The FCC committed nearly $68 million in additional Emergency Connectivity Fund support, totaling more than $5.7 billion so far, said a news release Wednesday. The new funding will support one school, three libraries and one consortium from the first and second application windows, and more than 200 schools, seven libraries and one consortium from the third application window.

The FCC Wireline Bureau partially granted the Northern Arapaho Tribal Industries a waiver of certain Connect America Fund Phase II auction rules, said an order Tuesday in docket 10-90. NATI sought a temporary waiver of the requirement that it increase the value of its letter of credit for the auction. The bureau let NATI keep its current value until the Universal Service Administrative Co. "completes its verification process for the locations to which NATI has certified deployment."

The proposed North American Numbering Plan Administration Fund size for FY 2023 will be $8.6 million with a contribution factor of 0.0000853, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Monday in docket 92-237 (see 2108090060). The fund estimate and contribution factor will take effect Aug. 22 unless the commission acts.

The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comments by Sept. 6, replies by Oct. 3, on a Further NPRM proposing to update access stimulation rules, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register (see 2207140055). Commissioners approved the item in July.

The National Lifeline Association asked the FCC to grant its petition for reconsideration and clarification of the Wireline and Enforcement Bureaus' authority to suspend an affordable connectivity program provider's participation and marketing of connected devices, in a letter posted Tuesday in docket 21-450 (see 2206160071). NaLA noted there was no opposition to its petition and said the "unenthusiastic participation" among providers offering a connected device is "likely because of unnecessary regulatory hurdles that have been erected, including the market value provision addressed in the petition."

SpaceX raised concerns about Viasat's "ongoing campaign" opposing its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I long-form application, in a letter posted Monday in docket 19-126 (see 2112230041). "Viasat is transparently attempting to have the commission impede competition at all costs to protect its legacy technology," SpaceX said, noting it has been "able to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband service vastly exceeding Viasat's performance."

The FCC Wireline Bureau extended until Oct. 31 the deadline for COVID-19 telehealth program round two recipients to purchase eligible devices and services, said a public notice Friday in docket 20-89. It also extended the deadline for submitting invoices by three months. The bureau said program participants have sought additional time due to "supply-chain delays and discontinuities, staff absences due to COVID, and challenges with state government purchasing regulations."

The Lifeline minimum service standard for fixed broadband data will be 1,280 GB per month, beginning Dec. 1, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Friday in docket 11-42. The bureau extended its pause on the mobile broadband data minimum service standard until "at least" Dec. 1, 2023. The indexed budget for Lifeline beginning Jan. 1 will be $2.6 billion.

GCI Communications told the FCC there are "deficiencies across Alaska" in the broadband serviceable location fabric and it "undercounts Alaska's unserved locations," in separate meetings with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the Wireline Bureau and Broadband Data Task Force. "Entire communities are missing," GCI said, and others "have far fewer fabric points than other locations," per a filing Thursday in docket 19-195. The company asked the FCC to work with CostQuest, the fabric's architect, to update the fabric because the state "will lose access to badly needed funding" through NTIA's broadband, equity, access and deployment program if unserved locations are undercounted (see 2206290062).

The FCC Wireline Bureau granted waivers to restore originally requested Emergency Connectivity Fund support to the West Virginia Department of Education and Toms River (New Jersey) Regional School District after both applicants voluntarily reduced their months of service, said an order Wednesday in docket 21-93. The bureau also granted a waiver on its own motion to "similarly situated applicants who modified a first or second window recurring service funding request" prior to the bureau extending the service delivery date to June 30, 2023. Affected applicants have 30 days to file requests with the Universal Service Administrative Co. to "restore the voluntarily reduced months of service" in their initial funding requests. The bureau denied Wellpinit (Washington) School District 49's waiver request because it sought to "increase its support amount beyond what was previously approved and committed."