An Internet-freedom bill in Congress is a work in progress that needs to become more specific, said an executive at a CTIA briefing Friday on rural wireless. “The language in the bills is too vague,” said Brett Glass, president of wireless broadband provider Lariat.net. Drafters of the bill should talk with engineers to learn how their proposal will affect networks, Glass said.

The FCC, as expected, approved a cap on payments to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers under the high-cost Universal Service Fund program. Also as expected, wireless carriers voiced deep concern about the cap exerting a chilling effect on their efforts to participate in the USF program. Wireless attorneys said some carriers may challenge the order in federal court. An accompanying FCC statement issued Friday said the cap clears a path for further reform.

Six telecom groups asked for three extra weeks to file reply comments on FCC universal-service proceedings. The groups want the reply deadline moved to June 9 from May 19, according to a petition filed by USTelecom, the National Exchange Carrier Association, the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, the Western Telecommunications Alliance, and the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies. The time is needed “to develop well-considered and thorough responses to the substantial record amassed in this proceeding,” they said. More than 90 parties commented last month, filing more than 1,000 pages to sift through, they said. In March, the FCC extended by two weeks the deadlines for USF comments and replies (CD March 26 p9).

USTelecom named a former top advisor to Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., a deputy to Walter McCormick, the association’s president. Alan Roth, former House Commerce Committee staff director and chief counsel, will fill a new position of senior executive vice president, USTelecom said. Starting June 1, Roth will oversee all government affairs, said a USTelecom spokeswoman. Regina Hopper, USTelecom executive vice president, will oversee all other external affairs, she said. Both will report to McCormick. “It’s clear that USTelecom and other incumbent providers are gearing up for [a] tough next two years with growing Democrat majorities” and perhaps a Democrat president, said Paul Raak, legislative affairs vice president for the Independent Telephone & Telecommunications Alliance. “Here at ITTA we are evaluating our strategy for the next two years as well, which will no doubt be challenging.”

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell announced Monday that he had cast an electronic vote supporting a cap on the high- cost Universal Service Fund. He became convinced that a cap is needed because the contribution factor - the proportion of long-distance revenue that carriers must contribute to the fund -- is again on the rise after declining last year. McDowell’s support gives Chairman Kevin Martin the deciding third vote in favor of a cap (CD April 28 p1). Commissioner Michael Copps previously voted against the cap. All the commissioners but Jonathan Adelstein have voted, sources said.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, introduced a bill late Thursday to solve the “phantom traffic” problem, the focus of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday (CD April 24 p2). “It is time for the FCC to pull back the mask and see who or what is behind phantom traffic,” said Stevens, committee vice chairman. The bill, co-sponsored by Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, has bipartisan support and earned praise from USTelecom. “This bill acknowledges that anyone using the public switched network must pay their fair share and provide the signaling information that is necessary to identify the source of the call,” said a statement from President Walter McCormick.

USTelecom said Monday it’s giving environmental tips on its Web site this week to celebrate Earth Day. The tips say telecommuting, online shopping and other broadband uses help the environment.

“It’s critical that the universal service system adapts to keep pace with the dramatic changes driving the sector,” said USTelecom President Walter McCormick as the telecom association Thursday filed comments on three universal service proceedings. USTelecom urged the FCC to cap high- cost support and “gradually remove access support” for competitive eligible telecommunications carriers. The FCC should phase out support for multiple wireless lines in one household, and look at end-user rates when it calculates high-cost support for fixed line ETCs, USTelecom said. The association supported using reverse auctions to “reduce the number of wireless competitive ETCs to one per geographic area” and determine their support. USTelecom also urged the FCC to target USF subsidies at high-cost wire centers within large study areas and “begin the transition to project-based support to build out service in areas lacking wireless coverage.”

Sprint Nextel said it told FCC staffers in a recent meeting on phantom traffic that rules addressing traffic identification “will not resolve the fundamental issue raised in this docket, namely reform of the broken intercarrier compensation system and the development of a unified compensation regime.” Sprint responded to a USTelecom filing urging the FCC to update the principles in its call ID proceeding to reflect the current telecom market. “A carrier’s intent in choosing a particular transmission route would be extremely difficult to determine,” Sprint said. “Indeed, the appropriate rating and routing of calls is one of the central issues within this docket and the source of many disputes within the current dysfunctional intercarrier compensation regime.”

LAS VEGAS -- Proliferation of multi-standard devices that get mobile TV reduces the need for a for a single standard for delivering mobile TV, speakers told an NAB convention panel organized by the FLO Forum. “Almost every single receiver device is multi-standard,” said Vinod Valloppillil, Roundbox vice president of product marketing. Conforming a device to multiple standards has costs, but they are “trending toward zero,” he said.