The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of 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 Regulatory Bulletin.
TELECOM
FCC
Rural Broadband Experiments
The FCC authorized rural broadband experiment support for Skybeam, LLC (Skybeam), Consolidated Communications Networks, Inc. (Consolidated), Delta Communications LLC (Delta), and Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Allamakee). The $11,273,764 in total support will bring new broadband to 1,889 census blocks in IA, IL, KS, ND, and TX.
Skybeam, LLC will extend fixed wireless service to 6,647 homes and businesses at speeds of 25 Mbps for downloads and 5 Mbps uploads over a network capable of delivering service at 100 Mbps downloads and 25 Mbps uploads. Locations served include portions of the following counties in three states: (1) Illinois: $2.6 million for 3,279 homes and businesses in the counties of Grundy, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, and Woodford; (2) Kansas: $880,000 for 914 homes and businesses in the counties of Butler, Harvey, and Marian; (3) Texas: $1 million for 2,454 homes and businesses in the counties of Lee and Washington. The projects must be 85% built out in three years, and 100% in five years.
The Universal Service Administrative Company was directed to disburse from the Connect America reserve account the support amounts identified in the Attachment to the FCC’s Public Notice. Consolidated and Allamakee will receive their support in 120 equal monthly installments over the ten-year support term. Skybeam and Delta elected to receive 30% of the total support upfront in exchange for meeting accelerated deployment obligations. Therefore, USAC will disburse 30% of their total support amount with the first monthly payment and disburse the remaining 70% in 120 equal monthly installments over the 10-year term.
911 Reliability Certifications
The FCC announced that its online system for filing 911 reliability certifications is now available. See the Regulatory Mix dated 8/5/15 and 12/1/14. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletins dated 1/2/14 and 8/3/15. Covered 911 Service Providers that wish to begin submitting information for the Initial Reliability Certification due October 15, 2015, may do so through the online portal at https://apps2.fcc.gov/rcs911/. Companies that serve numerous PSAPs or service areas may choose to enter their responses in an Excel spreadsheet, which is available for download on the main menu page. Once all certification information has been entered, the system provides a link to upload a signed attestation from a company’s Certifying Official that such information is true and correct. More detailed instructions on how to complete the certification are available as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at https://apps2.fcc.gov/rcs911/911RCS_FAQ.html and in a User Manual posted on the main menu of the certification system.
Washington
The Utilities & Transportation Commission received a petition from Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC for the addition of several wire centers to the Non-Impaired Wire Center List for 2015. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated 7/10/15. The petition also included a motion for expedited issuance of a Protective Order. A prehearing conference was held on July 29, 2015. Comments on the CenturyLink petition are due on or before August 19, 2015.
