Kris Anne Monteith

The Federal Communications Commission announced changes to the Lifeline program to assist program participants potentially affected by the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and aid community efforts to slow its spread. The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau waived the Lifeline program’s recertification and reverification requirements for participating low-income consumers for 60 days.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued an order granting two petitions seeking waiver of obligations to provide service to a specific number of locations as part of the rural broadband experiments program, filed by Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative and Consolidated Communications Networks. The bureau said petitioners demonstrated the required number of locations exceeds the actual number the petitioners have been able to identify within their respective study areas.

On May 31, 2019, the Federal Communications Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on establishing a cap on the Universal Service Fund (USF) and ways it could enable the FCC to evaluate the financial aspects of the four USF programs in a more holistic way, and thereby better achieve the overarching universal service principles Congress directed the FCC to preserve and advance. The Notice set deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 30 days and 60 days, respectively, after publication of the Notice in the Federal Register.

Since 1998, the E-Rate program (more formally known as the schools and libraries universal support mechanism) has provided support for connectivity to and within schools and libraries.

The Federal Communications Commission has extended the deadline for public comments in its Lifeline proceeding. Comments now due January 17, 2018; reply comments due February 21, 2018.

In this Order, the Federal Communications Commission extend the deadline for Boomerang Wireless to notify, de-enroll, and transition subscribers currently receiving a Lifeline-supported broadband Internet access service (BIAS) in service areas where Boomerang’s only eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation is a Lifeline Broadband Provider (LBP) designation. The FCC finds that granting this extension is in the public interest and necessary to prevent service disruption and hardship for the current Boomerang subscribers

In this Order, the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau grants two limited waivers of the requirement to comply with certain category of service classification standards established in the funding year 2017 E-rate Eligible Services List.

First, we waive the obligation to apply the FY 2017 ESL classification standards to connections provided under pre-existing multi-year contracts if doing so would change the eligibility of the connections from Category Two to Category One. Second, for funding year 2017 applications, we waive the requirement to classify connections between different schools and libraries sharing a single building as Category One services. Pursuant to this waiver, applicants may elect to seek Category Two funding for customer-owned or -controlled inside wiring that connects different schools and libraries within the same building

On January 18, 2017, Federal Communications Commission staff released a report titled “E-rate Modernization Progress Report.” By this Order, the Acting Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, Acting Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and Managing Director, Office of Managing Director now set aside and rescind the Report. The Report will have no legal or other effect or meaning going forward.