Vermont and ISP groups agreed to extend a freeze on net neutrality litigation until Jan. 3 or when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals resolves suits on California’s open internet law, whichever happens first. Defendant Vermont and plaintiffs ACA Connects, CTIA, NCTA, USTelecom and the New England Cable & Telecommunications Association filed a stipulation Wednesday at U.S. District Court of Vermont. Case 2:18-cv-167 could resume Monday if the court doesn’t extend terms of a previous order (see 2105030047).

The Voice on the Net Coalition sought two more weeks for comments, another two for replies, on a Further NPRM addressing robocalls and gateway providers (see 2111040058). The request was backed by the Cloud Communications Alliance, CTIA, GSMA, Incompas, NCTA, NTCA and USTelecom.

Exempt calls blocked through a Do Not Originate list from the notification requirements, Somos asked FCC Governmental Affairs Bureau staff in an ex parte posted Tuesday in docket 17-59. Somos said its primary concern about USTelecom's petition for reconsideration of call blocking notifications was "how the notification requirements would operate when blocking calls" from a DNO list (see 2105200074). The notifications "could alert the party spoofing that the number they have spoofed will be blocked, leading them to try spoofing a different number," it said.

With a full complement of FCC commissioners possible soon, Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service state members told us they’re looking forward to reconvening with the federal side. At NARUC’s Sunday through Nov. 10 hybrid meeting, state regulators plan to discuss possible changes to the USF contribution mechanism and consider a resolution to support energy utilities expanding broadband. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is to speak on a Wednesday NARUC panel on USF contribution with consultant Carol Mattey and AT&T and NCTA officials (agenda).

U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit judges questioned whether the FCC failed to consider data Inteliquent submitted to the commission before the agency adopted its 8YY access reform order, Monday in case 20-1471 (see 2010090064). Central is whether the rate factors in cost or whether the FCC considered all data it received.

FCC Wireline Bureau attorney-adviser Douglas Slotten plans to retire ... Competitive Carriers Association promotes Josh Perez to associate policy counsel ... In ViacomCBS' buying a majority of Spanish-language content company Fox TeleColombia & Estudios TeleMexico from Disney and the founding family (see 2110280007), Samuel Duque Rozo, founder-CEO of the company being purchased, continues "to exclusively support the business from a creative and strategic advisory position, and Samuel Duque Duque, current president, will lead the business," which comes "under the remit" of ViacomCBS International Studios and Networks Americas President JC Acosta.

Congress didn’t intend for VoIP customers to pay more for 911 than landline users, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. The court denied Autauga County and other Alabama 911 districts’ challenge to an FCC order restricting state, local and tribal governments in Alabama from charging higher 911 calling fees for VoIP than traditional telecom services (see 1910250063). The 911 districts argued Congress’ 911 fee parity rule allowed them to charge VoIP and non-VoIP providers using a different unit of measure for each if they applied the same base fee for each unit. “We independently arrive at the same conclusion as the FCC,” wrote Judge Robin Rosenbaum (in Pacer). “We base our determination on congressional intent as expressed in the statutory text, structure, and purpose of the NET 911 Act.” Congress’ 911 fee parity rule “precludes any unit of measurement that results in higher total fees for VoIP subscribers than for non-VoIP subscribers with the same outbound concurrent call capacity,” said Rosenbaum: The point “is to ensure that VoIP and non-VoIP subscribers financially support 911 facilities to the same extent that they burden the hotline service.” The Alabama group’s reading “would create a financial disincentive to potential VoIP providers and subscribers alike to invest in VoIP services,” contrary to Congress’ desire to encourage a rapid VoIP transition, she said. Judges Robert Luck and Lanier Anderson joined the opinion. The Alabama districts, FCC and intervenors USTelecom, NCTA and AT&T didn’t comment by our deadline.

Verizon Senior Vice President-Chief Privacy Officer Karen Zacharia plans to retire from the carrier in 2022; Donna Epps moves up to senior vice president-public policy and strategic alliances and Sue Vinci ascends to vice president-chief privacy officer, reporting to Epps, to whom Global Public Policy teams that are led by Director-International Public Policy Fiona Taylor also report ... Continental Automated Buildings Association names Greg Walker CEO, succeeding Ron Zimmer, retired after 23 years with the organization.

SMPTE announces Barbara Lange will step down as executive director when her contract expires year-end; SMPTE board will launch search for her successor ... NCTA Senior Vice President-Industry and Association Affairs Rob Stoddard to retire, effective Jan. 3 ... CPB names Stephen Wilkins, ex-Alexandria (Virginia) City Public Schools, as senior vice president-human resources and diversity, equity and inclusion, effective Dec. 6; he reports directly to President-CEO Patricia Harrison ... Georgetown Law's Center on National Security appoints ex-Cisco Chief Legal Officer Mark Chandler a senior fellow, National Security and Technology Program.

Collecting regulatory fees from tech companies and users of unlicensed spectrum would be a huge task, outside FCC authority, and hamper broadband adoption, said trade associations and others in comments posted to docket 21-190 by Thursday’s deadline. Comments about establishing a small satellite regulatory fee also had multiple calls in the commercial space sector for creating new fee categories for other types of space operations.