Around The States.

New Mexico

The thousands of Navajo Nation residents who rely on the Internet to work, study and communicate across their 27,000-sq.-mi. reservation likely to be without Internet service starting April 7. A tribal audit last year reportedly revealed Utah-based provider OnSat Network Communications Inc. may have double- billed the tribe, raising questions about how the tribe requested bids for the Internet contract. Those discoveries then led the Universal Service Administration Co., which administers the USF under the Federal Communications Commission's E-rate program, to tell the tribe last month it would withhold $2.1 million from OnSat. And OnSat now says the delay in payment means it can't pay subcontractor SES Americom for satellite time.

The tribe now is being asked to prove OnSat provided the service for which it billed. OnSat doesn't believe the report is valid. The Navajo Nation has until May to respond to USAC's letter, and the USAC can release full or partial funding or continue to withhold funding, according to a USAC spokeswoman. As things stand now, OnSat says it will continue to provide Internet services for the tribe's Division of Public Safety and the Office of the President and Vice President, offices whose satellite service isn't dependent on FCC funding.

Kentucky

According to the state PSC, the lifespan of area code 270 has been increased again, allowing another postponement in the starting date for area code 364 in far western Kentucky. The optional use of area code 364 now will take effect April 1, 2010, 15 months later than previously announced. In delaying the transition, the PSC will set a new deadline for mandatory use of area code 364 after further assessment of the effect of a FCC decision regarding the assignment of telephone numbers in the present area code 270.

Area code 364 will cover the western portion of the current area code 270, which includes the cities of Henderson, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Murray and Paducah.

Vermont