A summary of news from March 2019.
All in Rate-of-Return
Kansas Rural Communications Service Provider Epic Touch To Purchase Louisiana Communications Providers
Kansas rural communications service provider Epic Touch Co., Inc. has entered into an agreement to purchase CP-TEL Holdings, Inc., the sole direct owner of Louisiana communications service providers Campti-Pleasant Hill Telephone Co., Inc. and CP-TEL Network Services, Inc.
February 2019 News Update
This article is a summary of news from February 2019.
FCC Releases Revised Support Offers For Existing A-CAM Carriers, Sets March 27 Deadline To Accept
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced revised offers of Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) support and associated revised deployment obligations for the 262 carriers that have already been authorized to receive A-CAM. These carriers have until March 27, 2019, to notify the FCC whether they accept the revised amount of model-based support.
Winter Is Here: FCC Extends Jurisdictional Separations Freeze For Another Six Years!
The Federal Communications Commission has released a Report and Order and Waiver that extends the existing freeze on jurisdictional separations for up to another six years. During this time, the Commission and the Joint Board will focus on substantive, incremental reform. As a first step in this process, rate-of-return carriers that elected to freeze their separations category relationships in 2001 will be allowed to opt out of that freeze.
FCC Replaces Rate-Of-Return Competitive Overlap Process With Reverse Auction System
The Federal Communications Commission has approved and released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that revises many universal service fund rules that apply to rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers. Among other things, in the order the FCC replaces the existing overlap process that applies to legacy rate-of-return service areas that are served by unsubsidized competitors with competitive auctions.
Rate-Of-Return Broadband Order: FCC Eliminates Capital Investment Allowance, Simplifies Budget Control Mechanism, And Reduces Monthly Per-Line Limit On Support
The Federal Communications Commission has approved and released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that revises many universal service fund (USF) rules that apply to rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers. Among other things, the FCC’s order eliminates the capital investment allowance; simplifies the budget control mechanism calculation and eliminates the per-line reduction calculation that is part of the budget control mechanism; and reduces the monthly per-line limit on universal service support to $225 and then to $200.
