IdeaTek To Acquire Elkhart Telephone Company & Epic Touch

September 30, 2025 – Ideatek Telcom, LLC (IdeaTek) has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Elkhart Telephone Company, Inc. and the Epic Touch brand. The purchase price and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close in early 2026, and is subject to regulatory approvals. Elkhart Telephone Company, Inc. has been a family-owned communications provider since its inception in 1956. It offers telecommunications and broadband services under its Epic Touch brand. IdeaTek Telcom, LLC provides voice and broadband services in many areas of Kansas. IdeaTek is indirectly owned by Oak Hill Capital Management and Pamlico Capital Management, which are private equity funds based in the U.S.

KCC Staff Recommends Writing-Off Hello Mobile Telecom KUSF Credit Balance

September 30, 2025 – Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC or Commission) Staff has filed a Report and Recommendation (R&R) which recommends that the Commission issue an order authorizing the Kansas Universal Service Fund (KUSF) administrator, Vantage Point Solutions (VPS), to write-off the credit balance of $124.27 currently on Hello Mobile Telecom LLC’s KUSF account. Staff also recommends that the Commission direct VPS to close Hello Mobile Telecom’s KUSF account, but retain all relevant Hello Mobile Telecom KUSF records. The KCC Docket Number for the proceeding is 26-HLMZ-097-KSF.

Hello Mobile operated as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), and was affiliated with Q Link Wireless LLC. Both Hello Mobile and Q Link were wholly owned by Quadrant Holdings Group LLC, which was wholly owned by Issa Asad. Mr. Asad was the CEO for both Hello Mobile and Q Link. In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Q Link Wireless LLC and its owner, Issa Asad agreed to pay $110,637,057 to resolve criminal charges and civil allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Lifeline program. In October 15, 2024, Q Link and Mr. Asad pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government in connection with a years-long scheme to steal over $100 million from the universal service Lifeline program.

Home Telephone Company Revises Tariff – No Longer Providing Printed Telephone Directories & Removing Discontinued Services

September 30, 2025 – Home Telephone Company, Inc. has filed revisions to its General Exchange Tariff with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC). Home Telephone’s filing revises tariff language to explain that the company will no longer provide printed telephone directories. Home Telephone notified its customers in 2024 that the company would cease providing printed telephone directories. The filing also revises the company’s tariff by removing services which are no longer provided. Home Telephone states that the tariff changes will have no effect on revenue. The KCC Docket Number for the proceeding is 26-HOMT-106-TAR.

Global Crossing Local Services Revises Tariff To Remove Discontinued Local Exchange Services

September 30, 2025 – Global Crossing Local Services, Inc. has filed revisions to its Kansas Tariff No. 1. with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC). Global Crossing’s tariff revisions remove Local Exchange Services that the company is discontinuing because the services have reached the end of their lifecycle and are no longer supported under the tariff. Global Crossing states that it provided a notification of the action to customers that previously subscribed to the services. The KCC Docket Number for the proceeding is 26-GCLT-104-TAR. In early 2025, Global Crossing Local Services, Inc., along with Global Crossing Telecommunications, Inc. and Global Crossing Telemanagement VA, LLC announced that they would exit the voice telecommunications market and discontinue all voice services across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

KCC Certifies Kansas ETCs Used Federal High-Cost USF Support Only As Intended

September 25, 2025 – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC or Commission) has issued an order finding that all federal high-cost universal service fund (FUSF) support received by Kansas eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) was used in the preceding calendar year and will be used in the coming calendar year “only for the provision, maintenance, and upgrading of facilities and services for which the support is intended.” Accordingly, the KCC will send letters to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) on or before October 1, 2025, certifying that Kansas ETCs used their FUSF support in the preceding calendar year appropriately and will do so in the next calendar year. The order was issued in KCC Docket No. 25-GIMT-332-GIT.

KCC Staff submitted a Report and Recommendation on September 17, 2025, recommending that the KCC certify that all federal high-cost support provided to Kansas ETCs was and will be used appropriately. A list of each Kansas ETC is provided on Exhibit 1 to Staff’s Report and Recommendation.

To enable the KCC to conduct the certification process, Kansas ETCs were required to file certification forms, USF worksheets, and other data on or before June 30, 2025. The Commission’s order explains that 62 ETCs filed their forms prior to the deadline, and 14 entities “did not meet the filing deadline.” The following companies have been assessed penalties for filing late: i-Wireless, LLC, $200; Mercury Wireless $600; Skybeam, LLC, $300; Plains Internet, LLC, $1,600; Sage Telecom $400; and Yourtel America, Inc., $800.

