The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has announced its intention to publicly release a list of the handsets designated by each mobile wireless provider in the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) challenge process for challengers to use when conducting speed tests in areas deemed presumptively ineligible for MF-II support. Currently, this information is available only through the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) challenge portal, which challengers may access only after agreeing to keep the information confidential. Commission staff has determined that making this information public would cause no competitive harm to the providers and could assist those challengers that are governmental entities in assessing whether they wish to engage in the challenge process and register for the USAC challenge portal.
Any provider that wishes to oppose the release of a list of its selected handsets must file an objection and explain why release of the list will reveal information not already made available to the public and will harm it competitively. Any such provider must include a description of the extent of that harm, as well as provide all other information and support for its request for confidentiality under Section 0.459(b) of the Cmmission’s rules. Such requests for confidential treatment must be submitted no later than June 4, 2018.
