The Federal Communications Commission has resolved the remaining petitions for reconsideration of its decisions in the February 2017 Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) Report and Order, the decision implementing a framework for the MF-II reverse auction. The Commission received seven petitions for reconsideration of the MF-II Report & Order. In the August 2017 MF-II Challenge Process Order, the Commission resolved the petitions for reconsideration that raised issues related to the MF-II challenge process, but it deferred consideration of the remaining issues. This week’s Order addresses those remaining issues as follows:
- Grants requests for clarification that the collocation requirement for MF-II applies to all newly constructed towers;
- Grants in part and denies in part requests regarding MF-II recipients’ obligation to obtain and maintain a letter of credit (LOC) by modifying LOC requirements to be consistent with those for recipients of Connect America Fund Phase II support (the fixed broadband counterpart to this mobile broadband program);
- Denies requests to modify the MF-II budget and disbursement schedule;
- Denies requests to modify performance metrics, bidding credits, and the treatment of equipment exclusivity agreements; and
- Denies requests to limit the Universal Service Administrative Corporation’s role in testing MF-II recipients’ compliance with performance metrics, public interest obligations, or other program requirements.
