Insights: Broadband Legal Strategies Blog

On December 21, 2022, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced that the application filing window for Funding Year 2023 FCC Form 471 will open January 18, 2023, at noon ET and will close on March 28, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET.  

The FCC released a Public Notice announcing the comment dates for the Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Broadband Labels FNPRM) released on November 17, 2022. 

The Wireline Competition Bureau released a Public Notice seeking comment on numerous requests that the Commission allow E-rate funds to be used to support advanced or next-generation firewalls and services, as well as other network security services. 

USAC will update the FCC Form 498 on November 16, 2022 to require service providers to have an active SAM.gov assigned Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in order to submit a new FCC Form 498 or modify an existing Form 498.

On October 12, 2022, USAC announced that it will be consolidating the E-rate system beginning December 2022. 

Pursuant to FCC Order 19-78, all Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) participants, both individual and consortia, must submit an annual report to USAC using the provided Excel template. 

On July 22, 2022, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that there is sufficient funding available to fully meet the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) estimated demand for the Rural Healthcare program’s year (FY) 2022.

Today, Chairwoman Rosenworcel announced that she had circulated a draft declaratory ruling for consideration by the other commissioners that would allow wi-fi on school buses to be eligible for E-rate funding. 

USAC is required to file an annual report with Congress and the FCC by March 31, to provide a summary of USAC’s operations, activities, and accomplishments of the prior year.

On April 5, 2022, the Enforcement Bureau (EB) released an Order adopting a Consent Decree resolving its investigation into whether Windstream Communications, LLC (Windstream) violated the Commission’s Rural Health Care (RHC) Program rules.

On March 23, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice announcing it will open a third application window for the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF).  The window will open on April 28, 2022, and close on May 13, 2022. 

In a Public Notice released March 14, 2022, the FCC announced that the proposed Universal Service Fund (USF) contribution factor for the second quarter of 2022 will be 23.8 percent.  This is a decrease from the contribution factor of 23.8 percent for the first quarter of 2022.

Today, the Wireline Competition Bureau granted a Motion for Extension of time to file comments and reply comments in the Promoting Fair and Open Competitive Bidding in the E-Rate Program proceeding. Comments are now due April 27, 2022 and Reply Comments are due May 27, 2022. 

The Commission’s Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Further Notice) that proposed significant changes to the Rural Health Care (RHC) program was published in the Federal Register today, setting the comment cycle. 

On March 14, 2022, the Wireline Competition Bureau released a Public Notice announcing the E-rate and Rural Health Care (RHC) programs’ funding caps for 2022.

On March 3, 2022, the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) released an Order extending the Rural Healthcare Program deadline for filing Funding Year 2022 applications to June 1, 2022.

On February 22, the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) released an Order granting a waiver and extending the service delivery date to June 30, 2023 for all Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) applicants who applied for support for equipment, other non-recurring services, and recurring services during the first and second application filing windows.

The Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing significant changes to the E-rate competitive bidding rules was published in the Federal Register today, setting the comment cycle.  Comments are due March 28, 2022, and replies are due April 27, 2022. 

On January 7, 2021, U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) sought comment on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program; the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program; and the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program. Comments are due on February 4, 2022, and may be submitted through the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov with docket number NTIA-2021-0002.