Public Notice

On March 12, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission restricted visitor access to its facilities to only those visitors with a clear operational necessity. In light of the improved pandemic conditions, updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that focuses on COVID-19 Community Levels and the associated Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance, beginning on June 9 the FCC will permit visitors with scheduled appointments, in conjunction with safety protocols identified by the Task Force, to enter its facilities.

The Federal Communications Commission's Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force (RBATF), Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau), and the Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) announce they are ready to authorize Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (Auction 904) support for 88 more Auction 904 winning bids. Cyber Broadband will provide service in Alabama. And North Texas Fiber will offer service in Texas.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by the National Lifeline Association (NaLA) seeking clarification of the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) and Enforcement Bureau (EB) Chiefs’ authority to suspend a participating provider’s Affordable Connectivity Program enrollments and hold a participating provider’s funding based on the “adequate evidence” standard , or in the alternative, reconsideration of the removal rule (47 C.F.R. § 54.1801(e)(2)).

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association. NTCA seeks a waiver of the FCC’s rules for small broadband internet access service providers that apply a $75 per month Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefit to the bills of qualifying Tribal consumers resulting in a free-to-the-end-user service.

The Broadband Data Task Force, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Wireline Competition Bureau, and the Office of Economics and Analytics seek comment on a Petition for Declaratory Ruling or Limited Waiver filed by the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) requesting that the Federal Communications Commission issue a declaratory ruling to clarify that Broadband Data Collection (BDC) filings may be certified by a qualified professional engineer or an otherwise-qualified engineer that is not a licensed professional engineer accredited by a state licensure board.

The Federal Communications Commission seeks public input to inform the FCC’s required assessment of the state of competition in the communications marketplace in its upcoming Communications Marketplace Report (2022 Communications Marketplace Report) to Congress. Specifically, the FCC seeks data, information, and comment on a wide range of issues relevant to the state of competition in the communications marketplace as a whole.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant (MMG) Program. The MMG Program provides funding for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle mile infrastructure. The purpose of the grant program is to expand and extend middle mile infrastructure to reduce the cost of connecting areas that are unserved or underserved to the internet backbone.

The subject of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)—the $60 million State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program—is part of the Digital Equity Act’s larger State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, the purpose of which is to promote the achievement of digital equity, support digital inclusion activities, and build capacity for efforts by States relating to the adoption of broadband by residents of those States.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau, in conjunction with the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force and the Office of Economics and Analytics, authorizes Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (Auction 904) support for another 830 winning bids. For each of the winning bids, the FCC has reviewed the long-form application information, including the letter(s) of credit and Bankruptcy Code opinion letter(s) from the long-form applicant’s legal counsel.