Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., reintroduced legislation (HR-2597) to eliminate federal funding for National Public Radio. Lamborn said in a news release: “At a time when millions of federal works [sic] are being furloughed, school children are barred from visiting the White House, and many military training flights are grounded all to save money, it is unacceptable that taxpayers are still on the hook for millions of dollars each year to subsidize National Public Radio.” Lamborn added that it was “highly inappropriate for NPR to move into a lavish new headquarters building partly paid for by taxpayers, many of whom continue to struggle under the worst economy since the Great Depression.”

The Illinois Commerce Commission deferred making any formal judgments on state regulators’ role over Internet Protocol-to-IP interconnection. The ICC “has not determined that any provider has the right to exchange traffic with an incumbent local exchange carrier in IP format,” said an arbitration proceeding judgment released late last week. The proceeding examined an interconnection request from Sprint to AT&T (http://1.usa.gov/13lGotV). “Indeed, the legal question of whether IP Interconnection can be compelled pursuant to Section 251 has not been decided by the FCC,” said the judgment. The ICC also does not yet have any rates, terms or conditions for this type of interconnection, it said. “While the Commission might or might not have the authority to order IP interconnection, this decision cannot be made until it is presented with an IP-to-IP interconnection proposal of sufficient detail to allow it to assess whether such a plan is technically feasible or otherwise comports with the requirements of the 1996 Act,” it said. The state regulator said it adopted language provided by AT&T to “allow this issue to be decided later.” In a May brief before the ICC (http://1.usa.gov/15baGyN), AT&T called Sprint’s characterization of IP interconnection “grotesquely misleading” and said there are distinctions between TDM and IP connections and pointed to the open questions on the federal and state level. In its proposed language, AT&T said Sprint “may propose to AT&T Illinois that the Parties amend the Agreement to provide for IP-to-IP interconnection (and/or to permit Sprint to deliver traffic to AT&T Illinois in IP format rather than in TDM format).” But the AT&T language also said it may still disagree with Sprint’s interpretation of IP interconnection obligations and that the ICC may have to address those issues then.

The FTC doesn’t “intend to play ‘gotcha'” with companies with the updated Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act rule, which took effect Monday, said Maneesha Mithal, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection associate director. Her email to us responded to a report (CD July 1 p12) that the commission isn’t expected to take enforcement actions against websites making a good-faith effort to comply with the COPPA update. Agency officials are “committed to educating businesses in how to comply with COPPA,” which is why they “put out numerous FAQs, released a business education guide, and have spoken at numerous public outreach events,” said Mithal. “We will exercise prosecutorial discretion in the early months after the Rule becomes effective, where a business has attempted to comply with the Rule in good faith."

Hold those Voice Link comments until September, said the New York State Public Service Commission (http://bit.ly/13htb6I). The PSC had requested comments on Verizon’s fixed wireless service, intended as a sole offering to replace basic service landlines on Fire Island, by Tuesday but delayed the deadline to Sept. 13. It changed the date “to allow customers and other interested parties sufficient time to fully evaluate Voice Link service during the summer months,” said a PSC notice. AARP New York already posted its comments as well as elaborated on its concerns in a news release Monday. Voice Link poses public safety concerns to older Americans and “it does not support critically important services such as Life Alert and home security systems,” AARP said in comments (http://bit.ly/11YQXOs), also worrying about the product’s reliance on wireless networks. Communications Workers of America Research Economist Pete Sikora also flagged lack of Life Alert support, in an interview. “Voice Link creates a possible incentive for Verizon to allow its copper network to deteriorate and for it to abandon its copper outside plant prematurely,” AARP said. “When outside plant is inadequately maintained, consumers’ safety is jeopardized because their dial tones may not function when they need to reach emergency services.” It pointed to Voice Link’s inability to make collect calls or dial 0 to reach an operator. “AARP urges the Commission to deny those elements in Verizon’s proposed Voice Link tariff that are broader than the limited temporary use on Fire Island,” AARP said. “Verizon should not have the sole discretion to decide which communities would be relegated to less reliable voice services.” AARP argued the Verizon proposal before the PSC is too broad and encouraged strict oversight of any deployment, which should be limited. “In many cases this move could leave New York consumers in a worse situation come the next major storm,” said AARP New York Director Beth Finkel in a statement.

Tw telecom introduced 40 and 100 gigabit business Ethernet services into the 75 metropolitan areas the company serves, it said in a news release Thursday. “The addition of these faster speeds will enable enterprises to more efficiently and effectively connect headquarters, remote offices and data center locations … for a variety of Big Data applications,” said Graham Taylor, senior vice president for marketing. The services use “dense wave division multiplexing” technology that increases the speed and capacity of a typical fiber network, a spokesman said.

Correction: The date when acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn will be going to Ottawa for meetings with Canadian officials is in late July (CD June 28 p6).

