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The Federal Communications Commission (“Commission” or “FCC”) has long been interested in the use of broadband-enabled telehealth services to make healthcare more accessible, particularly for veterans and low-income patients. On September 3, 2020 the Commission released a Public Notice (“Public Notice”) providing additional information about its Connected Care Pilot Program (“Connected Care Program”). The Connected Care Program will make available up to $100 million dollars, over a three year period, to defray the costs of broadband connectivity and other connected care information services for eligible health care providers (“HCP”). While the CARES Act allowed the Commission to quickly implement the short-term COVID-19 Telehealth Program supporting eligible HCP telehealth services during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Connected Care Program is a longer-term initiative, under Commission consideration since late 2018 and formally established in April 2020. The Connected Care Program is intended to provide much-needed financial support for telehealth services, particularly for veterans and low-income patients, and also to provide the Commission with data regarding how funding can support telehealth services in the future to treat the health needs of individuals that may lack sufficient – or any – mobile or residential broadband internet access services necessary for healthcare needs.

The FCC has not yet set a deadline for Connected Care Program applications but issued the recent Public Notice to enable HCPs to begin preparing to apply once the application filing deadline is established. If the Connected Care Program garners the same level of interest as the COVID-19 Telehealth Program – a $200 million fund that was depleted within 3 months of the Commission first accepting applications – HCPs seeking to participate in the Connected Care Program may want to consider how to prepare now to submit a timely application once the final application details and filing deadline are established. The Commission will be issuing a subsequent Public Notice identifying the final Connected Care Program application procedures and filing deadline.…

Continue Reading FCC Provides Guidance on $100 Million Connected Care Pilot Program; Application Deadline Remains TBD

Americans who lack high-speed broadband internet access are caught on the wrong side of the “Digital Divide,” with students facing a “homework gap” and adults, and even entire communities, facing an “opportunity gap” that impacts everything from jobs, education, and healthcare to sustainability and well-being. This episode of Kelley Drye’s Legal Download discusses…

E-Rate fraud is back in the spotlight following the indictment of a Dallas charter school CEO and the owner of a contracting company for an alleged kickback scheme resulting in over $300,000 in illegal subsidies. Federal prosecutors stated that the pair violated the E-Rate program’s competitive bidding requirements and submitted fraudulent invoices to the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”).  The indictment comes on the heels of major FCC settlements and enforcement actions against educational institutions and service providers for alleged E-Rate violations.  FCC Chairman Pai has repeatedly criticized the administration of the E-Rate program and the indictment may spur further calls for action to combat fraud in the program.
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Continue Reading E-Rate Fraud in Crosshairs Following Charter School Indictment

iStock_000006131068MediumOn May 18, 2017, at its May Open Meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order on a two-one vote, seeking comment on whether it should reform the so-called rural “rate floor” on basic voice service or eliminate it entirely.  The rural rate floor rule requires carriers receiving Connect America Fund support to charge rural customers a minimum monthly rate or risk losing subsidies.  The FCC imposed a two-year freeze on the rural rate floor to provide it with sufficient time to consider the proposed reforms.  The rulemaking is yet another reversal of a policy supported by former FCC Chairman Wheeler, which current Chairman Pai dissented from as a Commissioner, and represents another step by the Pai FCC to roll back its predecessor’s actions.
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Continue Reading Split FCC Proposes Rural “Rate Floor” Reform

As part of its continued focus on accelerating broadband deployment, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) eased restrictions on its universal service support for deployments by rate-of-return carriers in rural and other high-cost areas.  In a unanimous Order on Reconsideration issued at its April meeting, the FCC found that the restrictions drove providers to exclude high-cost areas from planned deployments, “stranding” communities without broadband.  Rate-of-return carriers will be able to receive support for broadband deployments up to certain thresholds, so long as they cover any additional expenses themselves.  Rate-of-return carriers should factor in this potential support when assessing broadband deployment plans or expanding existing buildouts.  As for providing support in areas served by price cap incumbent carriers, the FCC faces challenges to its recent order on instituting the Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction, under which it will provide support to deploy broadband in unserved areas where the price cap carriers did not elect receive support.  Comments on the CAF challenges are due on May 18, 2017, with replies due on May 29, 2017.
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Continue Reading FCC Eases Restrictions on Broadband Deployment Support for Rate-of-Return Carriers; Faces Challenges to Connect America Fund Phase II Auction

iStock_000006131068MediumOn February 23, 2017, during the second open meeting under Chairman Ajit Pai, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) unanimously approved an order launching the long-awaited second phase of the Mobility Fund.  The Mobility Fund offers financial support to service providers to preserve and extend mobile broadband and voice services in unserved and underserved areas.  The FCC’s order will provide up to $4.53 billion over the next decade to expand 4G LTE coverage to areas currently lacking that level of service, with $340 million reserved for Tribal areas.  This order is one component of Chairman Pai’s focus on bridging the digital divide.  The full text of the FCC’s order and further notice of proposed rulemaking has not been released.
Continue Reading Commission Adopts Long-Awaited Mobility Fund Phase II

Today, the FCC adopted a series of steps intended to solicit proposals from communications providers to conduct service-based experiments to explore the transition to all-Internet Protocol (“IP”) networks. Chairman Wheeler described today’s actions as “a big deal” and “an important moment.” He and the other Commissioners emphasized that the experiments would be completely voluntary, will…