Comcast’s $45 billion buy of Time Warner Cable will benefit consumers and businesses by giving them access to next-generation broadband, video, voice and other services with national and global scale, it claimed in a public interest statement filed with the FCC Tuesday. Comcast ensures benefits like high-speed broadband services available on bundled and standalone bases, a nationally acclaimed and comprehensive low-income broadband adoption program, the most robust and advanced VOD and TV Everywhere experience and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, “and to providing accessible solutions to people with disabilities,” it said (http://bit.ly/1lOr7ei).

The FCC sought comment on a TextMe petition asking the agency to clarify the meaning of the term “capacity” as used in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s definition of “automatic telephone dialing system,” said a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau notice (http://bit.ly/1hxHEvf). TextMe also asked the FCC to clarify “that users of TextMe’s service, instead of TextMe itself, make or send calls or text messages for purposes of the TCPA. In the alternative, TextMe requests that the Commission clarify that third-party consent obtained through an intermediary satisfies the TCPA’s ‘prior express consent’ requirement for calls and texts to wireless numbers.” Comments are due May 7, replies May 22. Last month, the FCC offered some clarity on other questions raised about the TCPA (CD March 31 p7). TextMe said by offering clarity, the FCC could help curb TCPA-related class-action lawsuits. “Rather than discourage the abusive marketing practices that Congress and the Commission found harmful to consumers, these lawsuits stifle innovation and threaten the development of novel tools for communication,” TextMe said (http://bit.ly/QY49EP). “Commission action is necessary to prevent the TCPA from being read so broadly as to deprive consumers of access to innovative products and services.”

The Office of Advocacy at the Small Business Administration urged the FCC to strengthen protections for small multichannel video programming distributors and revise programming access rules on the heels of Comcast’s plan to pay about $45 billion for Time Warner Cable. SBA backed proposals by the American Cable Association asking the commission to extend program access rules to the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), and to clarify the obligation of cable-affiliated programmers to extend the same volume discounts to buying groups that they do to individual MVPDs. Also last week, NCTC and Viacom almost entered what would have been the co-op’s first blackout of cable channels.

The ICANN community will need to remain vigilant to avoid having its multistakeholder model replaced by a multilateral system like the ITU, said Internet governance leaders, including ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade, at a Hudson Institute panel Friday. It was the culmination of a busy three weeks in Internet governance, kicked off by NTIA’s announcement it will transfer the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions to a global multistakeholder body (WID March 17 p1). The initial “gut impressions” from Capitol Hill about the announcement will give way to a better understanding of Internet governance issues over time, said Daniel Sepulveda, deputy assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, at the event. “We're united with our colleagues across the aisle in ensuring the preservation of freedom and the preservation of the multistakeholder system."

