NTIA awarded Ohio nearly $6.5 million in funding through the broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program and Digital Equity Act, said a news release Thursday. “Closing the digital divide is necessary to help all Ohioans access affordable, reliable high-speed internet for their jobs, school, healthcare and so much more,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Ohio is the second state to receive it BEAD planning grant (see 2208310061).

The Perkins School for the Blind received FCC certification Thursday to administer the national deaf-blind equipment distribution program, iCanConnect, in Maine. The authorization is effective Dec. 1 through June 30, 2027, said a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau public notice in docket 10-210.

NTIA awarded more than $601.6 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support Tuesday, totaling more than $1 billion to date (see 2209220062). The new funding will support 23 applicants in 15 states and connect more than 42,000 unserved tribal households, said a news release. "Today’s awards will not only build high-speed Internet capacity within tribal nations, but also bring digital opportunities for good-paying jobs, education, and healthcare," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The agency will release a notice of funding opportunity "in the coming months" on an additional $1 billion in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding.

A Consumers' Research brief is due Dec. 27 at the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in its Oct. 6 petition for review of the FCC's USF 2022 Q4 contribution factor on grounds that it's illegal and should be rejected, said a memorandum Thursday (docket 22-13315). The petition argued that the contribution factor exceeds the commission's statutory authority under the delegation doctrine and is considered a tax. Consumers' Research filed multiple objections with the FCC on its proposed quarterly contribution factors and previously filed petitions for review before the 5th and 6th U.S. Circuit courts on behalf of itself and several individuals.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated an order last week aimed at “Protecting Against National Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain through the Equipment Authorization Program.” FCC officials said the order would update the rules for the commission’s “covered list” of equipment suppliers deemed to present security concerns. Ten companies are on the list, all Chinese except for Russia’s Kaspersky Lab.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals approved DirecTV's appeal of a lower court's granting class certification to a Telephone Consumer Protection Act complaint against the company (see 2208020038), per a circuit court order entered Thursday in docket 5:17-cv-00179 in U.S. District Court in Wheeling, West Virginia. The case stems from a December 2021 complaint in which consumers accused DirecTV and its authorized dealer representatives of TCPA wrongdoing.

NTIA awarded $10.6 million in additional connecting minority communities pilot program support to five universities, the agency said Wednesday. The College of the Marshall Islands received $1.8 million, Eastern University received $2 million, Mount Saint Mary's University received about $747,000, New Mexico Highlands University received $2.9 million, and North Carolina Central University received $2.9 million. The new funding will "expand community technology hubs, upgrade classroom technology, and increase digital literacy skills," the agency said. Additional awards will be announced on a rolling basis.

Lumen closed its $7.5 billion sale of its ILEC assets in 20 states to Apollo's Brightspeed, Lumen announced Monday. It's "an important step in realizing long-term shareholder value while focusing our portfolio on the strongest growth opportunities," said Lumen CEO Jeff Storey. The FCC approved the deal in August (see 2208220049).

NTIA received more than 235 applications for its middle mile infrastructure grant program funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the agency said Tuesday (see 2206240069). "The volume of applications we received demonstrates the high demand for increasing middle mile capacity throughout the country," said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. The agency is evaluating applications and will make awards on a rolling basis "no earlier than March 2023," it said. NTIA also waived the application deadline for projects that would deploy middle mile infrastructure in Puerto Rico, and parts of Florida, South Carolina and Alaska that were recently affected by natural disasters. Entities seeking to file applications with the waiver must email middlemile@ntia.gov and submit an application by Nov. 1.

The FCC Wireline Bureau extended its waiver of Lifeline recertification and reverification requirements for subscribers residing on tribal lands through Jan. 31, said an order Friday in docket 11-42 (see 2209160042). The bureau also extended the waiver to Lifeline subscribers on tribal lands that are also participating in the affordable connectivity program.