The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau on Friday sought comment on the application of Solen Ventures and NexTalk for conditional certification as providers of IP-captioned telephone service (IP CTS). Solen acquired majority ownership and control of NexTalk in December, the bureau noted. The companies recently asked the FCC to grant conditional certification, allowing NexTalk to remain eligible for compensation from the interstate telecommunications relay service fund (see 2412310047). Comments are due Feb. 7, replies Feb. 18, in docket 03-123.
The FCC Enforcement Bureau on Thursday handed down a $100,000 fine against Pacific Data Systems for allegedly failing to file telecommunications reporting worksheets with the Universal Service Administrative Co. The bureau noted that it proposed the fine in 2023 and the company sought a reduction or cancelation “on the grounds that it experienced personnel issues that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a two-and-a-half year period of noncompliance that has since been corrected.” After reviewing the record, the bureau said, “We find no reason to cancel, withdraw, or reduce the proposed penalty, and we therefore affirm the proposed $100,000 forfeiture penalty and reject Pacific’s request to cancel or reduce the forfeiture.” Based in Guam, the company provides local exchange services. The bureau said it failed to file 13 worksheets required by the commission’s rules from Aug. 1, 2019, to Feb. 1, 2022, “despite several reminders from USAC.”
More broadband providers are notifying the FCC that they won't meet their third-year rural development opportunity fund (RDOF) buildout milestones (see 2501150071). Conexon Connect said Thursday it exceeded the 40% milestone in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Missouri as of the end of 2024 but fell short in Arizona, Illinois and Louisiana (docket 19-126). It said it "intends to fully satisfy its RDOF obligations in each of the ten states in which it receives RDOF support." Texas' AW Broadband told the FCC it won't meet its first interim buildout milestone in Texas. It said while it deployed 36% of its RDOF locations as of year's end, it expects to meet the 40% milestone before the end of Q2, and the 60% milestone before year's end. Kentucky's Foothills Connect said it was short of the milestone in that state, and Alabama's Point Broadband Fiber said the same about work in Alabama and Michigan. West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative said it missed its RDOF milestone in Illinois. Cox said it had positive news, exceeding its third-year buildout obligations in six states where it received RDOF awards; however, it's falling short in Louisiana, where it's at 28%, Nebraska (33%) and Arizona (38%). Cox said it's "working to address these shortfalls before the next milestone." Charter Communications, which has asked to return some RDOF census block groups in North Carolina, citing its inability to get tribal consent to build on or across tribal lands, on Thursday added a broadband serviceable location to that list. Charter said it wasn't defaulting on it and the other North Carolina locations but asking that the FCC waive its RDOF rules to remove the locations from its RDOF buildout requirements.
Anne Neuberger, White House deputy national security advisor-cyber and emerging technology, and her counterparts from countries in Scandinavia and the Baltics agreed Wednesday to “deepen cooperation on protecting undersea cable” after recent suspected sabotage incidents in the region, the Biden administration said. The White House said Neuberger and other officials raised “concerns about the range of threats to the security of undersea cable infrastructure, whether communication networks or energy." Participants “intend to increase coordination,” including on procedures “for sharing real-time situational awareness and incident information within national governments, across Allies, and between public and private sector stakeholders, including incorporating private sector disruption notifications.” They will “encourage commercial cable operators, where possible, to establish a repository or database to collect and share information between operators regarding accidental cable faults/damage, completed repair work, time taken to repair, and reasons for any repair delays,” the White House said.
Communications infrastructure installer National OnDemand purchased Texas fiber splicing and underground construction firm J. Tucker Construction, it said Wednesday. NOD said the deal is part of its strategy of expanding its geographic footprint nationwide.
Comments are due Jan. 29, replies Feb. 5, on NEK Community Broadband’s proposed acquisition of Consolidated Communications of Vermont’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) support and related buildout and service obligations, said a public notice in docket 24-686 Wednesday.
Commnet Wireless, Mercury Wireless and Mediapolis Telephone Co. have defaulted on some rural digital opportunity fund (RDOF) census block groups in Idaho, Washington, Ohio and Iowa, which opens them to consider other funding programs, the FCC Wireline Bureau said Wednesday. It said the carriers would be subject to penalties, adding that it was referring the Commnet and Mercury defaults to the Enforcement Bureau. In docket 19-126, Plains Internet said it hadn't met its year-end 2024 milestone for the Kansas RDOF deployment. It said while it intended to have deployed service to 40% of three Kansas locations, it hadn't deployed at all. It said it wasn't relinquishing its RDOF obligation for the Kansas locations.
NTCA joined other industry groups in opposing a Fine Point Technologies' request (see 2411270048) that the FCC launch a rulemaking on standardized broadband speed testing protocols. USTelecom, NCTA and the Wireless ISP Association opposed the ask in initial comments last month (see 2412300034). “The final performance testing rules recognize the diversity of the marketplace and accordingly permit covered providers to select pathways toward performance measurements that best meet the individual needs of the company, whether based on company size, technology specifications, or other considerations as may be relevant to the provider,” NTCA said in reply comments this week in RM-11991. “The Petition’s request to impose ‘standardized broadband speed testing protocols’ is unnecessary and would moreover introduce vast and costly ramifications to a program that has demonstrated success in the half-decade since the rules were promulgated,” NTCA said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau sought comment on an application by the companies for Citizens Telephone Co-op to acquire rural digital opportunity fund support and related buildout and service obligations at locations in Floyd County, Virginia, from Cox Virginia Telcom. Comments are due Jan. 24, replies Jan. 31, is docket 24-587, said a notice in Monday’s Daily Digest. The companies “contend that the proposed transaction will enable Cox Virginia and its affiliates to devote more attention to other census blocks/locations in each state in which Cox Virginia and its affiliates are RDOF support recipients,” the bureau said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau sought comment Friday on a vCom proposal to sell its operations, including FCC licenses, to AppSmart. Comments are due Jan. 24, replies Jan. 31, in docket 24-657. “vCom’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, QuantumShift and QuantumShift Virginia, provide intrastate and interstate communications services entirely on a resale basis, and they do not own or operate any communications facilities,” the bureau said: “Licensees work with a range of facilities-based and reseller carriers, and resell IP services, mobile voice and data, and both traditional local and long-distance switched voice service as well as interconnected VoIP service.” Applicants state that they will “continue to exist and operate under the same name and will continue to provide services pursuant to then-existing rates, terms, and conditions for the near term and any future changes will be undertaken pursuant to customers’ contracts and applicable law,” the bureau said. AppDirect announced in November plans to buy vCom and QuantumShift.