Insights: Broadband Legal Strategies Blog

The Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) directed the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) on December 23, 2020, to update its urban and rural rates database (RHC Database) for the Rural Health Care Telecommunications Program for all funding requests committed since its July 1, 2020, launch.

On December 23, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission announced a settlement of more than $24 million with IBM for E-rate violations.

Today, in a Public Notice, the FCC announced that the proposed USF contribution factor for the first quarter of 2021 will be 31.8 percent.

Yesterday, the Wireline Competition Bureau released an Order extending its waivers of the Rural Healthcare and E-Rate program gift rules through June 30, 2021.

On November 30, 2020, the Wireline Competition Bureau released an Order accelerating the effective dates of certain rules it had previously delayed until FY 2021. 

On November 5, 2020, USAC announced the Rural Health Care filing window will open on January 4, 2021 and close on April 1, 2021. 

On November 30, 2020, the Wireline Competition Bureau issued the Eligible Services List (ESL) for Funding Year 2021. 

On November 4, 2020, the Wireline Competition Bureau issued an Order granting a waiver of the E-rate “2-in-5 rule” filed by several school districts (Petitioners). Under the 2-in-5 rule, which was in effect from FY 2005-2014, E-rate applicants could receive internal connections discounts only twice every five funding years for each location.

On November 5, 2020, the Wireline Competition Bureau released a Public Notice that the Connected Care Pilot Program (Pilot Program) application filing window will open on November 6, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. ET and will close on December 7, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The Wireline Competition Bureau issued a public notice on October 14, 2020 (C2 Public Notice), providing additional guidance related to the category two (C2) services budget approach established by the Commission in the Category Two Report and Order.

Yesterday, the FCC released an Order fully funding the Rural Health Care Program Funding Year (FY) 2020 applications.

Today, the FCC issued a Forfeiture Order imposing a $49.6 million fine against Sandwich Isles, Waimana Enterprises, and Albert S.N. Hee for defrauding the Universal Service Fund. 

The FCC today directed USAC to open a second funding year 2020 window to allow schools to request additional E-rate discounts for the limited purpose of purchasing additional bandwidth to meet demand for on-campus connectivity.

Earlier this month, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) issued an Order extending the Commission’s temporary waivers and extensions for certain E-Rate and RHC program rules and deadlines through Dec. 31, 2020.

The FCC today announced that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the fourth quarter of 2020 will be 27.1 percent.  The factor, an increase from the current quarter’s 26.5 percent, is the highest rate ever.

On August 11, 2020, the Commission released an Order canceling a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) issued against AT&T in 2016.  BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC, d/b/a/ AT&T Southeast, Order, FCC 20-103 (rel. Aug. 11, 2020).  The NAL proposed a forfeiture of $106,425 against AT&T for apparently failing to charge two Florida school districts the lowest corresponding price for telecommunications services it provided under the E-Rate program during funding year 2014-2015.  The Telecommunications Act requires the Commission to issue an NAL within one year of a violation.  47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(6)(B); see also 47 C.F.R. § 1.80(c)(4).   Because the apparent violations at issue occurred more than one year before the NAL was issued, the Commission found the NAL to be time-barred by the statute of limitations and it canceled the NAL and the proposed forfeiture.