Several Questions Added to E-rate NPRM

The FCC made several changes to its final NPRM establishing a central online portal for E-rate's competitive bidding process, according to our analysis of the draft (see 2112140062). Commissioners approved the item during the agency's December meeting, held on Tuesday. Among the changes are questions on whether a bidding portal would "help to promote fair and open competitive bidding and reduce fraud." The item also seeks comment on "how great the risk is that applicants or service providers may alter or ignore qualified bids to affect the bidding process." The NPRM asks whether the bidding portal should be treated as a "repository for bids that would permit applicants to upload bids received after the fact, but would not require service providers to submit bids through the portal." It also seeks comment on how the portal would interact with state and local procurement rules or procedures. There's a question about moving the portal's launch date to 2024 instead of the initially proposed 2025, a change sought by Commissioner Brendan Carr.