The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) has adopted an Order, on its own motion, granting a limited waiver of the requirements for filing speed and latency testing results for recipients of Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF-II) model-based support. Specifically, the WCB will allow CAF-II carriers “to make reasonable assumptions to determine certain information for the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) Speed and Latency Testing Templates, provided such assumptions do not change the carriers’ speed and latency testing results.” Practically-speaking, this waiver will allow CAF-II recipients to use their existing performance testing mechanisms. However, the Order also cautioned that CAF-II recipients, to the extent they “participate in future high-cost programs that require speed and latency testing” will be required to “adjust their system to provide all of the information required to complete the Templates without using any assumptions.”
