2022-12456. Affordable Connectivity and Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Proposed rule; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on petition for reconsideration and clarification filed by the National Lifeline Association.

DATES:

Comments are due on or before July 18, 2022 and reply comments are due on or before August 1, 2022. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this document, you should advise the contact listed as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Interested parties are invited to file comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this document. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).

Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/​ecfs/​.

Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing.

Filings can be sent by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S-. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.

Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.

Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings. This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19.

People with Disabilities. To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an email to [e-mail] or call the Consumer & Government Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice, 202-418-0432 (tty).

Ex Parte Rules. This proceeding shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must: (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made; and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenters written comments, memoranda, or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with section 1.1206(b) of the Commission's rules. In proceedings governed by section 1.49(f) of the rules or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format ( e.g., .doc, .xml., .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ross Fisher, Wireline Competition Bureau, 202-418-7400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This is a summary of the Commission's Public Notice in WC Docket Nos. 21-450, 20-445, DA 22-574, released May 23, 2022. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission's headquarters will be closed to the general public until further notice. The full text of this document is available at the following internet address: https://docs.fcc.gov/​public/​attachments/​DA-22-574A1.pdf.

Synopsis

1. The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment on a petition filed by the National Lifeline Association (NaLA). NaLA seeks clarification of the Bureau and Enforcement Bureau Chiefs' authority to suspend a participating provider's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollments and hold a participating provider's funding based on the “adequate evidence” standard, or in the alternative, reconsideration of the removal rule (47 CFR 54.1801(e)(2)). NaLA also seeks reconsideration or clarification of the requirement that an ACP participating provider offering connected devices provide price information for at least one of the analogous devices from a major retailer.

Federal Communications Commission.

Cheryl Callahan,

Assistant Chief, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau.