Congressional Support for Broadband-Oriented E-Rate Modernization:
Forty-six House members co-signed a letter to the FCC Commissioners last Monday stressing the need to improve the nation’s digital literacy skills. The letter supported the major FCC E-rate modernization goals of:
- Focusing E-rate on broadband services.
- Ensuring that schools and libraries are paying for the best service at the lowest price.
- Increasing transparency and accountability.
Congressional support was characterized as bipartisan, albeit with a decidedly Democratic bent (40 Democrats and 6 Republicans).
Later last week, in a blog entitled “Closing the Wi-Fi Gap in America’s Schools and Libraries,” FCC Chairman Wheeler stated the “need to act this summer to adopt new rules modernizing E-Rate.” The blog’s focus on the “consequences of delay” may suggest that the Chairman is getting political pushback from other members of Congress or even his other Commissioners.
Change in Service Delivery Extension Request Procedures:
Historically, requests to extend service delivery dates for non-recurring services could be made on an ad hoc basis by either applicants or service providers. When the FCC revised the Form 500 last December, however, a new form function (Block 2, Item 8) was added for requesting service delivery extensions. Last week, during its monthly conference call with service providers, USAC indicated that the Form 500 is now the sole vehicle for requesting service delivery extensions. Because the Form 500 is an applicant form, this means that such requests can be made only by applicants. Should a service provider determine that an extension is required, the vendor must work with its customer to make sure the applicant files a timely Form 500. A Form 500 request to extend the service delivery date must be filed before the last date to receive service (generally September 30 following the close of the funding year).
FCC to Redefine Broadband:
A recent Washington Post technology blog reported that “The FCC soon intends to solicit public comments on whether broadband should be redefined as 10 Mbps and up, or even as high as 25 Mbps and up.” The current minimum standard for “broadband” Internet download speed is 4 Mbps (with an upload speed standard of 1 Mbps).
One consequence of increasing the definitional speed component of “broadband” would be to more narrowly focus Universal Service support under the Connect America program on higher bandwidths. From an E-rate perspective, a higher speed definition might be tied to the phase out of the eligibility of cellular service.