Telecom Alert: 911 Outage Investigation Settlement; $115.5M in CPF Grants; Emergency Response Legislation; CPF Funding [Vol. XX, Issue 18]

911 Outage Investigation Settlement

Last week, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau entered into a Consent Decree with Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (“Shentel”) for violating the Commission’s 911 rules.  Under FCC rules, Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) providers must transmit all 911 calls to 911 centers.  In April 2022, Shentel was in the process of upgrading its interconnected VoIP network when it experienced a 911 service outage where customers who dialed 911 experience one-way audio and could not be heard by operators.  In response, Shantel agreed to pay a $227,200 civil penalty and implement a compliance plan.  For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239).

$115.5 Million in CPF Grants

The Department of the Treasury announced the award of $115.5 million in funding for Hawaii for two broadband infrastructure programs through the Capital Projects Fund (the “Fund”) last week.  Hawaii will invest $101.7 million on the award in the Hawaii Subsea Middle Mile Program, which is designed to address the critical middle mile subsea cable infrastructure.  It will also invest $8 million in the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (“HPHA”) Connections Program to upgrade HPHA facilities to provide residents with affordable, high-speed internet.  For more information, please contact Jim Baller (baller@khlaw.com; 202.434.4175).

Emergency Response Legislation Passes House

Last week, the House passed the Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act (“ALERT Parity Act” or the “Act”) by a 422-1 vote.  The Act was introduced by Reps. Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Kim Schrier (D-WA) and would require the FCC to issue rules to establish an application process for entities seeking to provide emergency connectivity service to unserved areas.  It would also require the Commission to promulgate rules whereby providers may seek approval to access spectrum held by a licensee without causing interference to the incumbent.  For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239).

ECF Funding

The FCC announced that it is committing nearly $21 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Program (the “Program”).  The commitment will support applications from the first and third application windows and will support nearly 55,000 students in states including California, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.  To date, the Program has provided support to roughly 11,000 schools, 1,000 libraries, and 100 consortia.  For more information, please contact Casey Lide (lide@khlaw.com; 202.434.4186).

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