General

  • On December 14, 2023, Chairwoman Rosenworcel named six members to the Board of Directors of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) in a Public Notice (DA 23-1160). Each position is for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2024.
  • On December 1, 2023, in the School and Libraries docket, CC Docket No. 02-6, in the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) docket, WC Docket No. 21-93, in the Rural Health Care (RHC) program docket, WC Docket No. 02-60, in the Contribution Methodology docket, WC Docket No. 06-122, in the High-Cost Program / Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) dockets, WC Docket No. 10-90 and AU Docket Nos. 17-182, 20-34, the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) issued a Public Notice (DA 23-1104) announcing the grant, dismissal, or denial of various requests (such as requests for review, requests for waivers, and petition for reconsideration) related to actions taken by USAC.

Lifeline / Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

  • On January 8, 2024, in a Fact Sheet, the FCC announced that it will begin taking steps to wind-down the ACP because funding will run out soon. The FCC expects current funding for the program to last through April 2024, running out of funds in May 2024. Currently, the ACP has enrolled nearly 23 million households. The FCC's measures will include – requiring providers participating in the program to provide notice to ACP subscribers about the end of the program and their options to continue service and setting a date when providers will no longer be able enroll new subscribers.
  • On December 28, 2023, USAC, in its December Newsletter, reminded participants about Lifeline compliance – including that the FCC Form 555 (Annual Lifeline ETC Certification Form) is due January 31, 2024.
  • On December 6, 2023, USAC issued a reminder concerning the initiation of Lifeline reverification processes for Groups 1 and 3. Reverification of subscribers depends on the subscriber group, with a documentation deadline of February 17, 2024 for Group 1 and all final documentation deadline of June 28, 2024 for Group 3.
  • In a Public Notice (DA 23-1034), the WCB previously announced that ACP providers may begin submitting applications on January 17, 2024, to seek approval to offer an enhanced monthly discount of up-to-$75 for broadband services to ACP-enrolled households in high-cost areas. The Public Notice also provided information on the application process.

High Cost Fund Programs

  • On December 20, 2023, the WCB, in an Order (DA 23-1194), denied a request from NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association seeking waiver of FCC rules requiring carriers that have elected to receive Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) support to certify and submit their initial cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans by January 2, 2024 or within 30 days of approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), whichever is later. The WCB stated that carriers will have to submit their plans by the deadline, and then update their plans following the early 2024 release of version 2.0 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, if necessary.
  • On December 20, 2023, in a Public Notice (DA 23-1185), the WCB and the Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) announced the conclusion of the RDOF auction (Auction 904) long-form application review, and stated that there are 379 support recipients with authorized winning bids totaling over $6 billion in support to be received over a ten-year term, covering just under 3.5 million locations in 48 states and one territory.
  • On December 20, 2023, the WCB and the OEA announced, in a Public Notice (DA 23-1184), that Wavelength LLC (Wavelength) defaulted on its RDOF bids in Arizona, finding that Wavelength has failed to demonstrate that it is financially qualified to receive support to meet its RDOF program obligations.
  • On December 18, 2023, USAC reminded participants that the annual High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) submission is due March 1, 2024, for carriers participating in Connect America Fund (CAF) programs with defined fixed broadband buildout obligations. USAC also announced a HUBB webinar to take place on January 23, 2024.
  • On December 14, 2023, the FCC approved in an Order (FCC 23-1159) the average schedule cost per loop formula proposed by the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. (NECA) for high-cost loop support for 2024. NECA's proposed formula for 2024 projects approximately $6.19 million in payments to carriers serving 68 average schedule study areas, which represents a decrease of 10% over the 2022 approved estimated payments.
  • On December 12, 2023, in an Order (FCC 23-105), the FCC reaffirmed the WCB's decision to Starlink Services, LLC (Starlink) denying its application to be authorized to receive broadband deployment subsidies from RDOF (Auction 904) totaling nearly $900 million. The WCB had concluded that Starlink had not shown that it was reasonably capable of fulfilling RDOF's requirements to deploy a network of the scope, scale, and size required to serve the 642,925 model locations in 35 states for which it was the winning bidder.
  • On December 12, 2023, in a Public Notice (DA 23-1115), the WCB provided guidance to carriers that receive High Cost support (participating in RDOF, the CAF II Auction, the Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund, the Connect USVI Funds, and the Enhanced A-CAM program) on coordination with state broadband offices and Tribal governments to determine eligibility of locations for broadband network funding under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and avoid duplicative federal broadband funding for the same locations.
  • On December 6, 2023, in a Public Notice (DA 23-1140), the WCB extended to December 31, 2024, the limited waiver of the letter of credit rules for the CAF II Auction funding recipients that have met their deployment and reporting obligations.
  • On December 5, 2023, in a Notice of Apparent Liability (FCC 23-104), the FCC proposed $22,446,000 in total fines against two applicants in the RDOF Auction (Auction 904) following default on their bids for support.
  • On December 4, 2023, the FCC adopted an Order (FCC 23-103) denying an application for review by LTD Broadband, LLC (LTD) seeking review of the WCB's denial of its application to be authorized to receive broadband deployment support from the RDOF (Auction 904). The WCB previously found that LTD was not reasonably capable of complying with the FCC's public interest requirements established for the RDOF program for a number of financial and technical reasons.
  • On December 4, 2023, the WCB issued a Public Notice (DA 23-1131) containing guidance on the performance measure requirements for A-CAM I, A-CAM II, and Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) carriers authorized to begin receiving Enhanced A-CAM support on January 1, 2024.
  • On December 1, 2023, in the School and Libraries docket, CC Docket No. 02-6, in the ECF docket, WC Docket No. 21-93, in the RHC program docket, WC Docket No. 02-60, in the Contribution Methodology docket, WC Docket No. 06-122, in the High-Cost Program / RDOF dockets, WC Docket No. 10-90 and AU Docket Nos. 17-182, 20-34, the WCB issued a Public Notice (DA 23-1104) announcing the grant, dismissal, or denial of various requests (such as requests for review, requests for waivers, and petition for reconsideration) related to actions taken by USAC.
  • In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and Report and Order (FCC 23-87), the FCC previously sought comments on how the universal service high-cost support program can continue funding fixed and mobile broadband services in Alaska. Specifically, the NPRM initiates a rulemaking to understand all the technological and broadband availability and funding changes that have occurred in Alaska since the inception of the Alaska Plan and ACS Order in 2016, which adopted Connect America Fund Phase II obligations in Alaska. In the Report and Order, the FCC amends and streamlines existing rules and requirements governing the management and administration of the high-cost program. Comments are due on January 16, 2024; Reply Comments are due on February 15, 2024.

