Vol. 17, No. 42
November 1, 2021
Member Spotlight: Comstar Supply Inc.
Comstar Supply Inc. is a national distributor of materials and equipment powering the broadband industry. During our monthly Member Spotlight, Comstar Supply CEO Chad Punchard discusses:
  • The critical role of distribution in the broadband infrastructure supply chain
  • How COVID has impacted the distribution business
  • Best practices as the industry are moving past the pandemic and focusing on building out broadband infrastructure across the nation
FCC Announces November Meeting Agenda
The FCC will consider these items at its November 18 open meeting:

  • Enabling Text-to-988 – The FCC will consider a Second Report and Order that would require covered text providers to support text messaging to 988 by routing certain text messages sent to 988 to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline by July 16, 2022.



  • Kinéis Low-Earth Orbit Satellites Market Access – The FCC will consider an Order and Declaratory Ruling on Kinéis’ petition to access the U.S. market using a low-earth orbit satellite system to provide connectivity for Internet of Things devices, as well as enhancements to maritime domain awareness through monitoring of maritime communications.
Workshop on Broadband Data Collection for Tribal Governments
The FCC’s Broadband Data Task Force, Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA), and Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP) will host an initial online workshop on Wednesday, December 8, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. EST to provide information about the FCC's Broadband Data Collection program and technical assistance on the procedures that Tribes will use to submit primary broadband availability data.

To register to participate remotely, interested parties should send an e-mail with their name, contact information, and Tribal affiliation to TribalBroadbandDataWorkshop@fcc.gov.
Broadband Funding Included in BBB, Economic Spending Bills
Following President Biden’s announcement of his Build Back Better Act framework, legislative text of the $1.75 trillion tax and spending package was released by House Democrats last Thursday. It ear more than $1 billion in funding for broadband, including:
  • $100 million for the FCC to educate the public about the various broadband programs
  • $295 million to NTIA for pilot projects for public private partnerships to increase access to broadband in urban areas including for communities of color and lower and middle income communities. It includes $5M for an advisory committee to
  • $475 million to NTIA for a broadband device program and $5M to educate the public on the availability of the grant
  • $300 million for the FCC’s existing Emergency Connectivity Fund
  • $470 million for NG911
  • $7 million for the Secretary of Commerce to create a Future of Telecommunications Council to advise Congress on the development and adoption of 6G and other advanced wireless communications technologies
The funding is being made available from unappropriated Treasury funding. You can review the bill section-by-section here.
Legislation Introduced to Improve Rural Broadband Mapping
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) introduced H.R. 5512 - the Reviewing and Updating Regional And Local (RURAL) Broadband Mapping Act - which would allow federal broadband infrastructure funds to be more accurately dispersed to unserved and underserved areas in states that have published more accurate broadband deployment maps than the ones produced by the FCC. Specifically, grant applicants would be able to substitute on Form 477 their state’s broadband deployment mapping data in lieu of the FCC’s mapping data, so long as the FCC determines the data from the state is superior to the FCC's outdated broadband mapping data.
INCOMPAS Joins Group Urging Infrastructure Passage
Connect Americans Now, a group of companies and organizations advocating for increased broadband deployment, sent a letter on Monday to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calling on Congress to boost broadband deployment, in part by clearing the bipartisan infrastructure bill (H.R. 3684), which the Senate passed in August.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically underscored the urgent national imperative of closing the broadband gap to ensure every American has access to an affordable and reliable broadband connection and the digital skills needed to unlock the full potential of modern technology,” the letter reads.