC BRIEFING

 

theater seatsFCC Announces Virtual Tech Supplier Diversity Showcase

The FCC announced that it will convene a virtual Tech Supplier Diversity Opportunity Showcase on Friday, October 23, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., EDT.  The showcase will be presented as a Zoom webinar.

The Showcase will provide information, resources, and support to diverse communications businesses, including those focused on legacy communications industries (e.g., radio, television, telecommunications, and satellite), as well as those engaged in more technology-oriented industries  that wish to do business with tech and communications companies or government agencies as vendors, suppliers, or partners.  The showcase will also provide resources to businesses seeking to upgrade their own operations technologically. 

virtural showcase shutterstock_1588827322It will include panels: the first panel, Show Me the Money: Traditional and Alternative Sources of Capital, will feature representatives from FinTech, tech sector companies, community banks and organizations, private equity/venture capital entities and the Small Business Administration (SBA), who will discuss traditional and alternative sources of capital.  The second panel, How to Pivot in a COVID-19 World: Opportunities and Reinvention Strategies for Diverse Communications Businesses, will examine the resources, strategies and future technology trends that will enable diverse communications businesses to pivot today and plan for tomorrow. The agenda for the showcase will be released in a future public notice. 

 

Recent Briefings from Inteserra!

District of Columbia Extends COVID-19 Consumer Protections

FCC Releases Final List Of Census Blocks Eligible For Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

FCC Seeks Comment on Revisions to TCPA Exemptions

Nevada Increases USF Assessment

Washington Governor Extends Prohibition on Residential Disconnections During COVID-19

 

Receive Sample Trac-It Report!

____________________________

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.

Contact Us   for  Broadband Reporting Assistance!

 

 

Topics: West Virginia Broadband, Illinois Broadband, Pennsylvania Broadband, Wyoming Broadband, USDA Broadband Grants, FCC Virtual Tech Supplier Diversity Showcase

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Posted by Amy Gross on 10/20/20 2:31 PM

Today's Regulatory Mix:  USDA Announces Additional Broadband Funding In Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming,  FCC Eliminates Caps On FY 2020 RHC Upfront Payments and Multi-year Commitments, FCC Announces Virtual Tech Supplier Diversity Showcase

 

USDA LogoUSDA Announces Additional Broadband Funding in Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming

The USDA announced new Reconnect broadband funding in four states.

In Illinois, Jo-Carroll Energy Inc. will use a $14 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 7,629 people, 378 farms, 150 businesses, eight public schools, three fire stations, two post offices and two museums to high-speed broadband internet in Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside and Stephenson counties in Illinois.

In Pennsylvania, Youngsville Television Corporation, doing business as Blue Fiber Corp., will use a $750,000 ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 685 people, 34 usinesses, eight farms, two educational facilities, two town halls, a post office and a fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

In West Virginia, Citynet, LLC will use a $7.6 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 6,054 people, 58 farms, 41 businesses, three fire stations, two public schools and two post offices to high-speed broadband internet in Barbour, Randolph, Webster and Doddridge counties in West Virginia.

In Wyoming, Union Telephone company will use a $252,000 ReConnect grant to deploy a fixed-wireless network to connect 106 people, seven businesses, a post office, a fire station and a farm to high-speed broadband internet in Carbon, Sweetwater and Fremont counties in Wyoming.

Rural Broadband w tablet image-1

 

FCC Eliminates Caps On FY 2020 RHC Upfront Payments and Multi-year Commitments

FCC entrance shutterstock-1The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) has waived the FCC’s rules to eliminate the cap on upfront payments and multiyear commitments for fiscal year 2020 support under the agency's Rural Health Care (RHC) Program.  The waivers are intended to ensure that all RHC Program requests for support can be funded in full.  The waiver was issued in response to the unique circumstances presented by COVID-19.

The total RHC Program demand for FY 2020 is $670.14 million, which includes $648.24 million in gross demand for all program funding requests during the funding year’s single application filing window. Thus, the available RHC Program funding of $802.74 million exceeds total demand by $132.6 million for FY 2020. Of the $648.24 million in requested support, $195.46 million represents applications seeking support for upfront payments and multi-year commitments in the Healthcare Connect Fund. This amount exceeds the upfront and multi-year payment cap of $152.7 million by $42.76 million.  However, given the COVID-19 emergency and because all eligible recurring services requested by health care providers can be fully funded given the current year’s surplus of funding over demand, the FCC waived the rule that would have normally capped the upfront payments and multiyear commitments.

DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE FCC BRIEFING

 

theater seatsFCC Announces Virtual Tech Supplier Diversity Showcase

The FCC announced that it will convene a virtual Tech Supplier Diversity Opportunity Showcase on Friday, October 23, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., EDT.  The showcase will be presented as a Zoom webinar.

The Showcase will provide information, resources, and support to diverse communications businesses, including those focused on legacy communications industries (e.g., radio, television, telecommunications, and satellite), as well as those engaged in more technology-oriented industries  that wish to do business with tech and communications companies or government agencies as vendors, suppliers, or partners.  The showcase will also provide resources to businesses seeking to upgrade their own operations technologically. 

virtural showcase shutterstock_1588827322It will include panels: the first panel, Show Me the Money: Traditional and Alternative Sources of Capital, will feature representatives from FinTech, tech sector companies, community banks and organizations, private equity/venture capital entities and the Small Business Administration (SBA), who will discuss traditional and alternative sources of capital.  The second panel, How to Pivot in a COVID-19 World: Opportunities and Reinvention Strategies for Diverse Communications Businesses, will examine the resources, strategies and future technology trends that will enable diverse communications businesses to pivot today and plan for tomorrow. The agenda for the showcase will be released in a future public notice. 

 

Recent Briefings from Inteserra!

District of Columbia Extends COVID-19 Consumer Protections

FCC Releases Final List Of Census Blocks Eligible For Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

FCC Seeks Comment on Revisions to TCPA Exemptions

Nevada Increases USF Assessment

Washington Governor Extends Prohibition on Residential Disconnections During COVID-19

 

Receive Sample Trac-It Report!

____________________________

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.

Contact Us   for  Broadband Reporting Assistance!

 

 

Topics: West Virginia Broadband, Illinois Broadband, Pennsylvania Broadband, Wyoming Broadband, USDA Broadband Grants, FCC Virtual Tech Supplier Diversity Showcase

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