Continue Reading
Last year’s USF order established requirements for both model and rate-of-return carriers to report the geocoded coordinates of new broadband locations. The first deadline to file geocoded coordinates for those locations is March 1, 2018. Companies failing to timely report geocodes for their newly-available broadband locations may permanently lose the opportunity to count those locations…
Continue ReadingAt the FCC’s Open Meeting held on April 20, 2017, the Commission granted the Petition for Reconsideration filed by NTCA of the Commission’s Rate‐of‐Return Reform Order with respect to the average per location, per project construction limitation on universal service support. Background: In the Rate‐of‐Return Reform Order, the Commission adopted a Capital Investment Allowance (CIA)…
Continue ReadingVantage Point Solutions has analyzed USAC’s newly released budget control mechanisms (BCMs) taking effect on July 1, 2017. There are a number of key takeaways evident from the data: System wide impacts are modest Per line impacts are substantial Demand for HCLS and BLS-Voice are flat Budget shortfall (and budget controls) are driven by CBOL…
Continue ReadingIn today’s May 18, 2017 Open Meeting, the FCC voted to freeze the current rate floor at $18 and potentially later this year eliminate the local service rate floor rule and accompanying reporting obligations. Since 2012, the FCC began the phase in of a national rate floor for carriers receiving high cost support. RLECs were…
Continue ReadingUnder the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may be afforded safe harbor protections from copyright infringement liability if they meet certain requirements including electronically designating an agent to receive takedown notices and other notices of infringement. The Copyright Office has implemented a new electronic registration process and all ISPs must file…
Continue ReadingSummary Each individual company differs when it comes to Internet pricing. Many factors must be considered depending on the region the company is providing services. Vantage Point’s purpose of this survey is to help RLEC/CLEC/ISPs remain competitive. There are further studies that can be done to examine, in high level detail, the prices set by…
Continue ReadingExecutive Summary The Internet has had profound impacts on nearly every area of our lives, including education, retail, healthcare, public safety, and entertainment. The Internet has transformed how we communicate, the size and scope of our global economy, and even our political system. We are on the cusp of the next Internet evolution – the…
Continue ReadingCitizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) Grandfathered Protection Zones Filing Window and Procedures Announced On April 7, 2017, the FCC released its Public Notice, DA 17‐340, in which the FCC has opened the four month filing window for Part 90 licensees to submit the required supplemental information in order to define their Grandfathered Wireless Protection Zones….
Continue ReadingSummary Overview On March 2, 2017, the FCC released an order taking another step towards implementing the CAF II Auction. The FCC finalized the performance tier weightings, latency weightings, and how to calculate a bid score based on them. In the order the FCC clearly stated they want the auction process to be simple in…
Continue Reading