The FCC Wireline Competition Bureau extended the deadline by 12 days to May 28 for replies to an April public notice regarding supplemental data tables on price caps to business data services amid consideration of a USTelecom forbearance petition. Incompas asked this week for the additional time (see 1905140017). The bureau also extended in a public notice in Wednesday's Daily Digest, regarding dockets including 18-141, access to April data tables until June 30 “to allow interested parties additional time to access the data and supplement the record” in their replies or in ex parte communications. USTelecom seeks forbearance from requirements to provide broadband transport as an unbundled network element to competitive LECs.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Wednesday he will ask commissioners to vote June 6 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. Pai said an accompanying Further NPRM will ask how caller ID authentication standards can help with call blocking.
It wouldn’t be right for the FCC to cite business data services statistics from an April 15 notice (see 1905140017) in support of a USTelecom petition to remove a mandate that incumbent LECs provide transport network services to CLECs as an unbundled network element, the California Public Utilities Commission commented in docket 18-141 (see 1905130050). “Doing so would be inconsistent with the Commission’s forbearance rules, and would violate basic principles of procedural fairness,” the CPUC said Thursday. The FCC’s “complete-as-filed rule” says that the “party seeking forbearance bears the burden of production,” and allowing the data so late in the proceeding doesn’t give other parties enough time to complete comments “without unreasonably burdening their resources,” the CPUC said.
Three telecom groups sought a graduated, escalating FCC response to noncompliance with Connect America Fund speed and latency requirements. Currently, "even a one percent miss" results "in suspension of funding," ITTA, USTelecom and the Wireless ISP Association reported telling an aide to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. That makes it "more difficult for CAF recipients to meet buildout milestones and performance obligations going forward," said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 10-90. Such a compliance gap below 5 percent would have no consequences, under their plan; 5-10 percent would mean quarterly reporting mandates; and 10-15 percent would also mean withholding CAF support unless it narrowed to 5 percent or less within a year.
Incompas wants the FCC to extend from Thursday to May 28 the reply deadline on an April 15 public notice (see 1905140005) with supplemental business data services statistics. ILEC comments "raised issues and arguments well beyond the scope requested" by the PN, "which was expressly limited to transport services," the group said in a docket 18-141 posting Tuesday. ILECs "focused extensively on forbearance from the loop unbundling requirements asked for in USTelecom’s petition," the competitive LEC group said. "AT&T and Verizon also expressly rely on 'newly available data' wholly unrelated to the April Data Tables and the record in the BDS proceeding generally to support their argument for eliminating loop unbundling." USTelecom seeks to remove a mandate that ILECs provide transport network services to CLECs as an unbundled network element, which the competitive providers oppose (see 1905130050). USTelecom declined to comment now.
The type of LECs USTelecom asks the FCC to remove some unbundled network element rules from are incumbent providers (see 1905130050).
As the FCC considers changes to its national broadband map, states are waiting to see what ramifications those changes have on their own maps. Minnesota's broadband map shares some of the same shortcomings as the FCC's Form 477-centric map, and it's worked with providers on improvements, emailed state Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Danna MacKenzie. "We will gladly give it up if and when the federal map improves and meets our needs."
CLECs want the FCC to protect their access to the business data services market by denying a petition from USTelecom to remove a mandate that incumbent LECs provide transport network services to CLECs as an unbundled network element (UNE). The latest smaller-carrier opposition to USTelecom's petition for forbearance from requiring ILECs unbundle and resell access to some of their networks came in responses posted in docket through Monday 18-141 to an April 15 public notice with supplemental business data services statistics. CLECs contend that BDS data is limited and there was insufficient time to comment.
Akin Gump names Galen Roehl, ex-USTelecom, senior policy adviser, public law and policy practice ... Univision appoints Galiya Tleuova, ex-Time, executive vice president-finance, chief accounting officer and corporate controller, succeeding Matthew Drucker, resigned ... Beasley Media promotes Heidi Raphael to chief communications officer.
Citing the U.S. "race to 5G," Incompas wants the FCC to "deny USTelecom’s petition" on unbundled network elements forbearance (see 1905060025), Incompas CEO Chip Pickering and a representative from Allstream told Commissioner Mike O'Rielly. "Networks being built using unbundled network elements as a bridge to fiber support 5G, in addition to gigabit-speed broadband service to small businesses and residential users," Incompas wrote, posted Tuesday in dockets including 18-141. It said companies using UNEs as such a bridge "are building more fiber in the areas they operate than either the incumbent or cable." A USTelecom spokesperson emailed Wednesday that its senior vice president-advocacy and regulatory affairs “Patrick Halley’s most recent blog and filing on Monday reinforces the policy rationale and facts supporting USTelecom’s UNE forbearance petition.” Wednesday, Allstream owner Zayo agreed to be taken private (see 1905080021).