The FCC will open a third application filing window April 28 to May 13 for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, said a news release Wednesday. Several groups made the request (see 2203160058). The FCC will award "at least $1 billion" in support, it said, noting this "will likely be the last opportunity" for eligible applicants to seek funding. The service delivery date is Dec. 31, 2023, for third round applicants and "any subsequent filing windows covering funding for purchases made" between July 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2023, said a public notice in docket 21-93. The FCC also announced a 12th round of funding commitments that included $49 million for applicants during the first application filing window and $19 million for second round applicants. The additional funding window "will be a huge help for schools, libraries, and the millions of people who do not have affordable internet access," said Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition Executive Director John Windhausen, whose group petitioned for a third filing window in January: "The next round of ECF funding will extend and expand many of the existing school and library ECF programs and open the door for more eligible anchors to connect their communities."

The FCC Enforcement Bureau sent cease and desist letters to three voice service providers for "apparently transmitting illegal robocalls on their networks," said a news release Tuesday. AireSpring, Hello Hello Miami and thinQ Technologies were found to have apparently transmitted illegal robocalls about online order authorizations, legal or enforcement matters, and government impersonation. Hello Hello Miami had the largest number of calls identified. The investigation into thinQ was "bolstered" by findings from North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein's (D) office. The more than one dozen providers that received cease and desist letters from the FCC "have quickly responded and committed to take actions to stop the flow of robocalls on their networks," the news release said.

The FCC International Bureau wants comments by April 18, replies May 3, in docket 22-129 on Windstream's petition for declaratory ruling that it may exceed the 25% cap for foreign ownership as part of its emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, said a public notice in Monday's Daily Digest. Windstream told the FCC in its petition that it would have "an aggregate indirect foreign equity interest of 66.29%" after completing the proposed second step of the process. Windstream also sought advance approval to "be up to and including 100% foreign-owned in the aggregate," the notice said.

Clamping down on unwanted and illegal robocalls remains the top priority of the FCC Enforcement Bureau, bureau officials said during an FCBA webinar Tuesday. “The top priority is robocall, robocall, robocall, robocall,” said Kristi Thompson, chief of the Telecommunications Consumers Division. That’s “not surprising” because unwanted calls “have been the top of the pop charts on the FCC’s compliance databases for several years running now,” she said. “Because it is such a hot consumer issue it’s also one that is politically neutral and therefore bipartisan,” she said. A “collective hatred for all things robocalls and our desire to see more and more done against them” unites Americans, Thompson said. Her division also spends a lot of time on privacy and data security, she said. “I sort of read with dread headlines today suggesting that Russia was talking about increasing cyberattacks” on U.S. infrastructure, she said: “For me, communications networks … seem like a prime target.” The Fraud Division is looking into allegations of fraud in the emergency broadband benefit program, said Chief Rakesh Patel. USF programs are always a focus, he said. The amounts of dollars involved can “be quite significant,” he said. “Where ever the commission’s focus is at any given point in time the Enforcement Bureau tends to follow,” said Jeffrey Gee, chief of the Investigations and Hearings Division.

Lumen and Apollo's Connect Holdings withdrew their request for approval to transfer Lumen's interest in TelUSA as part of Apollo's purchase of certain Lumen assets, the company said in an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 21-350 (see 2202240043). The companies discussed several issues during a meeting with FCC staff from the Office of General Counsel and the International, Wireline and Wireless bureaus, the filing said.

The Rural Utilities Service is "in the final phase" of its funding announcement for its telecom infrastructure program, the agency said in a notice for Thursday's Federal Register (see 2109100060). The agency "will include the requirements that need to be satisfied to receive the financing" and process applications "as soon as they are submitted." RUS didn't receive "any significant adverse comments during the public comment period on the final rule" and "confirm[ed] the rule without change."

The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by April 14, replies by May 16, in docket 17-310 on a Further NPRM seeking comment on rural healthcare program revisions, said a notice for Tuesday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the item in February (see 2202180054).

The GAO denied and dismissed in part LightBox's bid protest of the FCC's contract with CostQuest to build a broadband serviceable location fabric for the agency's new broadband maps, in a decision released Friday. The agency denied LightBox’s protest alleging the FCC “failed to consider that data rights offered by the awardee were inconsistent with data rights information contained in the protester's proposal.” It denied and dismissed in part LightBox's challenge that CostQuest "materially misrepresented terms of license agreements it held with a third party." GAO also dismissed LightBox's protest alleging CostQuest can't "license certain data" to the FCC because it's licensed from a third party. CostQuest is “pleased with the GAO’s decision and findings,” emailed Vice President-Business Development Mike Wilson: The decision "means no delays going forward for the FCC’s updated national broadband map" or for implementation of NTIA’s broadband, equity, access, and deployment program. "Obviously, we're disappointed," said LightBox CEO Eric Frank, and "we'll consider our options related to the areas of the protests that weren't given consideration." The FCC is "pleased that GAO has affirmed the FCC’s selection of a vendor to build the broadband serviceable location fabric," emailed a spokesperson: "Now we can proceed with the development of this key element of improved mapping."

An FCC Wireline Bureau order extending the Emergency Connectivity Fund service delivery date to June 30, 2023, takes effect Monday, said a notice for that day's Federal Register (see 2202220058).

Telecommunications Industry Association representatives encouraged the FCC to act on rules for secure equipment in carrier networks, in a call with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “TIA stressed the importance of the FCC acting in concert with other federal agencies and branches of government when making determinations on national security concerns raised by … vendors, as opposed to the Commission making these determinations on their own,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 21-232.