Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service; Promoting Deployment and Subscribership in Unserved and Underserved Areas, Including Tribal and Insular Areas

In this document, the Commission addresses the requests of several petitioners to reconsider portions of the Twelfth Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, adopting rules to provide additional, targeted universal service support to low-income consumers on tribal lands and establishing a framework for the resolution of eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designations. The Commission also concludes that the definition of "reservation" for purposes of the universal service programs remains the same as that adopted in the Twelfth Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The Commission addresses several requests for reconsideration relating to the rule amendments to the universal service low-income programs adopted in the Twelfth Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The Commission also clarifies, on its own motion, the Commission's rules regarding the qualification criteria for enhanced Lifeline and Link-Up service. In addition, the Commission declines to adopt a rule that would require resolution of the merits of any request for ETC designation within six months of the filing date. The Commission also declines to extend the enhanced low- income programs to the Northern Mariana Islands.