ITTA and USTelecom asked the FCC to deregulate certain broadband transport services provided by rate-of-return carriers, in a filing posted to docket 17-144 Thursday. The trade groups said RoR TDM transport revenue has declined sharply in recent years, offering carrier-specific sample data as evidence, and request "nationwide relief from ex ante pricing regulation of their TDM transport services." Last fall, the agency opened two Further NPRMs, on how it could end ex-ante pricing regulation for low-speed TDM transport and looking at removing pricing regulation on TDM transport services of price-cap carriers (see 1903120039). At the time, the commission also voted to allow some RoR telcos to choose incentive regulation for business data services (see 1810230032).

AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier Communications, Verizon and USTelecom met with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Monday to seek support for USTelecom's petition for forbearance (see 1905130050), the group said, posted to docket 18-141 Thursday. The ILECs ask for relief from continued unbundling of analog loops for resale to competitive LECs and the unbundling of DS1, DS3 loops and digital DS0 loops in areas where cable operators provide robust broadband competition "because retail customers have options for obtaining high-capacity services from at least two providers relying on distinct networks." Attendees included Joan Marsh of AT&T, Ken Mason of Frontier, Kathleen Grillo of Verizon and USTelecom chief Jonathan Spalter. CLECs oppose the petition (see 1906040018). "Contrary to the hyperbole of petition opponents, this is primarily an urban, business issue, not a rural or residential broadband issue," the group said.

Talks on a compromise anti-robocall bill appear to be rapidly progressing, House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., told reporters Tuesday. “We may be in a good place” after “productive discussions” with House Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., on a bill that combines elements from the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (HR-946) and six other measures the House Communications Subcommittee examined in April (see 1904300212). Walden previously said he wants a “safe harbor” provision to shield carriers if they follow the rules but block a call that isn't actually a robocall (see 1905150041). Pallone, Walden and House Communications ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, are speaking during a Tuesday USTelecom event on anti-robocall initiatives. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, FTC Chairman Joe Simons and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., also are on the agenda. Thursday, commissioners vote on a declaratory ruling allowing carriers to block unwanted calls to their customers “by default” and giving consumers the ability to block callers not on their contact list (see 1906030008). The Tuesday USTelecom program will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Capitol Visitors Center room SVC 201-00.

New York senators will soon study a net neutrality bill passed Tuesday by the Assembly, a Senate Majority spokesperson said Wednesday. The Assembly voted 109-37 Tuesday to pass A-2432 by Assemblymember Patricia Fahy (D). Alternative measures are pending in the Senate, but Fahy told us she hopes to corral support for her bill to limit state and local government contracts to ISPs that follow open-internet rules. Passing net neutrality in New York would be significant given its size and influence, said Northwestern University law professor James Speta Wednesday.

Incompas and competitive LEC members want the FCC to protect access to unbundled network elements (UNEs) from ILECs, they noted, posted Tuesday in docket 18-141. Members use the UNEs to deliver competitive services to both residential consumers and business customers, offering specialized services that ILECs "cannot or will not provide," Incompas said. Over time, CLECs are able to transition some of their customers to their own fiber-based networks, Incompas added, noted it's more difficult to do so when states approve substantially higher rates that ILECs can charge for UNE access. The Incompas group met with nine FCC staffers, including Wireline Bureau Chief Kris Monteith and Office of Economics and Analytics Associate Chief Eric Ralph, to urge the agency to reject USTelecom's forbearance petition (see 1905130050). USTelecom says forbearance from requirements to sell transport services as UNEs would promote competitive market conditions (see 1905280043).

Chairman Ajit Pai told fellow commissioners Friday a Further NPRM on robocalls is being changed to add a proposal that the FCC mandate secure handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) and secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) technology if major voice providers don’t comply with demands that it be implemented by year-end, officials said. The change came after the start of the sunshine period on the item, closing off outreach.

Hamilton Relay supports for traditional telephone relay service, captioned telephone service and speech-to-speech services the provider compensation rates that the interstate TRS fund administrator’s proposed for the July 1-June 30 period. The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau sought comment on proposed per-minute compensation rates for certain forms of TRS subject to the multistate average rate structure plan methodology. Hamilton also wants the FCC to compensate IP CTS providers “at a rate that, at minimum, represents their reasonable costs of providing the service,” it commented, posted Wednesday in docket 03-123. CaptionCall and Sorenson Communications urged the FCC to revisit the rate for IP CTS, saying it “suffers from vulnerabilities and deficiencies.” USTelecom applauded the FCC for “taking steps to be fiscally responsible” but urged the agency to establish a longer time frame “between when the final rates and budget size are announced and the effective date.” Replies are due June 7.

Interests representing ILECs and competitive LECs pressed opposing sides in replies mainly posted Wednesday in FCC docket 18-141 on a USTelecom petition for forbearance from selling unbundled network elements (UNEs) to competing telcos (see 1905140012). Incompas argued the Wireline Bureau "should not rely on unreliable data" in current broadband coverage maps (see 1905230043) in deciding, and that USTelecom "attempts to use the predictions of eventual competition made over two years ago to substitute for proof of actual competition today." Incompas said USTelecom hasn't met the burden of proof under forbearance procedures to demonstrate competitors are providing fiber in significant quantity to justify relief to ILECs from selling UNEs.

The digital divide is narrowing "substantially," with Americans without a 25/3 Mbps connection dropping from 26.1 million at the end of 2016 to 21.3 million a year later, the FCC said Wednesday in its 2018 broadband deployment report. But the agency's minority Democratic commissioners dissented, saying the report is built on a shaky foundation of invalid data -- sentiments echoed by some observers. "The rosy picture ... is fundamentally at odds with reality," Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said. The agency withdrew and reworked an earlier draft due to "drastically overstated" deployment data from one ISP (see 1905010205).

Fernando Laguarda, American University College of Law, rejoins Harris Wiltshire as of counsel ... New spatial computing company Meta View, in acquiring Meta’s assets, names Jay Wright, ex-Qualcomm, CEO ... Intelsat appoints David Tolley, ex-OneWeb, executive vice president-chief financial officer ... USTelecom hires Kristine Fargotstein, from FCC, as vice president-policy and advocacy ... Enterprise Wireless Alliance elects new board members Gary Lorenz, Selex ES; Nick Pennance, Tait Communications; and Tim Sage, Tactical Public Safety.