The FCC wants comments by April 24, replies May 23, in docket 02-6 on ways to increase tribal and rural entities' participation in the E-rate program, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the item in February (see 2302160024).
The FCC Precision Ag Task Force will meet virtually March 28 at 10 a.m. EDT, said a notice in Tuesday's Federal Register. It will hear updates from working group leadership on their respective reports (see 2212020059).
NTIA is seeking comment on a proposal to collect more information from those registering for its supply-chain risk newsletter, for an additional 30 days -- until April 6 -- said a notice for Tuesday’s Federal Register. NTIA is seeking feedback before asking OMB for clearance of the information request. “To tailor its engagement and more effectively and efficiently disseminate information, NTIA is seeking to collect additional biographical information from those signing up for its newsletter,” the notice said: “Specifically, NTIA would like to collect a subscriber’s name, title, employer, location (state and country), and email address. This information will enable NTIA staff to better understand the demographics of its constituents.” Comments and recommendations should be submitted on www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, the notice said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau set a $4.77 billion E-rate cap for funding year 2023 and a $682.4 million cap for the rural healthcare program, said a public notice Friday in docket 02-6. The caps are a 7% inflation-adjusted increase from the prior year. A year ago, the inflation adjustment was 4.2% (see 2203140063).
Verizon announced Friday a shuffling of the top ranks at the company. CEO Hans Vestberg appointed Sowmyanarayan Sampath, who was leading Verizon Business Group, CEO of Verizon Consumer Group. Vestberg had been filling that role himself since Manon Brouillette left the company in December. Kyle Malady, who had been leading global networks and technology, replaces Sampath in the business group. Replacing Malady, Joe Russo, who was chief network officer, was named president-global networks and technology. Verizon also said Matt Ellis, chief financial officer since November 2016, will leave May 1 and will be replaced by Controller Tony Skiadas. “One of our strengths at Verizon is the depth of our leadership and the breadth of skills they bring to the table,” Vestberg said: “These transitions will begin immediately and all will report directly to me.”
The largest cable, wireline and fixed wireless services in the U.S., with about 95% of the market, added about 3.5 million net broadband subscribers in 2022, vs. a 3.73 million gain in 2021, Leichtman Research Group said Thursday. It said the top cable companies added about 515,000 subs in 2022, down from 2.8 million net adds in 2021, while wireline phone companies lost about 180,000 broadband subs in 2022, compared with 210,000 net adds in 2021. It said wireline telcos had about 2.4 million net adds via fiber in 2022, which nearly offset about 2.6 million non-fiber net losses. It said fixed wireless 5G home internet services from T-Mobile and Verizon added about 3.2 million subs in 2022, up from 730,000 net adds in 2021.
Unsolicited auto warranty robocalls "virtually disappeared" after action by the FCC and states, and the commission's targeting of student loan robocalls led to "an estimated over eight figure drop in monthly robocalls," said a report by USTelecom's Industry Traceback Group Thursday. The report said 95% of completed tracebacks resulted in "nearly 70% ending with the caller terminated or warned." ITG also responded to 150 subpoenas last year and the partnership between industry and law enforcement "made great progress disrupting and holding illegal robocallers accountable." Industry traceback "fueled by the specter of enforcement by federal and state authorities has been a gamechanger," said ITG Executive Director Josh Bercu in a blog post.
The FCC Office of Economics and Analytics released the identities of 79 providers that reported to the FCC “they had purchased, rented, leased or otherwise obtained covered equipment or services subject to reporting for the 2022 Supply Chain Annual Report.” Other information in the individual reports “remains presumptively confidential,” OEA said Wednesday. OEA also reminded providers Wednesday that the next annual reporting date is March 31.
NTIA wants comments by 5 p.m. EDT May 1 in docket NTIA-2023-0002 on the design and implementation of the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register. The agency wants comments on the three grant programs established under the law and workforce needs associated with its broadband programs.
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the FCC is making progress on emergency communications, but he favors going further to ensure a “transformation” to next-generation 911. An NG911 architecture with “broader support for all types of media and real-time communications -- text, audio, and video,” Starks said in remarks to an NG911 Institute dinner, posted Wednesday. NG911 should mean “better data and more sophisticated visualizations,” he said, and better integration with other systems, whether it’s the telematics in our cars and trucks or an intelligent transportation network. More accessible features for vulnerable communities, including the deaf and hard of hearing.” Starks said he’s aware of the challenges faced by 911 call centers, recalling a visit he made last year to a public safety answering point in his hometown of Kansas City. “When we talk about next-gen, we should be talking about a transition that doesn’t make life harder on the front lines, but rather equips our public safety professionals with the technology they need to do their jobs as effectively as possible,” he said.