ISPs invested about $102.4 billion in communications infrastructure in 2022, said USTelecom in a new report Friday. It's a "21-year high for investment from the communications sector," the group said. Investments included gigabit fiber deployments, fiber and mobile network integrations, and increased rural broadband construction.
Industry groups clashed on whether the FCC should extend its current waiver of broadband data collection rules allowing filers to submit information by a non-licensed professional engineer (PE). Competitive Carriers Association and USTelecom sought an extension for an additional three filing cycles, citing workforce issues (see 2308070042). The current waiver is to expire after the next submission deadline Sept. 15. Comments were posted Tuesday in docket 19-195.
Industry associations asked the FCC to delay by 30 days the Sept. 25 deadline for filing comments on an NPRM on a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices (see 2308100032). The groups said they will need at least 45 days to develop reply comments. The current deadline for replies is Oct. 10. The filing was signed by CTIA, the Consumer Technology Association, NCTA, the Security Industry Association, the Telecommunications Industry Association and USTelecom. They asked for deadlines of Oct. 24 for initial comments, Dec. 8 for replies. “The NPRM in this proceeding asks more than 120 questions on fundamental aspects of the proposed labeling scheme,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 23-239: “This proposal, by definition, raises new and novel issues of a type that the Commission has not examined before. Implementing the program will thus require the Commission to consider many complex and consequential questions.” They called the proceeding “incredibly complex.”
FCC commenters disagreed about whether there's consumer confusion concerning the price of cable and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) video service, with video providers warning in docket 23-203 replies l that the FCC's "all-in" video pricing proposal will cause rather than fix consumer uncertainty. Confusion is already here, countered locality and broadcast interests. The sides also continued to disagree about whether the commission has legal authority for its pricing disclosure proposal. Initial comments made similar points (see 2308010028). The all-in pricing NPRM was adopted in June (see 2306200042).
The FCC sought comment on the Competitive Carriers Association and USTelecom's petition to extend a waiver of its requirement that broadband data collection filings be verified by a licensed professional engineer, per a notice for Tuesday's Federal Register (see 2308070042). Comments are due by Sept. 1, replies Sept. 11, in docket 19-195.
The FCC Enforcement Bureau redesignated USTelecom's Industry Traceback Group (ITG) as the registered consortium for the industry-led robocall traceback group, said an order Friday in docket 20-22 (see 2306120050). The ITG "continues to fight to protect consumers against illegal robocalls, scammers and spoofers and we’re honored that the FCC has once again recognized our important role in this work," said USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter: "The volume of illegal robocalls is declining, but there’s still more work to be done."
A bill that would restrict California regulators’ discretion to make extra rules for NTIA’s broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program dismayed local and consumer advocates. With a month left in session, California legislators are also weighing broadband bills to require wireless eligibility for federal funding and to streamline broadband permitting. Assembly Communications Committee Chair Tasha Boerner (D) said the goal of her BEAD bill (AB-662) is to bring “accountability” to the California Public Utilities Commission.
USTelecom names Alanna Chapell, ex-office of Rep. Daniel Kildee, D-Mich., director-government affairs ... The Blue Owl Group, consultants including for internet, launches with Colin Crowell, ex-Twitter vice president and ex-FCC senior counselor, as managing director and including as advisers Alder Renewables’ Ian Punkett, Lucia Gamboa, Ledyard Group’s Lauren Culbertson Grieco, all also ex-Twitter, and Sotera Consulting founder Patricia Cartes Andres, ex-Google.
Industry groups disagreed on an FCC NPRM proposing to expand certain robocall rules to all voice service providers, in comments posted Thursday in docket 17-97. Commissioners adopted the item in May (see 2305180036). Some urged caution and asked the FCC to grant flexibility if it mandates any additional call blocking rules.
The Competitive Carriers Association and USTelecom asked the FCC for an exemption for three more filing cycles from a requirement that broadband data collection filings be verified by a licensed professional engineer. The process under a previous waiver (see 2207080072) “has been effective, with no impact to the quality or accuracy of the BDC filings, and there remains an ongoing industry need for a waiver of the PE requirement,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-195: “A strict imposition of the … requirement would fail to reflect the realities of the broadband workforce and hinder broadband deployment for both mobile and fixed networks, as acknowledged by the Commission in its declaratory ruling and granting of limited waiver last year.” The current waiver expires after the next filing in September.