Today: FCC Announces Newly Certified NDBEDP Entities, FCC Announces NDBEDP Allocations, Vermont Approved Consolidated Communications Acquisition of FairPoint
The Regulatory Mix will not be published 7/3/17 - 7/4/17
The Mix will be back on Wednesday, 7/5/17.
FCC Announces Newly Certified NDBEDP Entities
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) announced the entities newly certified to participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) in 9 additional states. These certifications become effective July 1, 2017. On a rolling basis, CGB will release additional public notices announcing entities selected for certification under the permanent NDBEDP after reviewing applications and supplemental materials received for each state.
- The University of Idaho – Center on Disabilities and Human Development was certified to administer the NDBEDP for Idaho;
- Assistive Technology for Kansans was certified to administer the NDBEDP for Kansas;
- Eastern Kentucky University was certified to administer the NDBEDP for Kentucky;
- Disability Rights Maine was certified to administer the NDBEDP for Maine;
- Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Inc. was certified to administer the NDBEDP for New Hampshire;
- North Dakota Assistive was certified to administer the NDBEDP for North Dakota;
- The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services was certified to administer the NDBEDP for Oklahoma;
- The Tennessee Public Utility Commission was certified to administer the NDBEDP for Tennessee; and
- The Wyoming Institute for Disabilities – University of Wyoming was certified to administer the NDBEDP for Wyoming.
FCC Announces NDBEDP Allocations
Separately, the FCC announced the 2017-2018 Allocations for the NDBEDP program. $250,000 will be set aside for national outreach efforts to be conducted by the Perkins School for the Blind. In addition, $100,000 will be set aside to go towards the development of a centralized database that certified programs will be required to use to submit information about their NDBED-related activities for reporting purposes and may use for the generation of reimbursement claims. The remaining $9.65 million of funding for the 2017-2018 Fund year will be used to reimburse certified programs for the cost of equipment and authorized related services, up to each certified program’s funding. The Public Notice specifies the initial allocations for each of the 56 covered jurisdictions.
Vermont Approves Consolidated Communications Acquisition of FairPoint
The Public Service Board issued a final order authorizing the acquisition of FairPoint Communications by Consolidated Communications. The PSB said that “With approval from the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and other states where FairPoint operates, the combined company will be about twice the size of FairPoint and will operate in 24 states. The company will operate in Vermont under the Consolidated name.” In order to upgrade current services to Fairpoint’s approximately 136,000 customers, Consolidated has committed to reinvesting an annual average of 14% of its total Vermont revenues over the next three years, plus $1 million annually to address areas in Vermont with ongoing service quality concerns. In addition, Consolidated will provide broadband to 28,000 Vermonters under the federal Connect America Fund and is expected to introduce new video streaming products and automated home security services to the Vermont marketplace.
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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.
