Late Thursday, the FCC’s Wireline
Competition Bureau released a Public Notice seeking
supplemental comment on certain aspects of the FCC’s ongoing
E-rate modernization proceeding. Earlier, Chairman Tom
Wheeler indicated that the FCC would make an additional $2
billion available for E-rate over the next two years, And
many of the questions posed in the Public Notice seek
comment on how these funds can best be spent for the benefit
of schools and libraries. Comments are due April 7 and Reply
Comments are due April 21. WISPA’s FCC Committee will be
discussing whether and to what extent WISPA may wish to file
Comments or Reply Comments, but some of the members on this
list may be interested in reading this to help inform the
Committee and/or provide you with background on changes and
opportunities in the E-rate program. Among other things,
the Bureau seeks comment on the following issues:
- Whether
to change priority two funding to eliminate support for
legacy services and allocating a set amount of funds for
LANs and Wi-Fi networks
- The
services and software that should qualify for support inside
schools and libraries
- How
to enable more widespread access to funding for internal
connections
- Changes
in the discount rate
- Funding
for up-front costs vs. recurring support
- Reducing
or eliminating support for voice services in some or all
areas (phasing out by 2015?)
- Demonstration
projects
-
Here is a link to the Public Notice:
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db0306/DA-14-308A1.pdf
Following the Bureau’s release of the
Public Notice, Commissioner Ajit Pai released a statement
that was sharply critical of both the substance of the
Public Notice and the Commission’s processes. On substance,
Commissioner Pai said that the Public Notice “bodes poorly
for real reform,” stating that the Bureau should have
proposed eliminating the priority system altogether and did
not alleviate the funding disparity between well-funded
districts and small, rural schools and libraries. He also
noted that the proposals would increase the paperwork load
on teachers and librarians. On process, Commissioner Pai
wanted the Public Notice to come from the full Commission as
a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, not as a Public
Notice from the Bureau, which has no authority to propose
rules. Here is a link to Commissioner Pai’s statement:
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db0307/DOC-325937A1.pdf
This is the second time that Commissioner
Pai has criticized the Commission when a Bureau has released
a Public Notice seeking public comment – the other time was
a few months ago in the TV white space/incentive auction
proceeding.
Stephen E.
Coran
Lerman
Senter, PLLC
2000 K
Street, N.W., Suite 600
Washington,
D.C. 20006-1809
(202)
416-6744 - office
(202)
669-3288 –mobile
@stevecoran –
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