The FCC has waived the budget control mechanism for the Universal Service Fund (USF) high-cost loop support (HCLS) and Connect America Fund broadband loop support (CAF BLS) programs for the July 2023 to June 2024 tariff year. The move will…
USF
Why is TDS So Keen on Extending A-CAM? And What’s at Stake for the FCC?
TDS has been taking every opportunity to talk up the FCC Alternative Connect America (A-CAM) program and why the company is so excited about a possible extension to the program, even as the U.S. gets set to award an unprecedented…
Bill Would Tell FCC to Reform USF Contribution Base but Wouldn’t Say How
Federal legislators are taking another shot at reforming the Universal Service Fund (USF) program. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act introduced in the House and the Senate would direct the FCC to initiate a rulemaking process to reform the contribution system…
What’s Next for the Universal Service Fund?
The wheels are finally turning on Universal Service Fund (USF) reform, after being a talking point for years without much progress by those in power. As it stands, communications providers contribute to the USF based on their interstate and international…
3 Steps That Will Make It Easy to Meet Your FCC Funding Requirements
Broadband funding opportunities abound. The wave has grown over the years from the $4.5 billion CAF program to the tsunami of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, with $42.45 billion earmarked to expand high-speed internet access across the…
FCC Asks Congress for Help on USF Contribution Base Reform
The FCC has taken a step toward USF contribution base reform. The commission asked Congress to “provide the commission with the legislative tools needed to make changes to the contributions methodology and base” for the Universal Service Fund (USF). The…
FCC Seeks Input on Increasing A-CAM Broadband Speed Requirements for Rural Carriers
The FCC adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) today seeking input on whether to increase the speeds that providers receiving rural broadband support through the A-CAM program would be required to deploy. The proposal recommends increasing the funding available…
School Bus Wi-Fi May Get a Boost, as FCC Chair Proposes E-Rate Funding Support
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed using E-Rate program funding to deploy Wi-Fi on school buses. Rosenworcel introduced the Declaratory Ruling, which must be adopted by the commission in order to go into effect, during a meeting of the National…
Rural Carriers Get Another Reprieve from FCC USF Budget Control
The FCC said today that it will not impose the high-cost Universal Service Fund (USF) budget control mechanism for the upcoming funding year. Budget control was scheduled to go into effect in July for small rural rate-of-return providers that have…
FCC to Consider More Money, Faster Speeds for A-CAM Rural Broadband
The FCC will vote later this month on a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) seeking input on a proposal to establish higher speed goals for small rural providers that receive broadband funding through the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program….
Windstream Agrees to $1.2M Settlement for FCC Rural Health Care Investigation
The FCC and Windstream Communications have agreed to a $1.2 million settlement for the carrier’s alleged violation of Rural Health Care Program (RHC) rules. The settlement includes a $200,000 civil penalty. The program provides financial support to eligible rural health…
USF Contribution Reform Debate Well Underway as Stakeholders Weigh In
In addition to making unprecedented funding available for broadband, the infrastructure act signed into law late last year also directed the FCC to study the impact of the new government broadband funding on the Universal Service Fund program. As part…
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