The move to 5G is a “big priority” for Verizon, with 5G to be available to subscribers in some form in 2017, Senior Vice President Kathy Grillo said in an appearance on C-SPAN’s The Communicators televised last weekend. Among the 5G use cases are fixed broadband connections for the carrier's residential subscribers, said Grillo, who runs the company's Washington office. “We’re still in the early stages.”

The move to 5G is a “big priority” for Verizon, with 5G to be available to subscribers in some form in 2017, Senior Vice President Kathy Grillo said in an appearance on C-SPAN’s The Communicators televised last weekend. Among the 5G use cases are fixed broadband connections for the carrier's residential subscribers, said Grillo, who runs the company's Washington office. “We’re still in the early stages.”

The move to 5G is a “big priority” for Verizon, with 5G to be available to subscribers in some form in 2017, Senior Vice President Kathy Grillo said in an appearance on C-SPAN’s The Communicators televised last weekend. Among the 5G use cases are fixed broadband connections for the carrier's residential subscribers, said Grillo, who runs the company's Washington office. “We’re still in the early stages.”

A New Jersey court affirmed a Board of Public Utilities stipulation for a Verizon broadband deployment requirement. In an opinion Thursday, the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, denied a challenge to the 2014 BPU decision by the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel. A 1993 board requirement required Verizon to provide broadband throughout its territory in New Jersey by 2010, but by 2012 the company had completed 99.4 percent. Verizon and the board negotiated a stipulation of settlement, and in 2014, the BPU approved a new plan whereby Verizon must provide broadband within nine months in any census tract where at least 35 customers with no access to broadband or 4G wireless make a request. The Rate Counsel said the decision was unlawful, arbitrary and capricious, and violated the Administrative Procedure Act because it was approved without a hearing. The regulator and telco said no hearing was required and the board satisfied due process by allowing the public to provide input. Verizon said the Rate Counsel should have raised procedural arguments before the board. In the opinion, the court said its role isn’t to decide whether an administrative agency policy is wise but rather if it’s lawful. “Applying this standard to our review, we conclude the Board's decision to approve the stipulation without an evidentiary hearing was supported by sufficient credible evidence on the record as a whole … and was legally correct, essentially for the reasons expressed by the Board in its order approving the stipulation.” Nobody, including the Rate Counsel, requested a hearing in comments to the board ahead of the decision, the court said: “By affording a period for public comment, the Board provided a sufficient hearing for the public and interested stakeholders to question the stipulation and to urge the Board to adopt or reject it.” The court classified the opinion as “unpublished,” meaning it’s non-precedential. The decision pleased Verizon, which is "eager to move forward and continue making the network investments that have made New Jersey one of the most wired states in the country," a spokesman said. The Rate Counsel disagrees with the decision, Division Director Stefanie Brand said. It's reviewing the opinion and considering next steps, she said. The 30,000 to 40,000 people in New Jersey without broadband access "deserve more of a hearing," she said. It's unclear "how they're going to get broadband or whether they're going to get broadband." The BPU "is satisfied" with the ruling recognizing "the wide deference granted" to the agency, including its interpretations of rules and the regulator's "flexibility in determining the most appropriate proceeding process," an agency spokesman emailed Friday.

A New Jersey court affirmed a Board of Public Utilities stipulation for a Verizon broadband deployment requirement. In an opinion Thursday, the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, denied a challenge to the 2014 BPU decision by the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel. A 1993 board requirement required Verizon to provide broadband throughout its territory in New Jersey by 2010, but by 2012 the company had completed 99.4 percent. Verizon and the board negotiated a stipulation of settlement, and in 2014, the BPU approved a new plan whereby Verizon must provide broadband within nine months in any census tract where at least 35 customers with no access to broadband or 4G wireless make a request. The Rate Counsel said the decision was unlawful, arbitrary and capricious, and violated the Administrative Procedure Act because it was approved without a hearing. The regulator and telco said no hearing was required and the board satisfied due process by allowing the public to provide input. Verizon said the Rate Counsel should have raised procedural arguments before the board. In the opinion, the court said its role isn’t to decide whether an administrative agency policy is wise but rather if it’s lawful. “Applying this standard to our review, we conclude the Board's decision to approve the stipulation without an evidentiary hearing was supported by sufficient credible evidence on the record as a whole … and was legally correct, essentially for the reasons expressed by the Board in its order approving the stipulation.” Nobody, including the Rate Counsel, requested a hearing in comments to the board ahead of the decision, the court said: “By affording a period for public comment, the Board provided a sufficient hearing for the public and interested stakeholders to question the stipulation and to urge the Board to adopt or reject it.” The court classified the opinion as “unpublished,” meaning it’s non-precedential. The decision pleased Verizon, which is "eager to move forward and continue making the network investments that have made New Jersey one of the most wired states in the country," a spokesman said. The Rate Counsel disagrees with the decision, Division Director Stefanie Brand said. It's reviewing the opinion and considering next steps, she said. The 30,000 to 40,000 people in New Jersey without broadband access "deserve more of a hearing," she said. It's unclear "how they're going to get broadband or whether they're going to get broadband." The BPU "is satisfied" with the ruling recognizing "the wide deference granted" to the agency, including its interpretations of rules and the regulator's "flexibility in determining the most appropriate proceeding process," an agency spokesman emailed Friday.

