RECENT NEWS - General - On March 2, 2024, in the School and Libraries docket, CC Docket No. 02-6, in the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) Program docket, WC Docket No. 21-93, in the Contribution Methodology docket, WC...more
Lifeline/ Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) - On February 29, 2024, the FCC announced in a News Release the results of a survey of ACP participants. The survey found that 68% of respondents had inconsistent...more
General - • On August 24, 2023, the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) issued a Public Notice (DA 23-753) seeking nominations for six positions on the Board of Directors for the Universal Service Administrative Company...more
Lifeline / Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) - • On April 28, 2023, Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced the annual recertification for Lifeline subscribers. Starting May 1, 2023, and continuing...more
General - On March 24, 2023, in Consumers’ Research v. FCC, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a Decision (No. 22-60008) upholding the constitutionality of Congress’s delegation of administration of...more
General - • On January 31, 2023, in the School and Libraries docket, CC Docket No. 02-6, in the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program docket, WC Docket No. 21-93, in the Rural Health Care (RHC) program docket, WC...more
General - • On December 23, 2022, FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel named six members of the Board of Directors of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) in a Public Notice (DA 22-1365....more
General - • On October 31, 2022, in the School and Libraries docket, CC Docket No. 02-6, WC Docket No. 06-122, in the RHC Program docket, WC Docket No. 02-60, in the Connected Care Pilot Program docket, WC Docket No....more
General - • On September 30, 2022, the Office of Chairwoman Rosenworcel issued a statement on Hurricane Ian, describing http://www.fcc.gov/ian as the centralize location for FCC information relating to the hurricane....more
Recent News - Lifeline / Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) - • On May 25, 2022, the WCB released a Public Notice (DC 22-569) seeking comment on petition filed by Blue Casa Telephone, LLC requesting a waiver of the...more
Recent News - General (Including Non-USF Programs) - On September 27, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) announced via Public Notice (DA 21-1207) that the application filing window for the Secure and Trusted...more
ECF Summary - On May 10, 2021, the FCC unanimously adopted final rules in a Report and Order to implement the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund Program (ECF Program or Fund). The ECF Program is a fund that enables...more
Commentary - In March, the FCC and USAC worked hard to stand up the first of three pandemic-related special programs, the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBBP). Rules for the $3.2 billion EBBP were adopted in February...more
Commentary - 2021 is well underway and the new leadership at the FCC is taking shape. While we don’t yet know who will fill the Chair on a permanent basis, the FCC under Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel is proceeding without...more
COMMENTARY - On March 10, Kelley Drye held its Annual webinar on the state of the Universal Service Fund. We gave an overview of trends in the Fund, discussed the importance of creating an ethics and compliance plan ahead...more
COMMENTARY - We were tempted to title this edition “RDOF Takes Off,” as this is the biggest USF news of the month. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund is the latest in the FCC’s attempts to revamp the High Cost program to...more
COMMENTARY - Our first USF Tracker of 2020 follows an uptick in FCC activity affecting the Universal Service Fund. In the last quarter of 2019, the FCC released major orders affecting three of the four programs (E-rate,...more
COMMENTARY - If you took a long holiday this summer and, upon your return, asked, “What did I miss?” the answer in USF would be, “quite a lot.” It has been a busy summer and is setting up for a busy finish to the year. ...more
RECENT NEWS - Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) - On July 9, 2019, the FCC released an NPRM that proposes to make the Category Two budget approach permanent, and seeks comment on potential modifications that could simplify...more
At the January Open Meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) adopted a Public Notice (“PN”) that sets July 24, 2018 as the start of the Connect America Fund Phase II auction (“Phase II Auction”) in which service...more
On November 16, 2017, a divided FCC voted 3-2 to adopt a controversial order and new rulemaking proceeding, adopting and proposing many changes that will radically reshape—and significantly shrink—the Lifeline program. The...more
Below is Kelley Drye’s preview of the items under consideration at the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s or Commission’s) upcoming monthly Open Meeting, to be held on August 3, 2017. Consistent with the trend since he...more
On May 18, 2017, at its May Open Meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order on a two-one vote, seeking comment on whether it should reform the so-called rural...more
As part of its continued focus on accelerating broadband deployment, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) eased restrictions on its universal service support for deployments by rate-of-return carriers in rural and...more
On April 3, 2017, the FCC announced the formation of the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force to implement the upcoming Universal Service Fund (USF) related auctions. Although there was no discussion of a task force in the...more