FCC Closes Hundreds of 'Dormant' Proceedings, Including AT&T/T-Mobile, Sirius/XM
The FCC terminated "dormant" proceedings, such as AT&T's failed buy of T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom, the Sirius/XM satellite radio combination and a few begun under bureaus that no longer exist in name after restructuring. "We received no responsive comments" to…
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a seventh dormant proceedings termination public notice Sept. 12, said a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau order in Thursday's Daily Digest and docket 18-272 (there were two short "express" comments). "CGB finds no justification for keeping open any of the dockets" listed in an attachment, totaling over 380, by our count. Several Common Carrier Bureau (now the Wireline Bureau) proceedings date to 1991 and 1992, including on competitive service and facility rates under a "3rd Computer Inquiry," local multipoint distribution service rules at 27.5-29.5 GHz, and applying open network architecture and nondiscrimination safeguards to GTE companies. A Cable Bureau (now part of the Media Bureau) proceeding on carriage of broadcast DTV signals began in 1998. A proceeding on changes to Comsat's corporate structure and operations hadn't had a "standard filing" since Nov. 28, 2000, the longest-dormant one. The proceedings with the most standard filings were AT&T/T-Mobile with 4,557; Sirius/XM, 3,147; DTV carriage,1,989; and the Broadband Data Improvement Act's international comparison and consumer survey requirements,1,919. The order terminates an Office of Engineering and Technology probe from 2010 of the 1675-1710 MHz band (see 1006070094) and a request for plans to create a spectrum test city launched in 2014 (see 1407140052). The FCC ultimately sold off unpaired 1695-1710 MHZ spectrum in the AWS-3 auction. Also terminated is the Wireless Bureau’s docket on a 2005 petition for declaratory ruling filed by CTIA on whether early termination fees are rates charged for commercial mobile services under the Communications Act and FCC precedent (see 0503240118). Dead proceedings included numerous applications for transfers of control, other licensing matters and telecom service discontinuances; notifications of telecom network changes; and petitions of all sorts, including for waivers.