"Concrete actions" the agency is taking to ensure "people across the country can count on and obtain access to the modern communications they need," pursuant to President Joe Biden's January 2021 Executive Order encouraging agencies to advance "racial equity and support for underserved communities," were touted by the agency in an equity action plan Thursday. The FCC "did something truly historic" in establishing the emergency broadband benefit and affordable connectivity programs, the plan said. The agency said the Emergency Connectivity Fund has "helped over 12 million students across the nation" and is working to "create, for the first time, a publicly accessible, data-base driven nationwide map" of broadband availability. The FCC also said it's developing rules to combat digital discrimination, as directed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Communications Workers of America asked FCC Wireline Bureau staff to consider opening a proceeding "to determine the full scope" of FCC authority under Section 254 of the Communications Act to expand the USF's contribution base "to include broadband internet access service and relevant revenues of all entities whose services rely on telecommunications," said an ex parte posted Wednesday in docket 21-476 (see 2202180046). CWA also said expanding the contribution base to just broadband internet access service providers would create an "imbalance in the internet ecosystem between broadband and edge providers." The FCC should "explore how edge companies can participate in fair cost recovery, reduce the burden on broadband subscribers, and close the digital divide," CWA said.

Apollo completed its reorganization and merger transactions as part of its application to buy Lumen's ILEC assets, it said in a letter posted Tuesday in docket 21-350. The company said no foreign entity or individual holds more than 5% of its common stock and no U.S. individual or entity holds more than 10% aside from co-founder Leon Black. The deal's 120-day initial review period began Monday (see 2204110059)

The FCC Wireline Bureau granted 15 petitions to waive commission rules on timely filing Form 471 applications for the E-rate program and Emergency Connectivity Fund, said an order Monday in docket 02-6. Two petitioners cited unexpected medical conditions and filed applications more than 30 days after the deadline. Eight petitioners received messages through E-rate's online application portal that "inaccurately suggested" they should "discontinue work on their applications and file a waiver request." Five petitioners received a message through the ECF application portal with a similar message indicating they needed to file a waiver request. The bureau said it didn't expect to grant additional waivers "absent a showing of extraordinary circumstances."

NCTA backed the Competitive Carriers Association’s request to extend the April 15 deadline for affordable connectivity program providers to apply the benefit to all available plans, in comments posted Monday in docket 21-450 (see 2204010040). Billing and ordering systems for prepaid products "present unique operational challenges," it said, noting participating providers "must ensure that the system modifications necessary to apply the ACP benefit must be coordinated among multiple systems." The group said its members have found “even routine system changes can take months to implement and there are operational complexities associated with applying the benefit to some currently available service offerings.”

Connect America Fund Phase II recipients that haven't reported deployment in an authorized state must "explain in detail the steps underway to ensure their compliance with the initial 40% deployment milestone" by May 9 in docket 10-90 and 17-182, said an FCC Wireline Bureau and Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force public notice Friday. Nearly 258,000 locations have been certified in the high-cost universal broadband portal as of March 7, the notice said.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the recently relaunched Cybersecurity Forum of Independent and Executive Branch Regulators should focus on reporting as it starts work. “Right now, there’s a lot of fragmentation across sectors and jurisdictions in what information gets reported, when and how it is reported, and how that information can be used,” she said Friday: “We’ll discuss using this Forum as a place to work toward greater convergence on these matters.” Rosenworcel also urged a focus on executive order 14028, handed down by President Joe Biden in May on improving the nation’s cybersecurity. “When it comes to cybersecurity, there is no question that the risks are real, the stakes are high, and our defenses need to evolve and improve,” she said: “This Forum is part of the nuts-and-bolts work to help get us to where we need to be.” The FCC said officials representing 30 regulatory and advisory agencies participated in the meeting, which included “briefings from senior leaders, updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and recent cybersecurity legislation, and discussion of goals and processes.”

The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau wants comments by May 9, replies by May 24, on Global Caption's application for certification to provide IP captioned telephone service supported by the Telecom Relay Service Fund, said a public notice Thursday in docket 03-123. Global Captions said in its application that it "initially will focus on service eligible incarcerated hard of hearing and DeafBlind individuals," saying its services would be available in English, Spanish and Braille. The provider said it "may provide IP CTS services to the consumer market as well should economic conditions permit."

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday the Enforcement Bureau signed memorandums of understanding to share information and cooperate on robocall investigations with five more states (see 2203280061). The agency reached agreements with Alaska, California, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Washington state. Rosenworcel also sent letters to attorneys general from states that haven't signed on. “It shows that we are united when it comes to fighting robocalls," Rosenworcel said: “I invite every state and U.S. territory to join this effort and establish information sharing and cooperation structures with the FCC so we can work together to investigate and put an end to spoofing and robocall scam campaigns.” The FCC also "built upon" an existing agreement with Ohio.

A coalition of advocacy groups asked the FCC to condition any extension for providers on applying the affordable connectivity program benefit to any of their plans "on necessity and not convenience," in comments posted Wednesday in docket 21-450. Groups including National Consumer Law Center, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Next Century Cities, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Public Knowledge and MediaJustice submitted comments in response to petitions filed by AT&T (see 2203290046) seeking 120 additional days, and the Competitive Carriers Association (see 2204010040) seeking 60 days. "It is both disappointing and unfortunate that so many of the larger providers are seeking an extension on one of the main advantages of the ACP over [the emergency broadband benefit program]," the groups said. If a provider can "demonstrate that timely compliance is not feasible," the FCC should require that provider to notify existing and new ACP customers about their extension and allow customers to apply their benefit to any participating provider's service, the groups said. Providers with an extension should also list the new date that they would start complying with the rule, provide notice that the benefit is portable and instructions on how to port the benefit, and provide information about the ACP complaint process, they said.