Neustar urged the FCC to act on its show-cause motion against Telcordia despite an FBI letter saying it had no objections to Telcordia becoming local number portability administrator. Neustar, the LNPA incumbent, said the FBI letter didn't address its motion asking why Ericsson-owned Telcordia shouldn't be disqualified from serving as LNPA (see 1606020050). "Although the FBI's letter narrowly focuses on the services provided to the law enforcement community, it fails to address Ericsson's misrepresentations or misconduct," said Neustar in a Thursday filing in docket 09-109. "The facts that have been revealed indicate that Ericsson misled the Commission and violated national security requirements set forth in the Selection Order." Separately, the LNP Alliance fired back at a Telcordia (iconectiv) letter criticizing the group and New America's Open Technology Institute (see 1606230048). "The iconectiv Letter -- in the most preachy and pedantic tone -- implies that the LNP Alliance and other concerned parties are 'spooked' because they don’t understand the simplest, basic details of the LNPA Transition," said an LNP Alliance response. "In fact, the LNP Alliance’s acute concern with the LNPA Transition emanates from decades of experience with the manner in which even the most routine telecom process changes have so often become a pretext for large carriers to engage in anticompetitive and anticonsumer mischief. Whether changes to ordering, provisioning, billing or porting processes, large carriers have routinely taken advantage of process changes to shake loose hard-earned customers and increase competitive pressure on new entrants. The LNPA Transition has all the earmarks of the worst of such transitions -- poor transparency, a process controlled by nine (9) of the nation’s largest carriers, and de minimis oversight by regulatory authorities, including no state oversight role whatsoever. The iconectiv letter addresses a series of straw man issues never raised by the LNP Alliance, and neglects to address the principal issues it has raised, while unfairly maligning the integrity of the consumer groups that have duly weighed in on this issue." Telcordia didn't comment Thursday. Wednesday, North American Portability Management filed its monthly update on the LNPA transition.

Neustar urged the FCC to act on its show-cause motion against Telcordia despite an FBI letter saying it had no objections to Telcordia becoming local number portability administrator. Neustar, the LNPA incumbent, said the FBI letter didn't address its motion asking why Ericsson-owned Telcordia shouldn't be disqualified from serving as LNPA (see 1606020050). "Although the FBI's letter narrowly focuses on the services provided to the law enforcement community, it fails to address Ericsson's misrepresentations or misconduct," said Neustar in a Thursday filing in docket 09-109. "The facts that have been revealed indicate that Ericsson misled the Commission and violated national security requirements set forth in the Selection Order." Separately, the LNP Alliance fired back at a Telcordia (iconectiv) letter criticizing the group and New America's Open Technology Institute (see 1606230048). "The iconectiv Letter -- in the most preachy and pedantic tone -- implies that the LNP Alliance and other concerned parties are 'spooked' because they don’t understand the simplest, basic details of the LNPA Transition," said an LNP Alliance response. "In fact, the LNP Alliance’s acute concern with the LNPA Transition emanates from decades of experience with the manner in which even the most routine telecom process changes have so often become a pretext for large carriers to engage in anticompetitive and anticonsumer mischief. Whether changes to ordering, provisioning, billing or porting processes, large carriers have routinely taken advantage of process changes to shake loose hard-earned customers and increase competitive pressure on new entrants. The LNPA Transition has all the earmarks of the worst of such transitions -- poor transparency, a process controlled by nine (9) of the nation’s largest carriers, and de minimis oversight by regulatory authorities, including no state oversight role whatsoever. The iconectiv letter addresses a series of straw man issues never raised by the LNP Alliance, and neglects to address the principal issues it has raised, while unfairly maligning the integrity of the consumer groups that have duly weighed in on this issue." Telcordia didn't comment Thursday. Wednesday, North American Portability Management filed its monthly update on the LNPA transition.

LTE-unlicensed advocates disagree on the extent to which the FCC should step in to force a resolution that will lead to approval of the first LTE-U devices by the agency. The Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) and WifiForward said the process is moving ahead. T-Mobile executives raised the issue in a recent meeting with Edward Smith, aide to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, after the WFA last week put off a decision on a coexistence test plan to examine potential interference between LTE-U and Wi-Fi. “There has been undue delay in the process that the Wi-Fi Alliance, of which T-Mobile is a member, has undertaken,” T-Mobile said in a filing on the meeting.

LTE-unlicensed advocates disagree on the extent to which the FCC should step in to force a resolution that will lead to approval of the first LTE-U devices by the agency. The Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) and WifiForward said the process is moving ahead. T-Mobile executives raised the issue in a recent meeting with Edward Smith, aide to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, after the WFA last week put off a decision on a coexistence test plan to examine potential interference between LTE-U and Wi-Fi. “There has been undue delay in the process that the Wi-Fi Alliance, of which T-Mobile is a member, has undertaken,” T-Mobile said in a filing on the meeting.

LTE-unlicensed advocates disagree on the extent to which the FCC should step in to force a resolution that will lead to approval of the first LTE-U devices by the agency. The Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) and WifiForward said the process is moving ahead. T-Mobile executives raised the issue in a recent meeting with Edward Smith, aide to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, after the WFA last week put off a decision on a coexistence test plan to examine potential interference between LTE-U and Wi-Fi. “There has been undue delay in the process that the Wi-Fi Alliance, of which T-Mobile is a member, has undertaken,” T-Mobile said in a filing on the meeting.