The House Appropriations Committee’s proposed report on the Financial Services Subcommittee-cleared measure to fund the FCC and FTC in FY 2022 seeks further work on changes to USF contribution rules and wants additional study of how municipal broadband can expand connectivity access. The committee was still considering the underlying bill late Tuesday afternoon. Dueling panels of telecom policy officials disagreed on how lawmakers should translate into legislation the $65 billion broadband component in a bipartisan infrastructure package framework President Joe Biden endorsed last week (see 2106240070).

The refiled Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy Act drew criticism last week. S-2071, billed as a bipartisan alternative to infrastructure proposals, would allocate $40 billion for broadband (see 2106150089). The measure “ignores the massive amount of money that the federal government has allocated, but not spent” via the FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, emergency broadband benefit program and Emergency Connectivity Fund, said TechFreedom General Counsel James Dunstan Friday: “Then there’s the $360 billion in the last stimulus bill, potentially all of which could be used for broadband. The spreadsheet on NTIA’s BroadbandUSA website shows almost 100 different federal projects with money” available. The Free State Foundation also slammed S-2071. Incompas CEO Chip Pickering and Mignon Clyburn, co-chair of the new BroadLand campaign for the group, said the bill's refiling "sends a strong message to the rest of the world that the United States will indeed be ready for the jobs of tomorrow."

The refiled Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy Act drew criticism last week. S-2071, billed as a bipartisan alternative to infrastructure proposals, would allocate $40 billion for broadband (see 2106150089). The measure “ignores the massive amount of money that the federal government has allocated, but not spent” via the FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, emergency broadband benefit program and Emergency Connectivity Fund, said TechFreedom General Counsel James Dunstan Friday: “Then there’s the $360 billion in the last stimulus bill, potentially all of which could be used for broadband. The spreadsheet on NTIA’s BroadbandUSA website shows almost 100 different federal projects with money” available. The Free State Foundation also slammed S-2071. Incompas CEO Chip Pickering and Mignon Clyburn, co-chair of the new BroadLand campaign for the group, said the bill's refiling "sends a strong message to the rest of the world that the United States will indeed be ready for the jobs of tomorrow."

Emergency broadband benefit providers are encountering problems enrolling eligible households in the program through Universal Service Administrative Co.’s national Lifeline accountability database, representatives said in interviews and FCC filings. Industry groups said it prevented some consumers from taking advantage of the temporary benefit when the EBB launched in May.

Tech and telco groups disagreed about USTelecom's petition for reconsideration of calling party notification and blocked call list requirements, in comments posted Monday in docket 17-59 (see 2105200074). Lumen said requirements should exclude legacy networks because it's "unclear whether those systems are technically capable of accommodating such a notification." The Voice on the Net Coalition agreed and said the FCC should confirm that calls blocked by a subscriber through anonymous call rejection or Do Not Disturb don't fall under the session initiation protocol (SIP) response code requirements. The Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee disagreed: "Introducing carrier discretion as to the type of notification will only increase confusion for legitimate callers." Incompas and the Cloud Communications Alliance said such flexibility "is exactly what the commission sought to avoid by prescribing standardized uniform notifications." The groups opposed extending January's deadline for notification implementation. USTelecom's petition "does not explain how a different form of notification would be superior to use of the SIP codes," said the American Bankers Association, National Retail Federation and others.

Tech and telco groups disagreed about USTelecom's petition for reconsideration of calling party notification and blocked call list requirements, in comments posted Monday in docket 17-59 (see 2105200074). Lumen said requirements should exclude legacy networks because it's "unclear whether those systems are technically capable of accommodating such a notification." The Voice on the Net Coalition agreed and said the FCC should confirm that calls blocked by a subscriber through anonymous call rejection or Do Not Disturb don't fall under the session initiation protocol (SIP) response code requirements. The Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee disagreed: "Introducing carrier discretion as to the type of notification will only increase confusion for legitimate callers." Incompas and the Cloud Communications Alliance said such flexibility "is exactly what the commission sought to avoid by prescribing standardized uniform notifications." The groups opposed extending January's deadline for notification implementation. USTelecom's petition "does not explain how a different form of notification would be superior to use of the SIP codes," said the American Bankers Association, National Retail Federation and others.

Schools and libraries are gearing up to apply for support through the FCC’s $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund. With an application filing window likely in June (see 2105110041), experts said in interviews many facilities are eager. They have a “high level of interest” in learning more, said State E-rate Coordinators’ Alliance Chair Debra Kriete. SECA is doing statewide training and distributing educational materials. Experts agreed allowing prospective purchases will help.

Incompas starts BroadLand broadband campaign, with Mignon Clyburn leading this with Incompas CEO Chip Pickering ... ACG Advocacy hires Roberto Fierro from BSA|The Software Alliance as partner ... American Edge Project adds ex-Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and ex-Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., to lead efforts on “internet openness, accessibility and free expression” ... Sinclair President-Distribution and Network Relations Barry Faber, also former general counsel, retires, effective June 25, and continuing as a consultant to the company on distribution and network relations.

Incompas starts BroadLand broadband campaign, with Mignon Clyburn leading this with Incompas CEO Chip Pickering ... ACG Advocacy hires Roberto Fierro from BSA|The Software Alliance as partner ... American Edge Project adds ex-Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and ex-Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., to lead efforts on “internet openness, accessibility and free expression” ... Sinclair President-Distribution and Network Relations Barry Faber, also former general counsel, retires, effective June 25, and continuing as a consultant to the company on distribution and network relations.

SpaceX, OneWeb, Kepler, Intelsat and SES seek a 30-day extension of the replies deadline in the 12 GHz proceeding. In docket 20-443 Tuesday, they said it's needed because of the "complex factual and technical questions" involved and the hundreds of pages of material that RS Access and Dish Network filed at the comments deadline. The FCC didn't comment. The Wireless Bureau granted an extension in March to deadlines sought by Computer & Communications Industry Association, Incompas, Open Technology Institute at New America and Public Knowledge, but it subsequently rejected a second extension sought by the satellite operators (see 2105040037). Replies are due June 7.