Today's Regulatory Mix:   FCC Affirms Open Internet/Net Neutrality Order, FCC Eliminates Unbundling Requirements, Iowa Announces Broadband Grants

FCC Affirms Open Internet/Net Neutrality Order

At its Open Meeting this morning, the FCC voted to adopt an Order on Remand responding to the to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s remand of three discrete issues for further consideration by the FCC regarding its 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom Order.  The court asked the FCC to evaluate any impacts that its reclassification of broadband as an information service and elimination of conduct rules might have on public safety, pole attachment regulations, and the inclusion of broadband in the universal service Lifeline program.

The FCC found no basis to alter its prior conclusions and instead re-affirmed that that its reclassification decision promotes public safety, facilitates broadband infrastructure deployment by Internet service providers, and allows the FCC to continue to provide Lifeline support for broadband Internet access service.

FCC Eliminates Unbundling Requirements

At its Open Meeting this morning, the FCC voted to eliminate certain legacy unbundling and resale rules.  The Order eliminates rules requiring unbundling of the following network elements, subject to certain conditions and multiyear transition periods:

• DS1 and DS3 Loops—These legacy last-mile lines are used primarily by business customers and are being replaced by higher-speed, packet-based services. The Order ends these unbundling requirements in areas with sufficient evidence of competition but keeps them in place in areas that lack sufficient competition.
• DS0 Loops—These network elements are typically used to provide both voice and broadband service using various Digital Subscriber Line technologies. The Order eliminates unbundling requirements for these loops in densely populated areas, which tend to have more competitive options, but preserves unbundling requirements for DS0 loops in less densely populated areas.
• Legacy Narrowband Voice-Grade Loops—These network elements are used to provide legacy voice service and have no broadband service capability. Given the shift away from legacy voice services to IP-and wireless-based voice services offered by multiple providers, the Order removes unbundling obligations for narrowband voice-grade loops nationwide.
• Dark Fiber Transport—These services provide a connection between phone companies’ local wire centers. The Order eliminates unbundling requirements for dark fiber transport originating or terminating from a wire center within a half-mile of competitive fiber networks.

The Order also discontinues, subject to a three-year transition period, a requirement that ILECs make available for resale their retail legacy telecommunications services at cost-based rates.

Iowa Announces Broadband Grants

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced an additional $5million in grants to expand broadband access in the state.  The grant is the latest in a series of Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grants to give more Iowans access to critical broadband infrastructure.    The first Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grants were made in 2018. To date, more than 61,000 homes, schools, and businesses are slated to get access to broadband service in rural Iowa. With matching funds from the Empower Rural Iowa and CARES funded grants, the total infrastructure investment in Iowa comes to more than $121 million dollars and is growing with this latest round of broadband grants.   

“The future economy and quality of life in rural Iowa depend on every Iowa home, business and farm having high-speed Internet access,” said Gov. Reynolds. “This year alone we have been able to invest nearly $200 million dollars in private and public funds for broadband infrastructure. By leveraging state, federal, and private resources, we will continue to open the door for greater innovation and opportunity in all parts of Iowa." 

The application window for the latest round of broadband grants opens October 29th through November 22nd.

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Recent Briefings from Inteserra!

• California Opens Proceeding to Consider Regulation of Inmate Calling Service Rates 
• FCC Affirms Application of Ten Percent Rule To Mixed Use Special Access (Private) Lines
• FCC Announces Effective Date For Revised Rules On Application of ICS Ancillary Service Fees
• Washington Governor Extends Prohibition on Residential Disconnections During COVID-19

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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.