Today:  FCC CAF Map, Michigan UNE, Interconnection, and Customer Migration Rules, FCC Activates DIRS for Hurricane Michael

FCC CAF Map

The FCC’s announced that an interactive Connect America Fund Broadband Map (CAF Map) is now available that shows locations where funding recipients have already reported CAF funded broadband deployment to fixed locations. The CAF Map illustrates both areas eligible for funding and the specific fixed locations where funding recipients have reported deployment by address and geographic latitude and longitude, including the maximum speed offered and the date of deployment.  The map will be a key source of CAF-supported broadband deployment information for consumers, policymakers, researchers, and others.

The CAF Map is available here and currently displays broadband deployment as of December 31, 2017, as certified by carriers by March 1, 2018.  It will be updated with additional information as it is certified.  

The CAF Map is published by the administrator of the Universal Service Fund, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), with data submitted annually by funding recipients using USAC’s High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal. USAC independently verifies a sample of reported locations each year to monitor carriers’ compliance with their deployment milestones.

Michigan UNE, Interconnection, and Customer Migration Rules

The Michigan PSC has re-adopted, without changes, its UNE and interconnection rules and its customer migration rules.  Despite comments received in conjunction with both rule changes the PSC determined that it should re-adopt the rules without any changes.  The rules would have sunset if they were not reauthorized by the PSC.  The rules will become effective after approval by the Legislative Service Bureau and the Office of Regulatory Reinvention and then the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. 

FCC Activates DIRS for Hurricane Michael

The FCC announced the activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) in response to Hurricane Michael.  DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system that communications providers, including wireless, wireline, broadcast, cable and Voice over Internet Protocol providers, can use to report communications infrastructure status and situational awareness information during times of crisis.  The Commission requests that communications providers that provide service to any areas listed below expeditiously submit and update information through DIRS regarding, inter alia, the status of their communications equipment, restoration efforts, and power (i.e., whether they are using commercial power or back-up power). Communications providers can accomplish this by accessing DIRS at  https://www.fcc.gov/nors/disaster/. Providers that have not previously done so will be asked to first provide contact information and obtain a User ID when they access DIRS. There is a link on the login page that will allow them to obtain the User ID and password. If a user does not remember his/her password, he/she should use the forgotten password link on the login page. If any user has any problems accessing DIRS, please contact any of the numbers listed below.

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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.