KCC Staff Recommends Writing-Off Q Link Wireless KUSF Credit Balance

September 23, 2025 – Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC or Commission) Staff has filed a Report and Recommendation (R&R) which recommends that the Commission issue an order authorizing the Kansas Universal Service Fund (KUSF) administrator, Vantage Point Solutions (VPS), to write-off the credit balance of $457.47 currently on Q Link Wireless LLC’s KUSF account. Staff also recommends that the Commission direct VPS to close Q Link’s KUSF account, but retain all relevant Q Link KUSF records. The KCC Docket Number for the proceeding is 26-QLWZ-088-KSF.

Q Link operated as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that primarily provided wireless services under the federal universal service Lifeline program. In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Q Link Wireless LLC and its owner, Issa Asad agreed to pay $110,637,057 to resolve criminal charges and civil allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Lifeline program. In October 15, 2024, Q Link and Mr. Asad pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government in connection with a years-long scheme to steal over $100 million from the universal service Lifeline program. Mr. Asad also admitted to defrauding and laundering money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a government program created to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asad began defrauding the Lifeline program as early as 2012 and continued through at least 2021 “by making repeated false claims for reimbursement, taking and retaining Lifeline funds that it was not entitled to receive, providing false information about its Lifeline customers, and deceiving the FCC about its compliance with program rules. Asad directed these illegal activities and conspired with others to commit the fraud.” When Mr. Asad and other Q Link Wireless employees learned that the FCC was investigating them for Lifeline compliance, they “created and provided false records to the FCC to conceal the scam and to continue collecting reimbursement.

New All-Time High! Federal USF Contribution Factor For Fourth Quarter Of 2025 – 38.1 Percent

September 15, 2025 – The FCC’s Office of Managing Director (OMD) has announced that the proposed universal service fund (USF) contribution factor for the fourth quarter of 2025 will be 38.1 percent. If the FCC takes no action on the proposed USF contribution factor within 14 days, it will be declared approved.

The 38.1 percent contribution factor for 4Q 2025 is a new all-time high. The average USF contribution factor for 2025 rounded up to the nearest tenth of one percent is 36.8 %. This is an all-time high for the average annual contribution factor. Historical information on quarterly universal service fund contribution factors is available online from the FCC.

For the fourth quarter of 2025, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) projects $7.870473 billion in total interstate and international end-user telecommunications revenues will be collected ($8.045954 billion in collections were projected for 3Q 2025, $8.223063 billion was projected for 2Q 2025, and $8.176992 billion was projected for 1Q 2025).

USAC estimates that $2.153410 billion is needed to cover the total demand and expenses for all Federal universal service support mechanisms (revenue requirement) in the fourth quarter of 2025 (the 3Q 2025 demand was estimated at $2.113790 billion, the 2Q 2025 demand was estimated at $2.186160 billion, and the 1Q 2025 demand was estimated at $2.161100 billion). Total fourth quarter 2025 demand includes projected program support, administrative expenses, and true-ups and adjustments, which breaks out among the USF support mechanisms as follows:

E-Rate Schools & Libraries: $551.89 million (3Q 2025 was $639.18 million, 2Q 2025 was $653.04 million, and 1Q 2025 was $657.15 million)
Rural Health Care: $181.09 million (3Q 2025 was $179.03 million, 2Q 2025 was $104.10 million, and 1Q 2025 was $129.50 million)
High-Cost: $1.17676 billion (3Q 2025 was $1.05065 billion, 2Q 2025 was $1.12390 billion, and 1Q 2025 was $1.08640 billion)
Lifeline: $243.67 million (3Q 2025 was $244.93 million, 2Q 2025 was $305.12 million, and 1Q 2025 was $288.05 million)

KOBD Seeking Information On Pricing Of Leased Dark Fiber & Lit Services To Help Develop Pricing For Freestate Middle Mile Project

September 10, 2025 – The Kansas Office Of Broadband Development (KOBD) has requested input from service providers regarding pricing of leased dark fiber or lit services in Kansas. KOBD has requested the information to help develop reasonable wholesale market pricing for the Freestate Middle Mile project. KOBD made the request in an email, which is included below:

“If you have leased dark fiber or lit services in Kansas at the speeds listed in the Freestate Middle Mile pricing guidance (10G, 20G, 50G, 100G) within the past 12 months, we would appreciate it if you could share redacted information with Middle Mile Program Manager Russell Dunlap for use in benchmarking reasonable wholesale market pricing. Several of you have already provided this information, and we are grateful for your partnership. Your support helps us ensure that the Freestate Network is offered at competitive, open-access, and nondiscriminatory rates. Thank you for your continued collaboration as we update the Freestate Network Rate Sheet for 2025/2026.”

