FCC announced final full month is April 2024. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provided Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) wind-down guidance in DA 24-23. This order projects the last fully funded month for the ACP will be April 2024. The ACP claims snapshot on May 1, 2024, will identify the households eligible to receive the last … Read more
Shelbi Lien
The FCC will provide wind-down procedures. FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel released The Future of the Affordable Connectivity Program fact sheet this week. It is anticipated the funding for the program will run out in April 2024 unless Congress acts on the requested $6B requested by the Biden Administration for the ACP, or the $7B bipartisan bill, … Read more
Second Report and Order released on December 27, 2023 On December 27, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Second Report and Order deferring the commencement of the next five-year deployment obligation term for legacy rate-of-return carriers receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) in 2024 until January 1, 2025. Legacy carriers … Read more
One-Time Information Collection Regarding Foreign Ownership On December 13, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice reminding all international section 214 authorization holders (Authorization Holders) to respond to a One-Time Information Collection regarding foreign ownership in the One-Time Information Collection Filing System no later than 11:59 ET on January 22, 2024. The … Read more
CMRS Providers: Are your CPNI Manuals and Training out of date? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an Order on November 16, 2023, designed to bolster Local Number Portability (LNP) rules and Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules for Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers (including resellers of wireless service) due to increased subscriber identity … Read more
Cybersecurity and Supply Chain Risk Management plans must be submitted to USAC. Enhanced ACAM electors are required to implement operational Cybersecurity and Supply Chain Risk Management plans as outlined in the Enhanced ACAM order, FCC 23-60. According to the order, plans are to be submitted to USAC by January 1, 2024, and certified by January … Read more
USAC Announces New Samples Required, FCC Provides Additional Guidance for Carriers Transitioning to Enhanced ACAM. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) recently announced new sample locations MUST be obtained and used beginning first quarter 2024 through calendar year 2025 for carriers currently participating in any of the following funding programs: As referenced in the Performance … Read more
The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “adopt final rules to facilitate equal access to broadband Internet access service, taking into account the issues of technical and economic feasibility presented by that objective, including – (1) preventing digital discrimination of access based on income level, race, ethnicity, … Read more
Compliance dates for rules implementing Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act announced The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) announced compliance dates for the Broadband Label Order. The rules require Broadband Internet Access Service (BIAS) providers to display, at the point of sale, labels that disclose certain information about broadband prices, introductory rates, data allowances, broadband … Read more
Must comply by December 31, 2023 As a reminder, if you have not completed the following this year, please make sure you are compliant with all by December 31, 2023: Download the full document for additional detail. End of Year Reminders For more information on these issues or if you would like VPS guidance, please … Read more
50% threshold met. Program going forward. On October 4, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice announcing the carriers that accepted Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) support. Contained in the Public Notice was a link to a list of those carriers. The FCC also noted that based on the election … Read more
Mitchell Tech recognizes Platinum Employers MITCHELL (September 6, 2023) – Every fall, Mitchell Technical College announces its Platinum Employer list, recognizing those employers who have hired the greatest numbers of new graduates into their first-destination careers from the college’s three most recent graduating classes. This year’s Platinum Employer list, on display in Mitchell Tech’s Campus … Read more
Test Portal Opened August 18, 2023. The Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) announced the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Transparency Data collection staging (test) portal opened on August 18, 2023. Service Providers can test load data in the portal until the filing window opens on September 8, 2023. USAC also released the ACP Transparency Data Collection … Read more
On July 24, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its Enhanced A-CAM Order giving legacy high-cost support recipients and current A-CAM I & II recipients the ability to accept the 15-year Enhanced A-CAM offer to provide 100/20 Mbps broadband service to unserved and underserved locations. Carriers must elect whether to accept the Enhanced A-CAM … Read more
The FCC released a Public Notice on July 25, 2023, announcing that the BDC Filing Deadline with data as of June 30, 2023, has been extended from September 1, 2023, to September 15, 2023. The extension is a result of a CostQuest June 30, 2023 Fabric processing error where certain Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) were … Read more
Yesterday the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its Report and Order, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Notice of Inquiry (Order) extending the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program support for fifteen (15) years in exchange for the provision of broadband service to 100% of the eligible locations at speeds of 100/20 Mbps. It is a … Read more
The FCC released an Order on July 7, 2023, hitting the pause button on, (1) the support phase-out of Lifeline voice services, and (2) the data capacity increase for mobile broadband, for an additional year. As a result of the pause, the basic lifeline benefit will remain at $5.25 for eligible voice-only service and the … Read more
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that the June 2023 version of the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) Fabric is available. Service providers are encouraged to access their BDC Fabric (Fabric) data and to begin their BDC Filing early. Bulk Fabric Challenges submitted on or after June 30, 2023, must be submitted against the June 2023 … Read more
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the state funding allocations for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program yesterday. Additional information is available in the Press Release. The funding is being distributed based on BEAD requirements and the number of unserved and underserved locations as determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) … Read more
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to eliminate Universal Service Fund (USF) high-cost support to Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) in areas where an unsubsidized competitor is currently providing service. This applies to programs such as A-CAM, CAF-BLS, and The Alaska Plan-Phase 1. The current definition of unsubsidized competitor is “a facilities-based provider of residential fixed … Read more
