- The FCC’s regulatory overhaul prompted a massive public response from trade groups
- They pushed back on rules they deem costly and time-consuming
- Some groups also advocated for changes to Universal Service Fund (USF) programs
FCC chief Brendan Carr has declared open season on regulations, prompting trade groups and individuals to speak up en masse on which rules grind their gears the most.
A staggering 772 comments were submitted by the public since the FCC opened its proceeding on March 12. We took a gander at what some of the major telecom trade orgs are saying – and their biggest concerns.
Don’t certify me
ACA Connects and WISPA both want the FCC to do away with its requirement that Broadband Data Collection (BDC) filings are certified by a professional engineer. Providers must submit BDC filings twice a year so that the Commission can update its national broadband map.
The problem with this rule is that there’s just “an insufficient supply” of engineers with the required expertise, ACA Connects noted, and smaller operators are less likely to have an engineer on staff.
“The FCC has already granted a series of waivers of this rule, so on this one, we are really asking the FCC to preserve the status quo,” an ACA Connects spokesperson told Fierce.
WISPA similarly said the FCC should extend the waiver while it “considers codifying the waiver in its rules," referring to the FCC’s past comments on how waiving the certification requirement helps providers submit their BDC filings on time.
State of USF programs
The Universal Service Fund (USF), which funds the government’s E-Rate, High-Cost, Lifeline and Rural Healthcare programs, is currently in the Supreme Court hot seat as it’s in need of long-due reform.
The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition and the National Lifeline Association (NaLa) served up some recommendations for the programs that fall under the USF umbrella.
For instance, the FCC should axe its rule that limits the Lifeline discount (typically $9.25/month) to one per household, NaLa said, as it doesn’t reflect how most households today rely on multiple internet connectivity options.
NaLa also doesn’t like the FCC’s intent to phase out Lifeline standalone voice services, even though the Commission keeps delaying the process. The Wireline Competition Bureau last July paused the phase-out for another year, meaning consumers can still receive a voice-only Lifeline subsidy until December 2025.
“Removing voice-only support services may force Lifeline subscribers who only desire voice services into more expensive, bundled plans that the subscriber may not desire and may not be able to afford,” wrote NaLa.
Regarding E-Rate, which provides discounted internet to schools and libraries, SHLB thinks the FCC should make it easier for applicants to switch service providers as well as request funding for a higher bandwidth amount. Also Form 470, which schools and libraries use to identify the E-Rate services and equipment they need, is a mess.
“The descriptions of the requested services located in the form’s drop-down menus have been unclear, causing applicants to select the wrong category and receive funding denials,” SHLB added.
Permitting, paperwork and even more paperwork
No surprise, operators don’t really like doing a lot of paperwork to keep their networks running. Permitting and its associated pains is a big part of that.
For starters, Incompas recommended the FCC adopt shot clocks applicable to wireline fiber deployments, much like what the Commission has done for wireless projects, as well as establish limits on “rights-of-way use charges and siting application fees.” The White House actually got the ball rolling last week with an executive order geared toward permitting reform, though it’s unclear how that will specifically impact broadband deployments.
In light of “changes in the broader regulatory context” (referring to the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion), the Rural Wireless Association (RWA) wants the FCC to eliminate the Common Carrier Annual Employment report, where carriers must file how many employees they have and provide data on their demographics.
Changes to the administration aside, RWA noted it takes time and resources for small rural carriers to file these reports.
Outages (and there have been a couple big ones, namely from AT&T and Verizon) also involve their fair share of paperwork. Incompas thinks the FCC should repeal or modify requirements providers face when submitting outage reports to Public Safety Answering Points, the call centers that handle 911 calls.
“Currently, providers are required to maintain continuously updated contact information for thousands of PSAPs across the country,” the trade group wrote. “Providers must also notify 911 special facilities of outages no later than 30 minutes after discovering a network outage, even when the affected network segment is outside the provider’s direct control or visibility.”
CTIA echoed Incompas’ thoughts that the current method for reporting outages is “overly granular” and “repetitious,” and that it ends up interfering with service restoration.
We'll be watching closely to see which items the FCC does actually decide to axe.