Kansas Office Of Broadband Development Publishes Public Comments On BEAD Program Final Proposal

September 4, 2025 – The Kansas Office Of Broadband Development (KOBD) has published the public comments it received in response to its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Final Proposal. In late August 2025, KOBD announced its Final Proposal containing the preliminary selection of BEAD “Benefit of the Bargain Round” awardees. KOBD selected a total of 16 awardees to receive a total of $252,942,107 in BEAD grant funding. The awards are not final until the National Telecommunication Information and Administration (NTIA) approves KOBD’s Final Proposal. The public comment window was open until September 1, 2025. The Final Proposal has now been sent to NTIA for approval.

Golden Belt Makes Tariff Revisions, Will Stop Printing And Annually Distributing Telephone Directories

September 2, 2025 – Golden Belt Telephone Association, Inc. has filed revisions to its Local Exchange Tariff with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC or Commission). Golden Belt’s tariff revisions are being made “to implement its in-process cessation of printing and annually distributing a dated telephone directory in accordance with the Commission’s order in Docket No. 24- GIMT-380-MIS.” The KCC Docket Number for the proceeding is 26-GNBT-087-TAR.

In November 2023, a group of Kansas Rural Local Exchange Carriers (RLECs) filed a petition requesting that the Commission eliminate any requirement currently existing that mandates RLECs physically print and distribute a telephone directory to all subscribers on an annual basis. In place of the requirement, the Kansas RLECs requested that the Commission allow RLECs to provide directories in any format or manner an individual RLEC deems most cost-effective, including electronic or web-based, and provide a simple paper or PDF copy to subscribers upon request.

In August 2024, the Commission issued an order approving a joint proposal put forth by Commission telecom staff and the RLECs that replaced the KCC’s 1967 directive requiring all telephone companies operating in Kansas to issue a printed directory every year. Among other things, the joint proposal requires extensive notice to customers prior to eliminating the distribution of printed directories.

New Kansas Corporation Commission Telecom Dockets Opened In September 2025

26-GNBT-087-TAR – Application of Golden Belt Telephone Association, Inc., for Tariff Changes Related to the Cessation of Annual Distribution of a Dated Directory.
26-QLWZ-088-KSF – Staff’s Petition to Open a Docket to Write-Off the Balance on Q LINK WIRELESS, LLC’s Kansas Universal Service Fund (KUSF) Account.
26-HLMZ-097-KSF – Staff’s Petition to Open a Docket to Write-Off the Balance on HELLO MOBILE TELECOM, LLC’s Kansas Universal Service Fund (KUSF) Account.
26-GCLT-104-TAR – Global Crossing Local Service, Inc. Filing Tariff Revision for the Removal of Discontinued Local Services.
26-HOMT-106-TAR – Home Telephone Company Filing Tariff Revisions to Language Related to Longer Providing a Printed Telephone Directory and Also Removing Services Which are No Longer Provided.

ETC Tracker: 3 ETC Applications Currently Pending Before The Kansas Corporation Commission

September 2025 – There are currently three eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) applications pending before the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC). Two applicants are requesting initial designations as Lifeline-only ETCs, and one applicant is seeking relinquishment of its ETC designation. The KCC dockets for all of the ETC applications, along with filing dates are listed below:

25-GOMT-124-ETC – Application of Go MD USA LLC For a Limited Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier for the Purpose of Offering and Operating a Lifeline Service for Low Income Consumers (Lifeline-Only ETC application filed August 9, 2024) (Revised Application filed June 20, 2025).
25-AVWZ-250-ETC – Application of Air Voice Wireless, LLC for Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 for Lifeline Purposes Only (Lifeline-Only ETC application filed December 23, 2024).
25-SWBT-364-MIS – Petition of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, LLC d/b/a AT&T Kansas for an Order Confirming Relinquishment of Eligible Telecommunications Carrier Designation in Specified Areas (application filed March 27, 2025).

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Sep 30 Kansas Broadband & Telecom News - September 2025