Comcast/NBCUniversal likely doesn't have much to fear about the looming expiration of conditions on that 2010 deal, with it being unlikely either the DOJ or FCC will seek behavioral or structural conditions beyond that time, experts told us. But there's disagreement whether Justice's bid to block AT&T's buy of Time Warner (TW) (see 1711210005) indicates the agency should be doing something on Comcast/NBCU. The FCC conditions expire Jan. 20, and DOJ conditions expire in September. Public Knowledge (PK) on Friday became the latest party to call for Justice action on the expiring conditions.

Comcast/NBCUniversal likely doesn't have much to fear about the looming expiration of conditions on that 2010 deal, with it being unlikely either the DOJ or FCC will seek behavioral or structural conditions beyond that time, experts told us. But there's disagreement whether Justice's bid to block AT&T's buy of Time Warner (TW) (see 1711210005) indicates the agency should be doing something on Comcast/NBCU. The FCC conditions expire Jan. 20, and DOJ conditions expire in September. Public Knowledge (PK) on Friday became the latest party to call for Justice action on the expiring conditions.

Maine commissioners should decisively upend the status quo on pole attachments to spur broadband, government officials commented this week in Public Utilities Commission docket 2017-00247. The PUC is weighing changes as directed by a 2017 state law (see 1712060035). Pole riders including cable companies, CLECs and municipal broadband operators said pole-owner practices impede broadband deployment in the largely rural state. But pole owner FairPoint, recently acquired by Consolidated Communications, resisted changes.

Maine commissioners should decisively upend the status quo on pole attachments to spur broadband, government officials commented this week in Public Utilities Commission docket 2017-00247. The PUC is weighing changes as directed by a 2017 state law (see 1712060035). Pole riders including cable companies, CLECs and municipal broadband operators said pole-owner practices impede broadband deployment in the largely rural state. But pole owner FairPoint, recently acquired by Consolidated Communications, resisted changes.

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced the Open Internet Preservation Act in a bid for a permanent solution for net neutrality rules, as expected, getting ISP and Republican kudos and some tech concern. The FCC's vote last week to rescind 2015 net neutrality rules and related reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1712140039) means “we can do this” with a legal basis in Communications Act Title I, Blackburn said in a Twitter video. Earlier Tuesday, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., continued opposing the rules, as expected (see 1712130053).

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced the Open Internet Preservation Act in a bid for a permanent solution for net neutrality rules, as expected, getting ISP and Republican kudos and some tech concern. The FCC's vote last week to rescind 2015 net neutrality rules and related reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1712140039) means “we can do this” with a legal basis in Communications Act Title I, Blackburn said in a Twitter video. Earlier Tuesday, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., continued opposing the rules, as expected (see 1712130053).

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced the Open Internet Preservation Act in a bid for a permanent solution for net neutrality rules, as expected, getting ISP and Republican kudos and some tech concern. The FCC's vote last week to rescind 2015 net neutrality rules and related reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1712140039) means “we can do this” with a legal basis in Communications Act Title I, Blackburn said in a Twitter video. Earlier Tuesday, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., continued opposing the rules, as expected (see 1712130053).

Lack of positive train control was potentially a contributing cause of an Amtrak derailment Monday that killed three passengers and injured more than 100, as the train careened off a bridge outside Tacoma, Washington. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and said Tuesday the train was traveling at 80 mph on a 30-mph stretch. PTC is designed in part to slow speeding trains through automatic breaking.

One state AG who hasn't committed to suing the FCC may have “financial incentive to make deep pocketed [telecom industry] donors happy,” Tellus Venture Associates President Steve Blum blogged Monday. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra sued over several other Trump administration actions but didn't immediately join about a dozen other Democratic state AGs planning to sue the FCC over last week’s order to rescind Communications Act Title II net-neutrality protections, said Blum, a telecom consultant for local governments in California. Becerra last week said the FCC was wrong but he was still weighing legal options (see 1712140044). Becerra raised $10,500 so far for the 2018 election from AT&T, Charter Communications and Comcast, including Comcast itself and two of its officials, according to figures on FollowTheMoney.org. “That’s just the start, since he’s only raised about $2 million for his campaign, which is less than a tenth of what it can cost to win a statewide race in California,” Blum said. Becerra didn’t comment Monday. Meanwhile, Maine Attorney General Janet Mills (D), also running for governor, tweeted Friday she will join the state AG lawsuit. In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and AG Bob Ferguson (D) were to answer questions on reddit Monday after our deadline, the Washington AG office tweeted. Other net neutrality news Monday: Legislators are debating whether to roll back the deregulation 1712180047 and eBay is opposing the order 1712180025.

A proposed revamp to a contributions mechanism in Maine’s E-rate fund “could run afoul of federal law by potentially burdening the federal program,” CTIA commented, filed Friday in docket 2017-00283. The Public Utilities Commission is deciding how to implement this year's state law changing Maine Telecom Education Access Fund contributions to a voice connections-based mechanism from one based on intrastate revenue, and telecom officials raised no major objections at an agency hearing this month (see 1712050041). But CTIA said the proposed flat-rate assessment of 21 cents per connection may inadvertently apply to interstate revenue. The association sought changes to ensure the proposed rule follows the federal Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act, which permits states only to charge mobile customers whose primary address is in the state. Comcast similarly commented that assignment of the state's 207 area code shouldn’t be a factor. The rule should treat VoIP and traditional phone service the same, the cable company said. The Telecommunications Association of Maine supported the proposed rule, urging the commission to set a July 1 effective date.