A coalition of consumer advocacy organizations opposed petitions for partial waivers of FCC rules requiring correctional facilities to deploy certain forms of advanced telecom relay services (TRS) by Jan. 1. Requests to extend the deadline "substantially harm incarcerated people with disabilities" and advanced forms of TRS are available, Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf, National Association of the Deaf, TDIForAccess, Communication Service for the Deaf and United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry said in a filing Thursday in docket 23-62. The groups opposed individual petitions filed by Securus, Pay Tel Communications, ViaPath and NCIC Inmate Communications (see 2311220052). PayTel urged the FCC to grant its petition, saying providers of incarcerated people's communications services should "be given sufficient time to develop integrated TRS solutions that are reliable, effective, and cost effective." Deploying advanced forms of TRS in correctional facilities "cannot be accomplished if the required third party services are not available for that particular facility," ViaPath said. The current compliance deadline "did not fully take into account the multi-step processes needed for essentially developing a product from scratch through testing and deployment," said Securus.

The FCC granted petitions on review from Bloomingdale Telephone and State Telephone regarding incorrect USF high-cost program annual filings, according to an order released Tuesday in docket 10-90. The FCC also granted a similar petition filed jointly by Bloomingdale and ComSouth. The companies failed to timely file their annual reports in 2019 through the High-Cost Universal Broadband portal, the order said. State also made an incorrect filing in 2018. The order directed the Universal Service Administrative Co. to restore support levels consistent with each petition addressed.

USTelecom asked the FCC to maintain current pole replacement cost allocation standards, according to an ex parte filing posted Wednesday in docket 17-84. Meeting with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and FCC Wireline Bureau staff, the group also asked that the agency clarify that pole owners can't charge an attacher the full cost of a pole replacement if "the pole would have required replacement even if the new attachment were not made" at the time of the pole replacement. Commissioners are expected to vote on an pole attachment item during the agency's December meeting (see 2311210043).

Broadband advocates welcomed a notice of inquiry about the FCC's implementation of the Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act (see 2310190056). "It’s no secret that the United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates of any developed nation," said Next Century Cites in reply comments posted Tuesday in docket 23-309. The group said additional data "intended to target indicators of maternal health" will allow the FCC to "increase the level of nuance in its broadband data." NCC suggested including proximity to healthcare facilities in addition to broadband information to "shed light on why certain areas have higher access to telehealth" and "target outreach efforts for telehealth programs." In addition, the FCC should include data compiled from the Health Resources and Services Administration's national maternal mental health hotline and other agencies' maternal health initiatives, the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance said.

The FCC's rules on direct numbering access for VoIP service providers are effective Dec. 20, according to a notice for Monday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the rules in September (see 2309210055).

The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau extended until Dec. 31 or the effective date of commission action, its waiver of the IP captioned telephone service compensation formula. In an order adopted Friday in docket 03-123, the bureau said a revised compensation plan may not be finalized by the current waiver's Nov. 30 expiration date (see 2310200065).

The FCC wants comments by Jan. 16, replies Feb. 15, in docket 10-90 on an NPRM proposing modifications to the Alaska Connect Fund, said a notice for Friday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the item in October (see 2310190056).

The FCC has unanimously approved an order and declaratory ruling granting the Minnesota Independent Equal Access Corporation’s (MIEAC) petition for relief from dominant carrier regulation for its provision of centralized equal access (CEA) service, according to an order and deletion notice released Tuesday. The item had been set for the agency’s open meeting Wednesday. “In light of declining demand, intervening exchange access service regulatory reforms, and technological changes in the voice services marketplace,” dominant carrier regulation of MIEAC’s CEA service “is no longer necessary to serve the public interest,” the order said. The item grants MIEAC’s petition on the condition that it comply with non-dominant carrier regulations going forward. In the petition for relief, MIEAC said it was unable to raise prices above competitive levels due to reduced market demand, thus reducing the need for the greater consumer protections of dominant carrier regulation. The order reclassifies MIEAC as a non-dominant carrier for its CEA service, subjecting it to the tariff and pricing requirements for such carriers. MIEAC will also fall under streamlined transfer of control and service discontinuance procedures, the order said.

A coalition of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction winners asked the FCC to adopt a similar waiver that NTIA released regarding the letter of credit (LOC) requirements for the broadband, equity, access, and deployment program. The group said in a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr that relief is "urgently needed because major banks are getting their Weiss safety ratings downgraded," according to an ex parte filing Tuesday in docket 19-126. RDOF winners "should not be forced to expend significant costs in playing a constant game of 'musical chairs' with the banks they use for their LOCs," the coalition said.

Don't let pole owners charge the full cost of a pole replacement to attachers when there is "some measurable benefit to the pole owner," Otelco said in a meeting with the FCC Wireline Bureau. "It is not enough that complaint procedures are enacted to redress unreasonable, unjust and discriminatory rates, terms and conditions," Otelco said, per an ex parte filing posted Wednesday in docket 17-84: "Otherwise attachers will be forced to either endure the unreasonable access requirements, or litigate to force reasonable access." The company also asked the FCC to "codify its directives on boxing poles, use of pre-make-ready attachments and self-help remedies." Otelco specifically sought confirmation that National Electrical Safety Code-compliant boxing of poles is "presumptively allowed."