Rural Utilities Service modifications to its rural broadband loan and loan guarantee program took effect as a summary of a new rule was published in Thursday's Federal Register. RUS noted commenters said its broadband construction standard was too low and should be raised to something more in line with the FCC's general broadband definition of 25/3 Mbps. The Department of Agriculture agency agreed consumers benefit from faster data speeds but said higher standards would mean more areas would be eligible for funding. "When limited funding is available, the Agency has to ensure that those funds are directed to the most unserved rural areas," said the summary, which noted RUS would evaluate the requirements every time a new application/funding notice is issued "and set the standards accordingly." To address potential overbuilding of existing systems, RUS said it developed a multilayer approach to ensure all terrestrial broadband providers are counted in areas where applications are being considered. "When an application is submitted, the proposed service territory maps will be posted online utilizing the RUS Mapping Tool and existing service providers may respond to the public notice. If three or more existing providers are identified in the area and they meet the minimum eligibility speeds, then that area is considered ineligible for funding. If no providers respond to the public notice, then the Agency will have its field staff visit the proposed service area and locate all broadband providers in the area," the summary said. It also provided new guidance on area eligibility, rate affordability, affiliated companies, broadband usage restrictions and wireless broadband.

The FCC set the pleading cycle for a Global Tel*Link petition for a temporary waiver from a June 20 deadline for two inmate calling service rules: one preventing providers from imposing per-call or per-connection charges on consumers, and one preventing them from offering flat-rate calling. Comments are due June 17 and replies June 24 on GTL's request, said a Wireline Bureau public notice in docket 12-375 listed in Wednesday's Daily Digest. GTL said it needs a 90-day extension (1) to complete contract negotiations and renegotiations with correctional facilities, (2) to seek state-level relief from certain "confiscatory" FCC rate caps, and (3) to make up for time lost due to confusion over court stays of parts of the FCC's 2015 ICS order (see 1603070055 and 1603230058).

The FCC is ready to authorize more rural broadband experiments to receive $4.4 million, said a Wireline Bureau public notice in docket 10-90 in Monday's Daily Digest. Lake Connections plans to use almost $3.5 million to bring broadband to 845 census blocks in Minnesota, and Northeast Rural Services plans to use about $900,000 to bring broadband to 120 census blocks in Oklahoma. To be authorized, the two parties must submit at least one acceptable stand-by letter of credit and bankruptcy code opinion letter by June 17.

The FCC granted a Mix Networks application to gain access to phone numbers directly from numbering administrators under the commission's new rules for interconnected VoIP providers, said a Wireline Bureau public notice in docket 16-108 and listed in Tuesday's Daily Digest. Vonage gained the first such grant after the FCC's 2015 VoIP direct numbering order (see 1603310050). NARUC is challenging that order in court as unlawful for not classifying interconnected VoIP providers as telecom carriers offering a telecom service (see 1604050013, 1605200002 and 1605260058).

The FCC provided compliance guidance to price-cap telcos that accepted Connect America Fund Phase I incremental support. CAF I support was offered in two rounds, and for both rounds recipients are required to submit certifications and lists of geocoded locations as part of their annual FCC Form 481 submissions, said a Wireline Bureau public notice in docket 10-90 listed in Monday's Daily Digest. The three-year deadline for meeting the CAF I incremental support duties for the first round was July 24, 2015, the PN said. "CAF Phase I recipients for the first round are required to certify that they are meeting the CAF Phase I incremental support requirements and provide the final list of locations as part of their Form 481 submission due July 1, 2016," it said. "CAF Phase I recipients for the second round will be required to certify on their FCC Form 481 due July 1, 2016 that they deployed broadband to no fewer than two-thirds of the required locations within two years of the date of acceptance of support. CAF Phase I recipients for the second round will submit geocoded information for the two-year milestone on July 1, 2016." The Universal Service Administrative Co. will be validating compliance with deployment milestones and testing certification accuracy. The bureau also provided guidance on the types of documents that recipients should be prepared to produce on request.

NTCA said a new registration duty might help address rural call completion problems, which it said continue despite helpful FCC efforts and enforcement actions against originating carriers. "That issues are resolved more quickly now than in years past is a positive development, but it is inexcusable that calls continue to fail and that the root cause has not been addressed," the group said in a filing Thursday in docket 13-39 on a meeting with Enforcement and Wireline bureau staffers. "The group discussed possible further action the Commission could take, including an FCC registration requirement for intermediate providers." NTCA said 80 percent of its members answering a questionnaire reported call completion problems in the past year: "More than 1/4 indicated that they receive complaints from subscribers at least weekly. The vast majority of failing calls are intended for subscribers of [RLECs]. While 11% of respondents indicated that only their [CLEC] operations continue to be impacted by call failure, the vast majority of failed calls are intended for RLEC subscribers."

The FCC adopted a protective order proposed by AT&T and Great Lakes Comnet (GLC) for a docket affecting the two companies, said Enforcement Bureau Deputy Division Chief Lisa Griffin in a letter Thursday posted in docket 16-170. Griffin said the bureau is satisfied the protective order would "ensure that, in addition to commission staff, only the parties' counsel and authorized representatives will have access to privileged or confidential information." The order was largely based on a model protective order previously approved by the agency, she said. A federal court May 24 largely upheld a 2015 FCC decision siding with AT&T in an intercarrier compensation dispute with GLC, remanding a "rural exemption" issue (see 1605240022). In addition, AT&T can pursue damages.

The General Services Administration extended Level 3's Networx Enterprise contract until May 2020, said a company news release Wednesday. The contract, which allows Level 3 to bid for provisioning government network services, was to expire in May 2017 but is being extended to give agencies time to move to next-generation Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions. "The importance of a smooth transition to the EIS contract cannot be overestimated," said David Young, a Level 3 regional vice president in its government markets group. Level 3 said it provides "critical networking support" to the Department of Defense, civilian agencies, systems integrators, state and local governments, and educational/research institutions.

A federal court pushed back the briefing schedule for AT&T challenges to two FCC orders from December 2014 and December 2015 on price-cap telco USF duties (see 1601110036). An order (in Pacer) issued Wednesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted an unopposed AT&T motion to extend a previous timetable (see 1605170061) due to deadline conflicts faced by the company's counsel. An initial joint brief from petitioners and supporting intervenors is now due July 12; a brief from respondents FCC and DOJ is due Sept. 2; and a joint reply brief from petitioners and supporting intervenors is due Sept. 19. Petitioner AT&T is joined in the challenges by CenturyLink as a petitioner/intervenor and USTelecom as an intervenor. The consolidated case is AT&T v. FCC, No. 15-1038.

The FCC approved the transfer of Logix Communications to Logix Acquisition Co. under Section 214 of the Communications Act, said a Wireline Bureau public notice Wednesday in docket 15-280. The commission had postponed action at the request of the DOJ and FBI, backed by the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, while they reviewed the deal on national security, law enforcement and public safety grounds, the PN said. The executive branch departments told the FCC May 25 they had no objections to the transaction, clearing the way for commission approval. The bureau also granted a Section 214 application for Lightspeed Networks to acquire the assets of Qualcom (formerly known as Quantum Communications), said a notice Tuesday in docket 16-130.