The Rural Wireless Association, Inc. (RWA) has requested a waiver of the enhanced transparency requirements adopted by the FCC in its 2015 Open Internet Order for all Internet Service providers (ISPs) with 100,000 or fewer broadband connections. When adopting the enhanced transparency rule governing the content and format of broadband disclosures, the FCC also established a temporary exemption for “small business” providers, defined as providers with 100,000 or fewer broadband connections, from the enhanced transparency rule. Last year the FCC extended the small business exemption through December 15, 2016 to allow for further evaluation of the exemption, including whether to make it permanent. However, the FCC has permitted the exemption to lapse, and the recent approval by the Office of Management and Budget established a January 17, 2017 effective date for the enhanced transparency rule. Until then, RWA has asked that the FCC waive the enhanced transparency rule, which would maintain the status quo and avoid imposing additional regulatory obligations on small ISPs who provide broadband to rural and underserved areas.
