Section 214 Renewal Rules Proposed

Last week, the FCC released a draft Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking it will consider at its Open Meeting on April 20 that seeks to update the renewal and review process of International Section 214 authorizations.  Specifically, the Commission proposes requiring Section 214 carriers to renew their authorizations every ten years, or alternatively, require them to periodically update information on file with the Commission.  The Commission also proposes a five percent threshold for reportable ownership interests and requiring regulatory compliance certifications before granting any modification, assignment, transfer of control, or renewal of Section 214 authority.

Wireless Emergency Alerts FNPRM

The FCC will consider a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking at its Open Meeting on April 20 proposing rules to increase the accessibility, performance, and functionality of Wireless Emergency Alerts (“WEA”).  Specifically, the Commission proposes requiring providers to translate alerts into the thirteen most commonly spoken non-English languages in the United States and enabling authorities to send two test alerts per year. It also would establish reliability, accuracy, and speed benchmarks as well as create a WEA database.

SLFRF, CPF Grant Guidance Released

Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a proposed compliance guidance on broadband projects funded through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (“SLFRF”) and the Capital Projects Fund (“CPF”).  The guidance addresses questions surrounding the treatment of ISP revenue and the characterization of ISPs as either subrecipients or contractors.  It also outlines requirements for transferring grant-funded property to third parties and clarifies audit and monitoring requirements, among other issues.

$100M in CPF Grants Awarded

Last week, the Department of the Treasury announced the award of $100 million in funding for New York for broadband projects through the Capital Projects Fund (the “Fund”) (Vol. XX, Issue 11).  The Fund provides $10 billion to states, territories, and Tribal governments to fund critical capital projects that enable work, education, and health monitoring.  New York’s Affordable Housing Connectivity Program funds high-speed broadband infrastructure to and within low-income housing units. 

ECF Funding

The FCC announced that it is committing over $2.8 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program (the “Program”).  The Commitment will support applications from the third filing window and will support approximately fifteen schools, five libraries, and one consortium.  To date, the program has provided support for roughly 10,000 schools, 1,000 libraries, and 100 consortia.

Thomas B. Magee, Tracy P. Marshall, Kathleen Slattery Thompson, Sean A. Stokes and Wesley K. Wright also contributed to this article.