Jobs remain an issue in T-Mobile's buying Sprint, stakeholders agreed. They differ on whether the deal would lead to more employment or hurt unionization. At the Capitol Forum Thursday and in Q&A with us, those for and against the deal expanded on existing policy positions. Topics included rollout of attorneys general backing the transaction after reaching pacts for the combined company to locate jobs in their states.

WarnerMedia promotes Andrew Reinsdorf to senior vice president-government relations ... USTelecom advances Lorna Johnson to chief financial officer ... Society of Professional Journalists announces John Shertzer, ex-Indianapolis Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council, is executive director, SPJ and SPJ Foundation ... Enterprise Wireless Alliance hires consultant John Wehmann to facilitate administration of 900 MHz incumbent transition services.

LOUISVILLE -- Providers competing in broadband and companies that support them are projecting strong demand from consumers, businesses and government, they told Incompas Wednesday. Incompas CEO Chip Pickering recommended letting "every entrant enter this space because there is such a demand," especially rural. He called the push for ubiquitous deployment an issue "of national consensus" when there are few such issues to be found. "It's good to be in our business."

LOUISVILLE -- Providers competing in broadband and companies that support them are projecting strong demand from consumers, businesses and government, they told Incompas Wednesday. Incompas CEO Chip Pickering recommended letting "every entrant enter this space because there is such a demand," especially rural. He called the push for ubiquitous deployment an issue "of national consensus" when few such issues are to be found. "It's good to be in our business right now."

LOUISVILLE -- Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen wants to partner with fiber-network builders and U.S. manufacturers as the company moves to replace Sprint as the fourth nationwide wireless network and build its 5G infrastructure, he said in a keynote Tuesday at the Incompas Show. "Our best days are ahead of us," Ergen said. "We're not looking in the rear-view mirror."

LOUISVILLE -- Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen wants to partner with fiber-network builders and U.S. manufacturers as the company moves to replace Sprint as the fourth nationwide wireless network and build its 5G infrastructure, he said in a keynote Tuesday at the Incompas Show. "Our best days are ahead of us," Ergen said. "We're not looking in the rear-view mirror."

LOUISVILLE -- Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen wants to partner with fiber-network builders and U.S. manufacturers as the company moves to replace Sprint as the fourth nationwide wireless network and build its 5G infrastructure, he said in a keynote Tuesday at the Incompas Show. "Our best days are ahead of us," Ergen said. "We're not looking in the rear-view mirror."

Incompas General Counsel Angie Kronenberg asked members Monday to share their perspectives on proposals for the FCC on how it should address the USF contribution factor to make the program more sustainable. She spoke at the end of a policy talk at the annual Incompas show in Louisville. She said Incompas, NTCA, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and other USF stakeholders have begun discussions toward an agreement on suggestions to overhaul the USF contribution system that they will take to the FCC. Last month, state members of a federal-state joint task force on universal service sent their own proposal to the FCC, which included an assessment of residential broadband (see 1910150045). During the policy panel, Inteserra Consulting Vice President Carey Roesel predicted the USF contribution factor, already at a record high this quarter of 25 percent, could reach 40 percent within three years if the FCC and the Universal Service Administrative Co. don't make changes.

Incompas General Counsel Angie Kronenberg asked members Monday to share their perspectives on proposals for the FCC on how it should address the USF contribution factor to make the program more sustainable. She spoke at the end of a policy talk at the annual Incompas show in Louisville. She said Incompas, NTCA, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and other USF stakeholders have begun discussions toward an agreement on suggestions to overhaul the USF contribution system that they will take to the FCC. Last month, state members of a federal-state joint task force on universal service sent their own proposal to the FCC, which included an assessment of residential broadband (see 1910150045). During the policy panel, Inteserra Consulting Vice President Carey Roesel predicted the USF contribution factor, already at a record high this quarter of 25 percent, could reach 40 percent within three years if the FCC and the Universal Service Administrative Co. don't make changes.

The FCC released drafts of rules to modernize unbundling and resale requirements for LECs. Commissioners tentatively will vote at their Nov. 19 meeting. The agency proposes removing requirements for ILECs to unbundle network elements including DS1 and DS3 loops that made them available for resale to competitive LECs, in counties and study areas deemed competitive. It would exempt from the new rules DS1 loops used to provide residential broadband and voice in rural areas, says an NPRM for docket 19-308. The proposal would eliminate unbundling and resale requirements for DS0 loops in urban census blocks, narrowband voice-grade loops, and dark fiber transport in wire centers within a half-mile of alternative fiber. A three-year transition is proposed for existing customers. It asks for comments on whether to add a six-month transition to allow new orders. Incompas said protecting facilities-based broadband competitors is essential to the 5G future. "Smaller local broadband builders beat back AT&T’s forbearance petition and will fight the telecom giants’ ongoing efforts to raise prices and prevent new competitive deployment," CEO Chip Pickering emailed Tuesday. “The FCC has had an all-of-the-above approach to broadband deployment, which includes fixing the maps, USF reform and the removal of local monopoly barricades. But knocking out the bridge to broadband makes it harder to achieve these goals, as smaller local builders will be cut off from new customers." The commission says it "adjusted its unbundling and resale obligations to reflect the realities of the evolving communications marketplace and to encourage incumbent and competitive LECs alike to invest in next-generation facilities." The agency proposes to maintain existing unbundling of mass market broadband-capable loops in rural areas, acknowledging "there remains a digital divide between urban areas, which boast increasing numbers of intermodal broadband providers, and rural areas." UNE DS1 loops would remain available for residential broadband and voice service in rural census blocks, and the agency asked for confirmation that DS3 loops aren't generally used for residential consumers. The agency would seek comment on its view that "cable providers will build out to the remaining urban census blocks in the near future" and CLECs will upgrade urban networks.