Today:  FCC LNPA Transition Webcast, FCC Directive on Excess High-Cost Universal Service Funds

FCC LNPA Transition Webcast

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced the date and time of the 22th Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) Transition Outreach and Education Plan (TOEP) webcast.  The TOEP webcast is scheduled for November7, 2017, and will be hosted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP, the Transition Oversight Manager for the LNPA transition.  These webcasts are one of the channels used to communicate with the public in accordance with the TOEP as described in the Transition Oversight Plan.  One week before the webcast, the agenda will be published on the LNPA Transition tab of the napmllc.org website.  Interested parties may register for the webcast here.

FCC Directive On Excess High Cost USF Funds

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) has directed the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to retain any excess cash in the high-cost account at the end of 2017, pending further Commission action, and not to take that amount into consideration when determining the contribution factor for the first quarter of 2018.  The Bureau noted that USAC is currently projecting it will have approximately $129 million in excess of funds necessary to cover prior funding decisions in its  high-cost cash account at the end of calendar year 2017. Given the Commission’s continuing efforts at reforming its high-cost universal service support mechanisms, the Bureau determined it was necessary to retain the excess funds to cover likely expenses in 2018 without causing unnecessary fluctuations in the contribution factor.

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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.