Schools and Libraries (E-Rate)/ECF

  • On December 21, 2023, USAC reminded E-Rate program participants that Administrative Window closes on January 12, 2024 for program participants to update their E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) profile.
  • On December 21, 2023, the WCB announced, in an Order (DA 23-1201), the extension of the comment deadlines for the NPRM (FCC 23-91) proposals to permit eligible schools and libraries to receive E-Rate support for Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless Internet services that can be used off-premises, and sought comment on the applicability of the Children's Internet Protection Act requirements and the off-premises use of E-Rate-supported hotspots and services. Comments are due January 26, 2024; Reply Comments are due February 9, 2024.
  • On December 15, 2023, the WCB issued an Order (DA 23-1171) adopting the final eligible services list for funding year 2024 for the E-Rate program. The Order adopted the eligible services list for funding year 2024 as proposed in the Funding Year 2024 Eligible Services List Supplemental Public Notice with certain modifications, making software necessary to operate or maintain Category One network equipment eligible for support, as well as school bus Wi-Fi services and necessary equipment eligible for support where used on school buses used primarily to transport students to and from school and school-related activities for educational purposes.
  • On December 14, 2023, the FCC announced in a News Release over $450,000 in ECF funding.
  • On December 1, 2023, in the School and Libraries docket, CC Docket No. 02-6, in the ECF docket, WC Docket No. 21-93, in the RHC program docket, WC Docket No. 02-60, in the Contribution Methodology docket, WC Docket No. 06-122, in the High-Cost Program / RDOF dockets, WC Docket No. 10-90 and AU Docket Nos. 17-182, 20-34, the WCB issued a Public Notice (DA 23-1104) announcing the grant, dismissal, or denial of various requests (such as requests for review, requests for waivers, and petition for reconsideration) related to actions taken by USAC.
  • The FCC previously proposed in a NPRM (FCC 23-92) the creation of a Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program to collect data on the most effective way USF support can be used for cybersecurity and advanced firewall services to protect K12 schools and libraries against cyber threats and attacks and to the E-Rate program's goal of promoting basic connectivity. Comments are due January 29, 2024; Reply Comments are due February 27, 2024.

RHC

  • On December 20, 2023, in an Order (DA 23-1192), the WCB granted a petition for waiver of the RHC program application filing deadline for funding year 2022, allowing Iliuliuk Family and Health Services to file a funding year 2022 application after the filing deadline so that it can seek RHC Telecommunications Program funding.
  • On December 14, 2023, in an Order (FCC 23-110), the WCB adopted revisions to the RHC program rules, including revisions to permit conditional approval of eligibility for health care providers that expect to be eligible in the near future to initiate competitive bidding and request funding, revisions modifying the RHC Program's Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) change deadline to align with the invoice deadline, revisions to eliminate the seldom-used "standard urban distance" component of the urban rate rules, and revisions permitting health care providers to request changes to the dates of their evergreen contracts following a funding commitment.
  • On December 1, 2023, in the School and Libraries docket, CC Docket No. 02-6, in the ECF docket, WC Docket No. 21-93, in the RHC program docket, WC Docket No. 02-60, in the Contribution Methodology docket, WC Docket No. 06-122, in the High-Cost Program / RDOF dockets docket, WC Docket No. 10-90 and AU Docket Nos. 17-182, 20-34, the WCB issued a Public Notice (DA 23-1104) announcing the grant, dismissal, or denial of various requests (such as requests for review, requests for waivers, and petition for reconsideration) related to actions taken by USAC.
  • On December 1, 2023, USAC announced the funding year (FY)2024 Filing Window is open. Applicants can now submit FY2024 funding requests in RHC Connect using the FCC Form 462 (Funding Request Form) for the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program and the FCC Form 466 (Funding Request Form ) for the Telecommunications Program. Requests for the FY2024 opens on December 1, 2023, and closes on April 1, 2024.
  • On November 2, 2023, USAC released its RHC Program News November Newsletter.

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