Public Notice

The Federal Communications Commission solicits nominations for membership on a new Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). This new working group will assist the BDAC in providing advice and recommendations to the FCC on steps that can be taken to improve disaster preparation, response, and recovery for broadband infrastructure.

After a series of errors associated with the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC’s) roll-out of the ERate Productivity Center (EPC), the web-based account and application management portal for the E-Rate program, Pribilof School District (St. Paul Island, Alaska) filed its application for funding and its subsequent waiver request after the applicable deadlines.

The Federal Communications Commission announces the anticipated renewal of its Consumer Advisory Committee and solicits applications for membership, subject to renewal of the CAC's charter. Applications for membership are due by 11:59 P.M. EST, September 14, 2018. The FCC seeks applications from interested consumers, nonprofit organizations, corporations, or other entities from both the public and private sectors that wish to be considered for membership on the Committee.

Chairman Ajit Pai appointed 18 new members to the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC) and named Doug Ducey, Governor of Arizona, Chair of the newly expanded IAC. The 18 newly appointed members join the 12 existing members. The vacancies that are now being filled resulted from both the January 2018 order expanding the IAC from 15 to 30 members and the need to replace two members whose elected terms ended in January 2018—Commissioner Ronald Brisé from the Florida Public Service Commission and Kasim Reed, Mayor City of Atlanta—and the late Edwin M.

The Federal Communications Commission seeks comment on the Motion filed by TracFone Wireless, which seeks either a waiver from the minimum service standards rule or “a declaratory ruling that the rule as promulgated would enable TracFone to comply with the minimum service standards for Lifeline service by providing its Lifeline customers with a specified quantity of ‘units’ per month,” which have been updated to reflect the new minimum service standards that will take effect December 1, 2018. 

The Federal Communications Commission seeks comment on the Petition for Temporary Waiver filed by NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA). NTCA, on behalf of its members and similarly situated operators, requests a temporary waiver from the Bureau’s updated Lifeline minimum service standards, “applicable to fixed, wireline broadband Internet access service . . . eligible for support by the Lifeline Universal Service Fund . . .

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai made three appointments to the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE).

The Federal Communications Commission seeks information and data for the Commission’s analysis of fixed broadband competition as required by RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018. This Public Notice requests comment on the criteria or metrics that should be used to evaluate the state of fixed broadband competition. Comment and information also is sought on industry data, competitive dynamics, and trending factors in the industry, including but not limited to, subscribership numbers, financial indicators (such as revenues or profitability), investment, pricing, and network coverage.

T-Mobile US and Sprint have filed applications seeking Federal Communications Commission consent to the transfer of control of the licenses, authorizations, and spectrum leases held by Sprint and its subsidiaries to T-Mobile and the pro forma transfer of control of the licenses, authorizations, and spectrum leases held by TMobile and it subsidiaries in furtherance of T-Mobile’s and Sprint’s previously announced agreement to merge.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau updated minimum service standards levels for speed and usage allowances for Lifeline-supported services as required by the 2016 Lifeline Order including newly-calculated minimum service standards for fixed broadband. The FCC reminded providers of the updated minimum service standards for mobile broadband and mobile voice service. These standards will take effect on December 1, 2018.