AUSTIN, Nov. 10 – The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC) board of directors today adopted a resolution urging the FCC to expedite federal funding to areas that have not accepted Connect America Funding (CAF), and a resolution supporting the recommendations made by a next generation (NG) 911 working group.

The resolution, which was sponsored by Commissioner Catherine J.K. Sandoval, a member of the California Public Utilities Commission and vice chair of NARUC’s Telecommunications Committee, calls on the FCC to expedite availability of remote areas funding and Connect America Funding (CAF) to unserved and underserved rural areas where carriers have not yet accepted federal funding.

The resolution urges the FCC to “move as quickly as possible to implement the competitive bidding process for the Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF II) and Remote Area Fund (RAF) in order to ensure the timely availability of broadband facilities and services to the CAF II defined and more remote areas of the nation, including tribal regions, where incumbent carriers have declined support from the CAF II, and in remote areas.”

The board of directors also approved a resolution endorsing the FCC Task Force on Optimal PSAP Architecture Working Group 3’s report released on Sept. 28.

The resolution, which is sponsored by Washington Utilities and Transportation Commissioner Philip Jones, who chaired the working group, urges the FCC to give “serious consideration” to the recommendations made by working group 3 in the report discussing the state of 911 fees and resource allocations and concluding, among other things, that current fee collections mechanisms “are outmoded given current and future technological changes, and are in dire need to be modernized to be more equitable, consistent, and sustainable,” and that “the system of fee collection and allocation of expenditures for 911 systems is breaking down at the same time the nation is aggressively looking to deploy NG 911 systems.”

Among other things, the report recommended that more effective mechanisms for coordination at state and regional levels be developed to accelerate the timely and cost-effective transition to NG911 systems. The report also recommends the FCC establish a new local and state government advisory committee on 911 to continue the work initiated by working group 3 and “to assess these issues in more detail.”

The resolution endorses the findings of the report, and as well as FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposal to seek legislation to permit the FCC to use proceeds from the spectrum auctions to provide funds to state and local governments to accelerate the transition to NG 911.

During today’s board meeting, Commissioner Jones urged fellow state commissioners to go back to their states and “take a look at your 911 fees and if your states are diverting any funds intended for 911.” – Carrie DeLeon, carrie.deleon@wolterskluwer.com

Courtesy TRDaily