The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) and Office of Economics and Analytics have denied Etheric Communications’ Petition for Reconsideration of the Bureau’s decision to reject Etheric’s request for waiver of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation documentation deadline. The Commission has affirmed the Bureau’s decision to reject Etheric’s argument that the Bureau erroneously determined that Etheric has been unable to obtain its ETC designation and should have waited until Etheric exhausted all of its administrative remedies before ruling on Etheric’s Petition for Waiver. The Commission concludes that Etheric’s Petition for Waiver should be rejected because it would not be in the public interest to delay a decision on Etheric’s long-form application while Etheric pursues other administrative remedies, such as an appeal of the California Public Utilities Commission’s decision.
