NTIA and State Department representatives met with FCC staff to talk about tweaking the language regarding international waters in the commission's open proceeding on rewriting submarine cable rules. In a docket 24-524 filing posted Wednesday, NTIA said State clarified the language that it recommended instead of "international waters," since that isn't a term that has meaning under the international law of the sea. The FCC adopted the subsea cable NPRM unanimously in November (see 2411210006).

The FCC Office of Managing Director announced that the proposed universal service contribution factor for Q3 2025 will be 0.360, or 36%. That’s slightly higher than analyst Billy Jack Gregg's projection of 35% (see 2505060009). The proposed rate is based on overall demand of $2.2 billion, with a contribution requirement of $2.1 billion.

Ripple Fiber, a fiber-optic network builder and operator headquartered in Charlotte agreed to buy fellow North Carolina-based BridgeNet Fiber. “BridgeNET will continue to operate the market and will be empowered with the capital and a toolset to support rapid expansion,” Ripple Fiber said Tuesday. “This transaction embodies a new approach to augment Ripple Fiber’s expansion strategy, creating partnerships with entrepreneurs and network owner-operators across the country that intentionally mirror Ripple Fiber’s ethos.” Financial terms weren't announced.

Comments are due June 25 in docket 25-191 on Consolidated Communications’ request to discontinue legacy voice and DSL services in portions of Wexford, Pennsylvania, said a public notice posted Tuesday. The company needs to discontinue service because of a vehicle collision with its loop splitter cabinet, the application said. “Specifically, the damaged cabinet and power pedestal are located in a residential area and a recent power outage revealed that powering the cabinet with a standby generator is dangerous because of the damage to the power pedestal.” The legacy service will be replaced by “modern, fiber-based voice and broadband services,” the application said.

The FCC received both support and additional questions in response to a public notice on the telecommunications relay services (TRS) fund administrator’s latest proposed provider compensation formulas and funding requirements (see 2505220039). Comments were due Friday in docket 03-123. The proposed formulas would apply starting July 1 and run through June 30, 2026.

The FCC Wireline Bureau has denied TuCel Puerto Rico’s appeal of a Universal Service Administrative Co. decision to recover Emergency Broadband Benefit funds from the provider, said an order Friday. TuCel initially appealed the matter to USAC but requested a bureau review once that appeal was denied. “We find that USAC properly determined that TuCel improperly enrolled subscribers through an unapproved verification process without confirming their eligibility,” the order said. “We deny TuCel’s appeal and will continue the recovery action against TuCel.”

The Wireline Bureau granted Shentel’s request for a waiver to allow the company's affiliate, Chillicothe Telephone in Ohio, to transition its business data services from rate-of-return to incentive regulation, said an order Friday. “We find that permitting CTC to move from inefficient rate-of-return regulation to more efficient incentive regulation serves the public interest,” the bureau said.

The FCC Wireline Bureau on Friday rejected a request from Big Bend Telephone Co. seeking review of a decision of the Universal Service Administrative Co., saying USAC "properly sought recovery" of USF high-cost support “based on the company’s failure to comply with the Commission’s rules.” The Texas wireline provider appealed the USAC decision during the 2012-14 audit review period. “We direct USAC to proceed with the recovery of more than $5.5 million in improperly paid support,” the bureau said. A USAC review identified 13 findings of noncompliance in the period, the order noted.

The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector signed off on part of a deal from last year in which T-Mobile will invest $4.9 billion in a joint venture with investment firm KKR to buy fiber-based provider Metronet (see 2407240020). The committee, more widely known as Team Telecom, approved, with conditions, the transfer of international Section 214 authority from Metronet Holdings to MetroNet Systems, said a filing Thursday in docket 24-244.

WorldNet Telecommunications representatives spoke with FCC Wireline Bureau staff about “the significant issues and barriers it and other broadband providers now face in obtaining access to electrical utility pole attachments in Puerto Rico.” They discussed how pole attachment issues slowed the ability to offer broadband there, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-84.