The FCC sought comment on Verizon’s Section 214 petition to end landline service in parts of New York and New Jersey following the copper damage from last year’s Superstorm Sandy, said a Wireline Bureau public notice Friday (http://fcc.us/1amFnoz). The telco proposed instead using the fixed wireless alternative known as Voice Link. Comments are due July 29 in docket 13-150. The FCC has discretion in whether to grant such requests, said the PN. “Balancing the interests of the carrier and the affected user community, the Commission generally considers a number of factors including: (1) the financial impact on the carrier of continuing to provide the service; (2) the need for the service in general; (3) the need for the particular facilities in question; (4) the existence, availability, and adequacy of alternatives; and (5) increased charges for alternative services, although this factor may be outweighed by other considerations.” The public notice described the debate over Voice Link that has emerged in recent months, laying out the concerns the New York State Public Service Commission pointed to in a May order granting Verizon conditional approval to deploy the service on Fire Island. The PN seeks comment on Verizon’s “waiver request, the steps it has taken to notify customers given the particular circumstances in this case, the availability of alternative services including the steps Verizon has taken to offer alternative service to customers, and any other relevant issues in light of the above mentioned factors,” it said. “What impact, if any, should the circumstances of this case have on the Commission’s traditional analysis, including the fact that many of the affected customers have already lost service? Is Voice Link service a reasonable substitute for the Affected Services? In addition to those discussed above, are there features, functions, or capabilities that were available over the Affected Services that would not be available over the Voice Link service?” The bureau asked stakeholders to comment on “the significance of the features, functions and capabilities that are not currently available over the Voice Link service” and “should identify whether any conditions could ensure that the discontinuance of Verizon’s wireline service does not harm the public interest.”

The FCC should do “everything possible” to gather the information set forth in the mandatory special access data request “as soon a possible,” CLEC attorney Thomas Jones of Willkie Farr told an FCC Wireline Bureau official, an ex parte filing said (http://bit.ly/1amGIeO). “The Commission should not unnecessarily delay the data gathering process by changing the vintage of data sought from 2010 and 2012 to 2011 and 2013,” he wrote. Jones represents Cbeyond, EarthLink, Integra Telecom, Level 3 and tw telecom.

The FCC has “clear statutory authority” under Sections 201, 205 and 276 of the Communications Act to adopt the proposed benchmark rates for interstate and intrastate inmate calling service calls, said Lee Petro of Drinker Biddle on behalf of Martha Wright (http://bit.ly/1amG5Sw). Wright originally petitioned the FCC asking it to investigate high prison phone call rates. The FCC’s recent call for additional information on ancillary services “is necessary only because the parties with the information, i.e., the ICS providers, have steadfastly refused to respond to numerous FCC requests to provide this information,” Petro said. In light of ICS providers’ failure to provide detailed cost data requested of them, “these parties may no longer -- both reasonably and legally -- object to the FCC’s adoption of the Petitioners’ proposal based on the information submitted into the record,” he said. The FCC should adopt a benchmark rate of 7 cents per minute with no other charges or ancillary fees, he said.

Spectrum-hungry T-Mobile US said Friday it will buy AWS spectrum covering 29 markets in the Mississippi Valley region for $308 million in cash from U.S. Cellular. Markets covered include St. Louis; Nashville; Kansas City; Memphis; Lexington and Louisville, Ky.; Little Rock-North Little Rock, Ark.; Birmingham, Ala.; and New Orleans, T-Mobile said. “This additional spectrum will allow for an incremental roll-out of T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network coverage to new markets and expands the existing 4G LTE bandwidth in the important Mississippi Valley region.” The carrier, the nation’s fourth largest, is widely viewed as a top contender for sub-1 GHz spectrum in the upcoming FCC incentive auction. “In today’s marketplace, spectrum is gold,” said T-Mobile CEO John Legere. “This is a rare opportunity to secure precious AWS spectrum in key markets that will immediately be put to use by both T-Mobile and MetroPCS customers. This deal expands our network and capacity, allowing for a broader roll-out of 4G LTE and an even faster and more reliable 4G experience for our customers -- in addition to spurring competition in the wireless marketplace.” The FCC and Department of Justice both must sign off on the transaction. “Following the Market Divestiture that closed in May, we have been seeking opportunities to monetize other non-strategic assets,” said Kenneth Meyers, CEO of U.S. Cellular. “We're pleased to have achieved significant value for this spectrum license, as we continue to evaluate opportunities to create additional value for our shareholders.” Wells Fargo noted that the transaction prices the AWS spectrum at $0.95 per MHz/Pop. “The value of spectrum continues to increase,” Wells Fargo said in a research note. “Verizon paid $0.69 per MHz/Pop for SpectrumCo’s AWS spectrum in 2011. Today’s $0.95 price represents a 37 percent increase in the value of AWS spectrum."