The Chiefs of the Wireline Competition Bureau, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and Office of Engineering and Technology (collectively, the Bureaus), in an order on reconsideration of the 2018 Connect America Fund (CAF) Performances Measures Order, have revised the mean opinion score (MOS) test methodology for services supported by CAF. In response to Petitions for Reconsideration from Hughes Network Systems, LLC and Viasat, Inc., the Bureaus, recognizing that there are few laboratories that specialize in testing and the high cost of such testing, modified the requirement to allow for testing twice a year rather than quarterly. In addition, the Bureaus will allow carriers to conduct testing in a centralized environment, rather than a laboratory, using non-customer test subjects and the actual satellite network. The Bureaus also rejected arguments that the CAF Performance Measures Order’s clarifications regarding testing are inapplicable to CAF Phase II support recipients awarded support in conjunction with New York State through its New NY Broadband Program.