Verizon customers can now send emergency text messages to public safety answering points (PSAPs) in 60 jurisdictions, up from 46 in January, the carrier said in a report filed at the FCC. “Verizon plans to offer PSAPs the choice of three Text-to-911 options, two of which are already available, and the third of which is currently the subject of a first office application” in Indiana, the carrier said (http://bit.ly/1pYeM6p). “Each of these options also provides a bounce-back message capability.” Wireless carriers agreed in 2012 to file quarterly progress reports at the FCC on making text-to-911 a reality, a priority of both Chairman Tom Wheeler and former Chairman Julius Genachowski. AT&T also reported progress, including the selection of Intrado as its Text Control Center (TCC) vendor. “Our Vermont text-to-911 trial transitioned to Intrado on March 5th and will remain in operation in advance of and subsequent to AT&T making text-to-911 service available to PSAPs on a nationwide basis,” AT&T said (http://bit.ly/1lrDfiE). “AT&T is also in the process of launching additional trials. Specifically, we launched a first field application trial in Durham, N.C., on March 13th to test our i3 text-to-911 interface. Later this week, we plan to launch an additional first field application trial in York County, S.C., to test our web browser interface solution, with a final trial to be launched shortly afterwards in Cabarrus County, N.C., to test our text-to-TTY [text telephone] conversion solution.” AT&T said it has received 32 requests for text-to-911 service taking in 105 individual PSAPs and four statewide operations. “Sprint expects to meet its commitment of making text-to-911 service available by May 15th, as we are finalizing the terms of the contract with the vendor which will act as Sprint’s Text Control Center,” Sprint said (http://bit.ly/1pYkvcq). “We also continue to participate in standards bodies and industry working groups and have been engaged in cooperative efforts with public safety answering points ... across the country.” T-Mobile said it has received 22 requests for text-to-911 service covering 194 PSAPs. “T-Mobile implemented its first successful text-to-911 service with Montgomery County, N.Y.,” on Nov. 20, the carrier reported (http://bit.ly/1pWeB9W). “While T-Mobile had hoped to implement service with several other PSAPs who have chosen the same TCC vendor in March, PSAP scheduling constraints prevented that from happening. We do plan on implementing the service with those same PSAPs in April.” T-Mobile said it has raised concerns at the FCC about the lack of full interoperability and interconnection between major TCC vendors, “which could potentially force both carriers and PSAPs to connect to multiple TCCs."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency weighed in on an FCC public notice (CD March 13 p10) asking whether the commission should make broadcasters switch to a “designated hitter” system to send emergency alert system (EAS) messages in languages other than English when the foreign-language station is off-air. A one-paragraph FEMA comment posted Wednesday in docket 04-296, 26 days before initial responses are due to the Public Safety Bureau request (CD March 31 p15), backed the Minority Media and Telecommunication Council’s work to extend EAS warnings to those who don’t speak English. FEMA cautioned that using text-to-speech (TTS) technology to send such non-English warnings of bad weather, natural disasters and other events has “limitations.” A designated hitter approach would have stations in the same market of one that’s off-air distribute alerts in the language used by the knocked-out broadcaster.

Comptel submitted a proposed “managerial framework” to the FCC Wednesday as a way to best handle the IP transition (http://bit.ly/1i2DzA2). The proposal emphasizes the critical role of last-mile access and interconnection policies in ensuring retail business competition, drawing on recommendations in the FCC’s National Broadband Plan. The Comptel recommendations aim to guarantee just and reasonable rates, terms and conditions for TDM- and packet-based special access services; clarify rights and obligations with regard to IP interconnection; and provide a balance in copper retirement policies. The group also proposes a detailed timeline of FCC actions: By Q2 of 2014, the agency would initiate its special access data collection and reverse prior grants of forbearance from dominant carrier regulation. By Q3 it would address ILECs’ “anti-competitive, exclusionary special access discount plans” and adopt rules addressing copper retirement. By Q4 it would clarify the “duty” of ILECs to provide IP interconnection under Section 251 of the Communications Act. By Q2 of 2015, the agency would undertake comprehensive special access changes, and address access to packet-based last-mile facilities. The Broadband Coalition released a statement supporting Comptel’s plan. NTCA Senior Vice President-Policy Michael Romano also said his association welcomed Comptel’s focus on ensuring the technological evolution doesn’t become “an excuse to cast aside” important consumer protection rules. “While the members of our organizations may not agree on every substantive policy issue raised or how certain obligations should be interpreted and implemented, we certainly agree that a well-defined regulatory backdrop that provides clear rules of the road on things like interconnection of networks is essential to the functioning of communications markets and the advancement of enduring public policy values,” he said in a statement.

I.TV will deploy its tvtag TV watching social network by June across its users, building on its acquisition of GetGlue’s check-in service, CEO Brad Pelo told us.

I.TV will deploy its tvtag TV watching social network by June across its users, building on its acquisition of GetGlue’s check-in service, CEO Brad Pelo told us.

Panelists delved into specific legislative and government approaches to regulating big data at the White House’s final big data workshop Tuesday, webcast from the University of California-Berkeley School of Law. Comments on those topics also continued to flow into the White House Monday just before the original deadline, which was extended to Friday, said a Monday White House blog post (http://1.usa.gov/1jx8n00). The definition of harm, the FTC’s role and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) were major themes across both the comments and Tuesday’s workshop.