Broadband stimulus feature: 'Incumbents do not have a veto' and other words of hope

Those who’ve been following this column know that one of my pet rants has been against the backdoor incumbent challenge clause in the NOFA rules, the one that allows incumbents in an area to challenge an app claiming they already service the proposed coverage area. It looks like the tide has turned in favor of applicants in this area.

Asst. Sec Lawrence Strickling, head of NTIA, stated unequivocally in a recent Congressional hearing that “incumbents do not have a veto” over NOFA applications...